Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-09
NEAR TOP, If NOT
BEST, N.CAP|TAL
Young veteran" Is city's
Main Hope in National
Amateur Struggle.

i G. Sh0rey is Just about the
finest piece Of golf fnachin-
cry in the National Capital. John
has vet to prove that he is the
kingpin Of the amateur brigade
about washington, but by any
count and by any yardstick of
comparison he is so close to the
top that he can give the acknolw-
edged leaders a battle every inch
of the bunkered way.
There are a lot of golfers scattered
among the clubs Of washington who
have watched the progress of this youth
full player from the Ken#6od Golf and
Country Club from the time he first
stepped out down at East Potomac Park
to take a foremost place among the
public links stars Of seven or eight
years ago. and who now see him as the
main hope OF washington in the ma
tional amateur championship, which is
scheduled for decision at the Beverly
Country Club OF Chicago four weeks
hence.
For John c. shofey, the youngster
whom many elaitin Is the finest golfer
around washington. win be one Of the
two men who win represent the Capital
In the national simon ptlfe title chase.
The other is Tommy Bones the Coltn1-
bia southpaw. These two were the only
Capital golfers to Qualify In. the sec
tional trials held at the Hermitage
Country Club of Richmond two weeks
ago and, Shorey qualified in such inn
press We fashion that he finished second
only to Billy Howell. the Richmond
you'll, who was playing over his own
home course, where he knows every trick
of the layout. Shorey qualified in the
sectional tests With a s6-hole total Of
l54, made tip OF q rs and 49, while
Bones was three strokes higher with
80-77-l57
Holm sfiOREY viii 20 to Chicago
late this month. packing IN his golf
bag more real golf experience and
knowledge of the game than most
youngsters Of 20 or % years have alb
s0rbed. For Shorey, even though he Is
still a yonnester In years, has behind
him a BACKGROUND Of big-tif1e tOurra-
fiaent experience extending over seven
or eight years, dating from the. time he
first came up out of the ruck Of players
at East Potomac Park to take his place
as golfer OF the first rank about
washington.
At IFS best ON courses where most
Of the holes are drive and pitch affairs,
Sl1Orey should do well in Chicago, where
many 81 the par-4 holes are between
325 and 400 yards In length. Not that
john SheFey Is a short hitter, for he
is not, He = as long as most Of the
long hltters, but his speciality In win
ming tournaments judged on his record
10 date, is knocking the ball so close
to the hole from the pitching clubs that
he could hardly miss the following putt.
Despite the fact that the coming tour
nameTit viii be his first national anna
teur championship, Shorey Is given a
good chance TO qualify, and II he does
qualify. he viii give some one hard
rub In the match play rounds, for match
play is his forte. He has the habit Of
Knocking his ball 50 close to the hole
mental processes.
TN this pair-6horey and Bones-the
il National Capital has a duo Of
youngsters who are fitting repre-
sei1tatipes in the national champion
ship. Shorey. even though he is still
young, has packed away far more golf
making his first bid for the big title.
and because of this background of ex-
perience Shorey will be the one on
whom the major title hopes Of WASH
ington viii rest.
ShOfey never has won major title
about Washington, except the junior
championship. but he has lost two Of
them only by the 'narrowest of mar
gins. Three years ago he fought his
way to the Anal round Of the Middle
Atlantic Coli Association champion
ship st Congressional, where he met
Harry q. Pitt. the long hitting Manor
ite, ia the final round. One down with
two TO go, Shorey squared the match
ON the final green and lost only on the
nineteenth, when Pitt foled a 40-foUt
putt for a birdie A.
Last year SilUrey started the last
round in the District amateur cham
piofsiiip---a 72-lloie medal play affair
four strokes behind Frank K Roesch of
Washington, Down through the long
afternoon they battled for the cham
piOnship, which lay between the pair
Of youngsters, and at the end only q
single stroke separated them. Had
Ehorey holed .15-f0ot putt on the last
green. At Burning Tree they would have
tied for the title SO close has shorey
been 70 the two major golf champion
ships in this area.
90 far in his short career as winning
- golfer, Shorey's special tourna-
ments, those in which he has fig
Hred mnst extensively, have been the
Journeys oil the WoDdmont and Ban
nockburl1 clubs. This year his only
victory came In the Woodmont tourney
but he played In only two others-thc
Middle Atlantic and the Manor Cilh
affair At W0odmont ne scored en- i'm
pteesire final round victory. beating
Jimmy Herman OF WASHINGTON by his
uncanny ability TO pitch the ball from
anywhere close enough to the hole e
sink the putt. Time after time he did
this at wood1nont When the match
ended he needed par on the last hole
tor H.
He has won the woodmont tourney
several times and always has been g
potent factor In all the other touffia
inents he has played in Four or five
years ago. when George Weight wa
st the crest a the game locally, we
watched him and Shorey come TO the
last hole in the final round OF the Ban
sloakburn tournament. They were all
square, coming to THIS last hole which
then was played as a pitch shot Of
ahout $50 yards. Both put their tee
shots on the green, and Shorey holes
putt OF fully SIS feet for deuce tC
win the match ana The tournament ai1f
score the only victory against voiehi
ktiat was recorded BIZ d local amateur
tflat year. That's the kind OF collie
Ehorey Is. when he Is hardest nlishe.
and down, ne only starts to nglfN HI
best golf Is PLAYED from behind. II