Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-25
AMATEUR TOURNEY
ENTRY PLAN SOUND
viii Give Linksmen EalE
Chance to Qualify for An
nuaI Meet.

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ITHE United States Golf Associ-
alton has done q good many
i brainy things In the 30-odd
years it has been handling
national golf matters In this
country. And 1t has done q good
many things that have been
viewed as not so brainy. One
Of its newest moves-the changed
method of selecting entrants for
the national amateur golf cham
pionship of 1931--is generally re-
garded as one of the most
advanced changes the parent golf
body ever has initiated.
What effect will it have on the golfers
| of Washington and of the Middle At
| lantic territory generally? VIII 1t bring
about recognition Of this section Of the
| Eastern United States as a sector which
can and does produce golfers Of ma
| tional caliber?
In view Of past difficulties of this sec
| ton of the land in securing the entry
| of outstanding golfers in the amateur
championship, the changed method Of
selection will be a great forward step.
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| previously, the Middle Atlantic section
of the United States has had trouble
getting applicants into the major
/ amateur title event.
Roland Mackenzie had little trouble
back in his formative golf years Of 1923
and 1924 because he had travelled over
the country playing in many outside
tournaments and his ability was known
outside of the locality where he scored
most of his victories. George j. Voigt
also scored important tournament vic
tories in other places than the territory
Immediately surrounding Washington,
and thus gained name for himself
which reached beyond merely local
fame. But men like Miller 3. Stevin-
son, John c. Shorey, Frank K. Roesch
and Harry G. Pitt, who played In few
tournaments outside those Immediately
around Washington, were not known to
the national golf authorities, even
though they were recognized in their
section as outstanding competitors.
Seen as Fair Method.
During the amateur championship
last September we talked with an ON
cial of the U. S. q. A., who predicted
that in 1881 the U. s. G. A. would en-
ploy the sectional qualification system
In order to provide q fair yardstick for
qualification and at the same time avoid
been leveled at the so-called "hand-
picked" field chosen by the national
body to play in the amateur champion
ship.
It never has been true that the q. 8.
G. A. showed undue favor1tisYn, but
biased writers have indicated as much
in no uncertain terms. Usually at each
championship few local favorttes have
been allowed to play, but in no case has
their number interferred with the COM
petitors of genuine merit getting in the
title tourney.
This year those who intend to play
in the championship will be chosen
strictly on their merit and their ability
/ to outStrip their fellow competitors In
the sectional qualifying tests. If q man
like Chick Evans In Chicago or Francis
Ouimet In Boston cannot qualify, that
Is just too bad. He viii have had his
chance, nevertheless, just as the pros
do in the sectional qualifying rounds
for the open championship. And we do
mot hear many squawks about that
qualifying system.
Applied to amateurs, It is something
new in the United States, but the equity
OF the system Is obvious. Even though
/ some may say that amateurs should not
be made to qualify In this manner, the
fairness Of the scheme proclaimS its
merit.
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able that some outstanding course, such
as Burning Tree or Columbia, the Five
Farms course in Baltimore, or the
James River course Of the Country Club
of Virginia, will be chosen for the quail
| flying test and on some day In June or
| July of this year, all the outstanding
competitors of this section will gather
to play for the right to compete In the
amateur championship at Chicago in
September.
VIII Be Up to Golfers.
If John Shorey or Harry Pitt or any
other outstanding golfer around WASH
ington fails to qualify, it will be his own
outlook and the charge Of fayoritism
cannot be applied.
Just how the U. s. q. A. intends ia
run of the qualifying rounds In sec
tons has not yet been made clear, but
the probability Is that In this sector of
the bunkered land the Middle Atlantic
Golf Association viii be asked to run
off the 36-hole medal round. And
probably three amateurs in this section
will be qualified, which will be some
what Of break, for only on rare occa-
SionS have more than two amateurs
from the mid-Atlantic section been al
lowed to play in recent amateur cham
pionshipS.
The sectional system Of qualifying for
the amateur championship undoubtedly
| is big step forward and all golfers
generally in this part Of the land hail