Evening star., 1935-04-09
RAIN PROVES ALLY
FOR CRU|CKSHANK.
Ends Pros Debate, Gives
Him Chance to Make Team
to Play Japanese.
BY WALTER r. McCALLUM.

r rs q cast-iron cinch that after
all the hullabaloo that has been
raised among the Middle Atlantic
pros over the inclusion sof the
best golfer in this section-one Robert
Cruickshank, late Of Grant -On-Spey,
Scotland-on the P. G. A. team, that
this same Cruickshank will be one Of
the lads to face the Japanese on June
/ and 2 at the Kentwood Golf and
Country Club.
Robert Of Richmond, Of the High
land burr, and the great golf swing,
would have been left of the team
had the boys gone through with their
announced intention to start qualify
ing for the team yesterday. But they
will have time keeping him of the
team under the new set-up as of to-
day, for, baked by rain in their at
tempt to qualify q team OF six yes
terday over the soggy Woodholme
course. the lads decided to chuck all
their foolishness and play a 36-hole
medal round at Kenwood to pick the
six men to meet the Nipponese.
The date hasn't been set and 1t
won't be set for several days, but their
decision Is a much more sensible one
than the original idea, which was to
have two 1S-hole tests over two Of
the longest courses in this sector
Woodholme and Beaver Dam.
Delay Solves Problem.
A LII the while rotound Robert from
~ Richmond, the National Capital
open king, couldn't have taken
part in the qualifying at all, for he
barely got back to Richmond today
from Augusta. But the rain took care
Of that and now Bobby, If he thinks
the occasion worthwhile, will be at
Kenwood when the qualifying tests
come of.
BY setting the whole affair for one
day at time when "Cruicky" can
play, the pros have killed of all. criti-
cism and at the same time have viz
tually assured themselves Of choosing
the best team they can fling into the
field against the Japanese. For If
Cruickshank and Al Houghton, the
two leading golfers in this territory,
can't make the grade over the 36-hole
route at Kenwood, they wouldn't de-
serve to be on q playground marble
team.
Meanwhile over at Woodholme next
Monday the boys will play sweep
stakes affair along with an amateur
pro contest, but it won't have anything
to do with the business Of qualifying
on the P. @. A. team.
At Kenwood, by the way, they finally
have made that tough first hole q par
affair, as 1t should have been years
ago. but the par Of the course remains
at II just the same. They have made
the fifth hole a par hole to make up
for the at the first hole, and the
second hole remains q par S, even
though 1t is an easier hole than the
first.
At the same time the boys did
nothing at all about the Middle At
lantic p. G. A. championship, nor the
dates for the national p. G. A. quail
iflcation rounds. But the first mat
ter is all cut and dried. The tourney
will go to the Manor Club, home club
Of President Treder, while the ma
tional championship is not slated
until October and the qualifying
rounds do not have to come of until
September. Most Of the lads van
ished from the scene at Woodholme
early in the day, making for Bowie,
while a few of them stayed around
and played penny ante while they dis
cussed informally the application Of
Roland Mackenzie for membership, q
little matter that Is causing no end
Of headaches. They all admit he
should be in the P. G. A., but they
all want some one to find q way to
circumvent the screwy three-year rule.
Meanwhile Roland Is doing exactly
nothing about it, just sitting and
waiting. There is one lad who should
be eligible to play on that American
Japanese team.