Evening star., 1936-12-07
BATTLE WILL STIR
US. c. A. SESSION
Expert Golf Opinion Now Sc
riousIy Divided on Games
Odd Shot.
BY w. r. McCALLUM.

VI seriously divided as now on
4 the styn1ie, with the annual
meeting of the United States Golf
Association coming up next month
and a certainty that at that meeting
something will be done and q definite
stand taken.
Famed to white heat by the Incl
dent on the thirty-fourth green at
Garden City last September. when
John Fischer OF Cincinnati laid Jock
Mclean the stymie that undoubtedly
gave Fischer the life that enabled
him to win the amateur championship
three holes later, the links experts
Of America have lined up soidly for
and against the stynaie.
It may be stand again IN favor
Of the stymie. 1t may be that here
in America only self-laid stymle
will be played, which is in line with
the thought of John G. Jackson, presi-
dent of the U. S. G.. A. 1t may even
have the result Of banishing the
stymie from golf in America, as has
been done by several sectional organf-
zations, among them the District
Golf Association.
But whatever the action Of the
major golf body, there isn't any doubt
that among golfers the stymie is the
most talked-of stroke in the game
today.
Champion Against Stymie.
HOW do they feel about it. the
IL nabobs of the game, and the top
PLAYERS? The P. G. A. strung along
with the U. S. G. A. and played the
stymie in its recent championship at
Pinehurst, but there was plenty OF
grumbling among the pros about the
thing and its evils A symposium on
the stynie finds the following trend
OF thought among officials and
players:
John Fischer, United States anna
teur champion-"I favor the abolish
ment of the stymie. But I have always
considered the execution of the stymie
shot the most interesting, delicate and
difficult in the game"
John G. Jackson, president OF the
q. S. G. Al am very strongly and
emphatically in favor of the stymie." +"
Chick Evans, former amateur and
open champion-"1 think the stymie
should be retained"
Martin r. West, president, District
of Columbia Golf Association-"Our
amateur championship went along
perfectly without the stymie after we
barred it. am against the stymie. y
James L. Cosgrove, vice president.
District Golf Association-"f golf Is
q gentleman's game, and it is, why
should a gentleman interfere with his
opponents stroke? I am strongly
against the stymie.
Unfair, Says Cruickshank.
ROBBY CRUICKSHANK, National
Capital open champ-"It's very
unfair. Time after time In important
matches I have seen the stymie, re-
sulting from a poor shot, penalize an
excellent shot by the other player
Walter Emery, Walker Cup team
member-"It's just the same old thing
over and over again-the poor shot
often wins the hole over better shot.
It's darned unfair"
Henry Picard, prominent pro and
leading money winner-'It's unfair
to the better players, a matter OF
luck
William D. Waxter, president,
Maryland Golf Association - "The
rules provide for playing the ball
from tee to cup, and I can see no
good reason for changing the code to
allow lifting of the ball on the green,
even If there is a lineup"
Spencer Overton. Maryland amateur
champion-"A manifestly unfair rule
In major competition"
And the Royal and Ancient Of Great
Britain-"play the ball as 1t lies" they
say.
But you can depend on it. The
stynie is coming in for a lot of
ribbing this Winter. Something Is
going to be done about it.