Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-08

wF the new larger and lighter golf
ball has made any difference IN the
scoring capabilities of washington
4 leading amateur linksmen, the gu
ference is not visible TO the naked
eve. One major golf tournament mas
been played and another Is IN us ilila a.
nhase TODAY. Two qualifying ROUNDS at
Yneadal play have been run through ana
the same names that figured last year
in the first fight figure again TINS year.
Furthermore the scores MADE IN THESE
qualifying rounds, even though they
NAV be a shade higher in the aggregate
than they were last year, cannot rlgntly
be laid at the door OF the new pail, 1or
there has been no evidence IN the Two
tournaments which have been played 10
show that the new ball has any effect
an the scoring of the leading Simon
pure linksmen about the Capital.
TN the washington Golf and Country
/ Club tourney the winning score OF
the medal round was 70, exactly the
same count with which the medal was
won in the previous years tourney. And
the qualifying round in the tourney
| this year was played in high wind,
| which should, If anything, have pushed
the scores a shade higher than they
were last year. On the other side Of
the picture, it took cards OF 79 or bet
ter to qualify in the tourney last year,
while scores of 81 made the first fight
this year. But an observation of the
scoring in the match-play rounds. after
the wind had died down, indicated that
the scoring certainly was as goods with
| the big ball as 1t was with the old
sphere. For example, in his first
match-play round Tommy Bones shot
the Washington course in fiat 10.
Harry Pitt, after an indifferent start,
played the last II holes in three strokes
better than par, and other players re-
ported that they had found no trouble
in getting around with the new ball in
par figures.
AEoNRo HUNTER. Jr., of Indian
vi Spring, knocked the ball around
the Woodmont course two days
ago in "a strokes to win the qualifying
round with approximately the same
total that won the medal last year. And
in the initial match play rounds the
| competitors scored as well this year as
they did in 1880. If they scored higher
this wear it may as well he attributed to
the bare spots left by last years drought
on the fafrways as to the new ball.
Certainly the conclusions to he drawn
from tournament play with the new ball
around Washington this year indiacte
that there has been no lack of ability
to score. Both Washington and Wood
mont are fairly short courses. Neither
of them are easy, by any stretch of the
imagination. But 1t may be that on a
longer course, where the second shots
are mostly long iron rather than pitch,
shots, the scoring will mount a trif1e
with the new ball. On the other hand.
the new ball is easier to control in the
play to the green's. provided there is
not a high wind. The coming tourna-
ments at Chevy Chase and Indian
Spring, together with those already
played, should give a definite line on
the ability of the best amateurs about
the Capital to knock the new ball
around in approximately the same
scores they made last year.
But the jury already has returned a
part verdict and this verdict is that the
new ball is no harder to score with than
the old sphere. The result may be bit