Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-04-13

MASTERT0G|VElN
Johnny Fischer Is Alone
Among WeII-KnoWns to
Stick to Wood.

THE last great holdout against
steel shafts for golf clubs con-
cedes that they are pretty good,
Il and henceforth Macdonald
Smith, the eminent Carnoustie Scot,
will continue to play 'em. Mac Smith,
the guy who should have won q flock
Of major titles and has yet to grab
. single one, finally went to the steel
shaft last year, after one-man hold
out against the machine-made product,
He finished in fourth place in the
open championship of 1885 in his first
major title attempt with steel-shafted
clubs. For years Mac made and sold
wooden-shafted clubs under his name
remaining virtually the only top-notch
pro who adhered to wood who refused
to go to steel.
Matt Herman, a club manufacturers
representative, caught Mac on the
practice green one day. Say, Mac"
he said, lust between two timers,
how do you like these steel-shafted
clubs. What's the low-down?"
MAC pulled down his cap and said:
Well, Matt, you know now that
I'm in the steel shaft business have
to play 'em. But they do act pretty
well ind can play EN- Just about
the same as wood. The only trouble
I find with 'em Is that after hitting
the ball for So holes I get a little
pain across the left hand. But they're
pretty good, all right"
And that was the last of the holdouts
against the steel shaft The golf world
today has gone over entirely to steel,
with the single exception of John
Fischer, the amateur champion. And
John probably will turn up at Port
land next August with a new set of
tools. Those old maulers with which
he won the championship at Garden
City last September were workmanlike,
but hardly presentable as clubs which
the better dressed golfer would wear
For years Fred Mcleod held out
against steel, but nowadays he plays
set of steel-shafted weapons, and
Bob Barnett, last of the Washington
pros to give up wooden shafts, now is
confirmed steel shaft player.
Double Header Tourney,
FOLLOWING its annual custom, the
Virginia State Golf Association
will stage its mems and women's cham
pionships at the same time over two
courses at the same place The title
Journeys of the Old Dominion have
been awarded to Hot Springs, Va,
on July /, 2, 3 and 4, with the mems
affair to be played over the Cascades
course. while the women will play
their tourney over the Homestead lay
out, Lily Harper, the slim Ports
mouth youngster, will defend her wom-
ems crown, but the mems champion
ship will be wide open
Bobby Riegel, the 1886 champion,
now lives in Texas, where Billy Howell,
a former champion, also resides. The
open championship on which Bobby
Cruickshank Of Richmond has had q
strange hold for several years will be
played at the Pennington course at
Charlottesville during the latter part
Of June.
A group of Washington golfers are
back in the city after a week end
Of play at the Chamberlin course at
Old Point Comfort, Va. Those who
made the trip included Dr. W. c. Barr,
DR.. T. D. Webb and DR.. T. J. Rice
Of Columbia, DR.. James T. McClena-
han Of Washington, DR.. J. L. Barn
hard, DR.. Dudley King and Dr. B. L.
Taylor Of Congressional DR.. E. w.
Schultz Of Kenwood j. M. Strait of
Congressional and E. B. Rynex and L.
Neymann.