Evening star., 1934-02-05
STURDY L|NKSL0T
TO|NVADE BRITAIN
Squad Led by 0uimet Will
Remain Abroad to Play
in Amateur Meet.
BY w. r. McCALLUM.

n possibly the strongest
~ that ever has represented
4 a the United States in the
international golf matches-is
going abroad to clash with the
British over the classic fair
ways of st. Andrews in May.
A mixture Of seasoned veterans Of
international links competition and Of
youngsters who have demonstrated
they can stand up in big-time golf,
the American team looms as another
aggregation which will prove too
strong for the challengers of the tight
little isle, even though the British al
ways have provided the thoughest sort
Of opposition on their own golf courses
in England or Scotland.
Even though some of the matches,
particularly those played in Britain,
have been close, the British have yet
to score victory in the Walker Cup
series which was inaugurated in 1922.
An informal match, in which Tommy
Armour played for the British side as
an amateur, was held in 1921, and
again the Americans we're victorious
Their first formal victory came In 1922
when England sent over strong team
which included Roger Wethered and
Cyril Tolley.
American Team staIwart
TINE United States Walker Cup
team this year again is headed
by that grand veteran from Bos-
ton-Francis Ouimet, amateur cham
pion of 1914 and Iceland open
champion of 1918. Francis rates right
American golfer TO play in Britain.
With Ouimet will go Maxwell r.
Marston, veteran of the 1926 team
Jack Westland, the plodding, meticu-
lous Chicagoan who holds the Western
title; national amateur champion,
George T. Dunlap; national open
champion, Johnny Goodman: H.
Chandler Egan, the 51-year-old vet
eran from the Pacific Coast; John
Fischer of Cincinnati and w. Lawson
Little, ir.. the larruping scrapper from
San Francisco.
1t is a team made up Of the finest
amateurs in the United States, team
which might be better with the addi-
ton of Gus Moreland of Texas and
Don Moe of Portland, but still team
which lacks nothing Of the best in golf
in this country.
The British will put up a fine scrap
no doubt Of that-but with such a
gallant array of linksmen from the
/ United States, they will do well TO
hold the score close What better
match could be arranged than joust
between the 55-year-old Michael
Scott, British amateur champion. and
the 5l-year-old Egan, holder Of the
American amateur title in 1904 and
| 1905? Or a scrap between Eric Fid-
dian. young master SHOEMAKER from
Scotland, and dependable George
Dunlap?
Unless the British score Walker
u Cup victory soon it is quite pos
sible that the graybeards of the
royal and ancient who preside over
British golf will begin to wonder
whether it is worth while to send
teams to inevitable defeat at the
hands of the young upstairs from the
West. But old England has way of
sticking to a job until it is finished,
and even though the United States
may score what appears to be another
in an unbroken string of wins in the
Walker Cup series. it probably will go
on and on.
For America, metaphorically. to pull
its punches would be an insult to
such a grand group of sportsmen as
are the British golfers, and this coun-
try should continue to muster its
finest linksmen. no matter what the
outcome. There is no reason, in a
country like Britain, where there are
as many golfers as in this country,
why players good enough to win a
Walker Cup should not be developed,
even though it hasn't yet been done.
After the Walker Cup matches at
st. Andrews, on May II and IL, the
entire American team will move to-
ward Prestwick, in Scotland. where
the British amateur championship is
to be contested from May 28 to June
2. Goodman may stay in England for
the British open, scheduled for June
25 at Sandwich. but it isn't likely he
will, even though the lure of a crack
at the world" open title may be ap-
pealing.
In any event, it's q great trip for a
group Of American golfers. with all
expenses paid and the probability of
being on the winning side