Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-14
SIX SHOOT IT OUT
TO END TIE AT 6
Howell, Pitt, Roesch, Hunter,
Burnett and Merrill to Go
18-HoIe Route.

GOOD many followers Q


~ golf and golfers are going
~ to be treated to something
in the nature of a three
ring circus this afternoon at l
o'clock at the Columbia Country
Club, when six good golfers tee
off to play off the tie at 76 last
week for the qualifying medal IN
the Columbia tourney.
Included in the group are Harry q.
Pitt, the winner of the tournament,
and Billy Howell, the runner-up. Also
included is Frank K. Roesch, the Dis.
trict champion, so the stage Is all set
this afternoon for a closeup COMPARE
son of the three best golf games there
are in this sector of the land.
Pitt, the winner of the tourney and
OF TWO other tournaments near WASH
lngton this Spring, has the finest
record of any Capital golfer; Howell is
the Middle Atlantic Golf Association
champion and probably the finest
golfer in the Old Dominion State, and
Roesch is the smooth sTinger VINO
won the District title last year.
Of course, three others are tied Tor
the medal, but the interest viii center
about the play of the three named,
who generally are regarded as the
leaders in golf competition ABOUT TINS
part of the bunkered landscape. The
others are j. Monro Hunter, jr., son of
the Indian Spring professional and the
same lad who beat Howell to win the
Maryland Country Club tourney last
July: Volney G.. Burnett, the Beaver
Dam Club title holder, and c. M. Mer-
rill, an unattached player, who knocks
the ball a long way and who has been
playing exceptionally well this year.
The six will play Is holes at medal
play, starting at o'clock, and probably
will be split into two three-bau
matches.
Three or four years ago there was a
similar play-off at Columbia, ana,
strangely enough, the score at which
they tied was the same as that IN the
tourney which ended last week-76.
Houghton Was Winner Then.
Those who participated in the tie OF
several years back were Albert Il. Mac
Kenzie, Page Hufty, A. L. Houghton,
w. r. McCalium and Frank Roesch
again. Houghton won the piayon WIN
four on the last hole. That year
there were Ave, and this year there
are six, and again Columbia has
proved that even though the boys burn
np the course in match play, they
cannot score extremely low in medal
play. when they go up against the cara
and the pencil and have to hole all
their puts.
Billy Howell, whom some folks believe
is a hole or two better than any man
in this section, even though he was
licked in the final at Columbia, had the
finest score OF the Columbia tourney In
his semi-final match against Parker
Nolan of Congressional. Billy played
the 16 holes of the match in exactly
par. and what a pace he set Tor Nolan
over the first nine!
The wonder of that match was that
Nolan was able to hang on as well as
he did, which is support for the theory
that he is one of the coming leaders
in golf in this section. Howell, picking
up brides on the second, seventh and
eighth, needed a par 4 on the ninth to
get out in 80. He and Nolan halved the
ninth in skies, but still the Richmond
youngster was out in "a.
The big kick of this afternoons en-
gagement will be to watch Pitt ana
Howell again matching shots, this time
in medal play. Howells real forte Is
medal play, while Pitts strongest game
is match play. Those who see that
contest this afternoon probably will see
a lot of golf, if Howell shows up. He
was not certain last night whether ne
would be able to remain.
WITH big fields in invitation tourna-
w ments the rule rather than the
exception, the Manor Club tourna-
ment this week will run true 10 form.
Aided by a reputation for hospitality
obtained through its invitation tourney
two wears ago. the Manor Club event
already has more than 400 golfers en-
tered. according to j. G. Putnam,
Tournament Committee chairman, ana
the absolute end is not in sight. the
number may run as high as that at
Indian Spring, where 450 golfers StroVe
10 qualify so OF their number In the
match play rounds. Putnam beIeVeS
that all the entrants can qualify IN
tourney will start on Tuesday, quite
early, as might be expected.
Never before, even though the Colnm-
bia tourney has had some big fields In
other years, has there been so much
interest in golf as there seems to have
been this year, as evidenced by the
size of the entry lists. washington
had a record number with more than
800 players. So did Woodmont, on
nine-hole course. The field at CHEVY
Chase was large, and the Indian Spring
llSC SET q T6COTQ up W l4Aoo VAIN "~S@A
a group of 450 players. Then along
came Columbia with SIS names ana
row comes Manor with more than 400:
Something must be done about 1t, II
any one is 20 get any pleasure out OF
these big tournaments.
AS the situation stands now the FIELDS
are far too bulky to handle. And there
is a growing tendency on the part OF
some of the club to cut down their
entries by one process or another, while
in other quarters the disposition seems
to be to eliminate the tournaments en-
tirely. Such a course as the latter
would be too severe, but as 1t is prob
lem is presented.
WITH the team match scheduled Tor
w today postponed. probably $50 or
more golfers of the Columbia
Country Club will travel over to the
Washington Golf and Country Club
next Sunday to play with their friends
at the Virginia layout. The match was
postponed because it was so close TO
the Columbia tournament, and doubt
less many of those who played In that
event would rather not play golf for
day or two afterward. These team
matches between the washington and
Columbia clubs are friendly affairs, and
are played solely for the purpose OF en-
joyment. No one keeps score and no
ali <aF nv