Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-27
FIRST SINCE VO|GT
TO WELD SCEPTER
Illness Cheats Manor Ace
of Chance to Achieve
National Hon0rS.
BY WALTER r. MccALLUM.

BY WALTER r. McCALLUM.
Tor the first time since 1927,
~ when George J. Voigt won
everything in sight in agolf-
ing way around the National
Capital and then pulled out Tor
New York, leaving local golf
on the fat of it's back, we have an
undisputed leader in amateur golf
in this year of 1881. In the years
intervening since Voigt pulled up
stakes. shook the dust of the Capt.
tai from his hob-nailed broganS
and transferred his smooth swing
and immaculate putting stroke TO
preener pastures around the met
ronolitan area, there have been
several choices for first ranking
nosition among the amateur golf
erS around the Capital, but the
ranking has been an arDlIraTy
matter rather than one that coulo
be definitely established as 1act.
This year there cannot be the slight
est doubt as to the leading amateur
golfer around the bunker-bordered Ma
fional Capital. Harry G. Pitt Oh tne
Manor Club. who in former years mas
repeatedly given promise OF f1rst rank,
stands head and shoulders above the
local amateur field, bestriding his mar
row world like a colossus. Indeed 1t Is
bv no means a rock-ribbed certainty
that Harry Pitt today would not be
national ranking figure had he not been
i'll at the time of the sectional quann-
cation round for the national amateur
championship, for Billy Howell Of Rich
mond was the youthful sensation OF the
amateur and Pitt gave him an artistic
facing in the Columbia tourney, one OF
his four major tournament victories OF
the year.
ITO BE SURE, Harry Pitt has been
l. beaten this year. Few golfers can
90 through an entire tournament
campaign without absorbing a licking
or two. Even Bob Jones, had he es-
saved to play the tournament schedule
that Pitt undertook this year, might
have been licked in one or two OF his
starts by some hot" youngster. Harry
old not choose the easy path OF picking
lis tournaments. He played in them
all, and even though he was beaten
four times in major tournaments, ne
won four others of quite as much rank
to balance of his four defeats. He
stands today as the ranking amateur
golfer around Washington and man
who undoubtedly has a brilliant ma
tional future before him at the age
Of IS.
Pitt started the season in uninpres-
Sive fashion. Handicapped by lack OF
golf and lack of experience with the
new ball, he was beaten in the Wash
ington tournament-the opening ioust
of the season-and then absorbed
licking IN his favorite event-the Chevy
Chase tournament. He went down to
Norfolk to play in the Middle Atlantic
and was dropped out by George F. Mil
Ter. q member and champion of his own
club. And in the invitation tourney OF
his own organization Harry played Is
holes In two above par and found him
self licked by that star of the public
links, Bradley H. Burrows. So much
for his losses. His victories have been
far more impressive.
HARRY started his winning career
i i with q victory in the invitation
tournament of the Baltimore Ccun-
try Club, where he outclubbed John
Lynch Of New York. Then he came
back to Indian Spring to beat Leroy
Sasscer by S and 3 in the final after an
Impressive march to the ultimate round.
Then followed the Columbia tourney,
where Harry made miraculous come
back to beat Gordon Wood of Richmond
in the second round and advance to the
final where he outSteadied Billy Howell
TO win by 2 up. With his defeat in the
Manor Club tourney final, the Spring
invitation tournament closed. but Harry
came right back early in September to
spread-eagle his field in the District
amateur championship at Burning Tree
and win going away by a margin OF
strokes His winning score of 3o2-an
0f n FOlfnn--T1a
with the big, light ball over a slow
course, compares with the 800 score by
which Frank Roesch won last year over
the same layout. There is no doubt that
Harry Pitt stands head and shoulders
above the balance of the amateur
amateur brigade around Washington
and that greater triumphs await him in
@ larger field.
place James d. Herman of Wash
ington second on the ranking list OF
District amateurs. Second place Is hard
to FIX, for the reason that no other
player than Pitt has won more than one
major tourney. Herman won the
Chevy Chase event, one of the classiest
tournaments of the year, in such inn
pressive style that there was no doubt
as to the best man in the field. His
Chevy Chase win came only week
after he had been runner-up to John G.
Shorey at Wocdmont. Herman has
displayed such consistent class that ne
rates second place, but his record Is
long way behind that Of Pitt.
BRADLEY H. BURROWS. the Dis
ID trict municipal links champion. is
placed third. He Is one OF the lew
men who were able to beat Pitt this
wear. but he did II in convincing fash
ion, playing the Is holes of the Manor
Club invitation final in one better than
par to beat Harry He also was runner
up to Herman in the Chevy Chase tour
nament and again won the District pub
lie links title, although he failed to
qualify in the national public links tour
ney. Burrows is golfer with sound,
smooth swing, and one from whom
more will be heard. He should he. a
member of a private club, where he
would have more time and opportunity
to develop his already sound game.
Fourth place lies between John c.
Shorey and Roger Peacock, with the
place going to Peacock because Of his
showing in the District amateur title
tourney and his win of the District
Junior event the previous week. Neither
Peacock nor Shorey played in all the
tournaments as did Pitt, although
Shofey won in his favorite tourney-tht
Woodmont invitation-where he bea'
Herman Shorey finished third in the
District amateur, far behind Pitt and
Peacock, and because Of this Is placed
NTH, with Peacock in fourth place
Shorey played in the Manor tournament
and the Middle Atlantic and was unable
to 60 anywhere in either Of them. whilt
Peacock's only tournament outside Of
the District senior and junior event:
was the Columbia tourney, where III
lost in the second round. Had he played
in more events he might have piled III
a more impressive record, but he con
fIned his competitive golf to these three
tournaments.