Evening star., 1938-01-17
FRED IMPRESSED
WITH LADS SPUNK
Congressional Club Player,
Holder Of Two'TitIes,
Loose in Clutch.
BY W. r, McCAILIrM.


are eligible, but he has q
brighter future IN national golf than
any nnksman who has come up
through the tournament ranks in
several years. Nineteen-year-o Billy
Shea, the Congressional County Club
youngster who won the District and
Middle Atlantic titles in 1897, looks
10 Fred Mcleod like a lad who has a
Definite niche in the national links
picture. but he must overcome one
fault in his game which will catch up
with him as the years and the tourna-
ments 60 on.
He picks up the club too straight
on his pitch Shots" says Freddie, the
knowing little Scot who is the keenest
Judge of golfers in this territory.
Freddie called the turn on Billy Howell
when that Richmond youngster was
winning everything in sight in vir-
ginia and the mid-Atlantic territory
Hes hooker" said Freddie, of Billy
If he doesn't look cut he'll turn into
. bad one. He'll be playing 'em out
of the rough on the left until his
wrists get tired" That's just what
happened to Billy. He was a hooker,
and while fellow is young and his
muscular and mental reactions are
fast he can make compromises in his
swing to overcome faults. But as the
years catch up with him, the old fault
grows
Doesn't Tighten in Clutch.
THAT Shea boy looks to me like .
darned good golfer" says Freddie
He has everything. including plenty
OF grit, a good putting stroke and q
lot OF distance from the tee But
don't like the way he picks up the club
on those short pitches He picks it
straight up, and if he doesn't smooth
out that part of his game he'll begin
scufing EN-
From a guy who has been around
golf for the better part of so years,
who has seen 'em all come and go,
and who has taught countless cham
pions, word of advice is invaluable.
Nor Is Fred in the habit of giving un-
solicited and gratuitous advice He
Isn't that kind. But the old master
likes to help the youngsters along
and If they string with him they can
60 far. Roland Mackenzie has done
pretty well. He started under Nc
Leod and when Roland gets . kink in
his swing you'll find him over on
Maniac Hill at Columbia, with Fred
Mcleod
Billy Shea's looseness and lack of
tenseness impresses me-" SAYS Freddie,
The boy takes q championship In
stride, as If it Is just another round of
golf. But he can produce a winning
shot when he needs it. You'll notice
the champions all do that. They can
roll along until the time comes to
turn on the heat tthe pinch, they call
1t in basebalD and then he comes
through with the winning shot. He
did it In the District championship
after being down to Martin Mccarthy,
and I understand he has done 1t
before. He looks to be q good prospect
for a national championship. with q
few more big tournaments under his
belt"
Proves He's Big timer.
YOUNGSTERS develop quickly in
golf. One year they're shooting IN
the high Dos and the next year they
are busting IS with considerable regu-
lsrity. That's the way it was with
Billy Shea. Bill Ullman was talking
about the boy. 1T was three years
ago, I guess" said Bill "One cold
day in early winter tall, skinny kid
came out and asked If he could 90
around nine holes with us. We had
only two and We took him along. He
played that nine in about AZ, but he
hit some shots that made us gasp.
We asked him what he shot. and he
said about 85.' The next year he was
breaking 80. and now look at him
champion OF two big sectiors'
Billy is a sophomore at Georgetown
University, and will play on the varsity
golf team this year. He won't do
Georgetown any harm in college COM
petition and he can well be the big
star Of the team. even with Johnny
Burke. the Rhode Island champ, In
the same outfit.
And is he keen about golf and
championships? Last year he qualified
for the national. 1t was played at
Portland, Greg, which happens to be
some 5000 miles from Washington.
Now money is none too plentiful
around the Shea menage, and it cost
considerable potatoes to get to Port
land and play in the championship.
But Billy made it. He motored out
with a pal, splitting expenses all the
way, and he qualified and went to the
second round. which wasn't so bad
for lad In his first national tourna-
ment. He was the only Washington
competitor in the affair. but 1t won't
be his last. Maybe we have a national
champion in the making in young
Billy Shea. He has made the initial
start toward big title.