Evening star., 1938-11-20
Extra Incomes End
For Links Great
On January
Fear Of Legal Troubles
Stops Rich Fees Paid
For Games Promotion
By WALTER McCALLUM.
Star Star CorreSpondent.

On the heels of the severance of
30 or 40 top pros from the pay rolls
Of golf manufacturers, scheduled for
January l, comes the news today
that the Spalding golf circus, after
travelling over 100000 mileS-and
playing 100 exhibition matches In
three years. is broken up.
Characterized by Bob Jones, for
mer emperor of golf-and vice.
president of Spalding. as having
done the most constructive and WELL
handled promotion in the history OF
American golf. the circus appeared
twice in Washington and drew with
one of its free matches more than
1000 people at Kenwood.
The four men in the group were
Horton Smith, Jimmy Thomson,
Lawson Little and Harry Cooper.
The announcement of the breakup
of the circus laconically added that
Of the four horSemen, only Smith
and Thomson will remain on the
Spalding pay roll. which has been
the largest of all golf promotion and
manufacturing organizations.
Cooper and Little. two of the great
golfers of the world, will be on their
own-and will play in future cham
pionships without manufacturing
connections.
Law Embarrasses Project.
Behind the whole story looms one
of the great stunts Of golf-and
some heartaches. To get the true
picture you have to realize that for
many years it has been the ambi-
ton of every golf pro of ability to
land on the pay roll OF manufac-
turer. For years you couldn't name
one OF the top stars of the land
who wasn't subsidized by the manu-
facturers. Witty Cox Of Congress
sional was on the pay roll for years,
and is slated to 60 in the retren0h-
ment program January l.
AS explained by Horton Smith
the Wright -Patman act forced the
manufacturers and the individual
pros themselves into positions which
might make it uncomfortable In the
future for all involved were the
lengthy list of paid pros of past
years retained. I'VE have been go
ing into the legal angles OF this for
two years." said tall Horton. "and
have been advised to eliminate most
Of our field men,
That is why Robert T. Jones. jr..
Milton Reach. Matt Keirnan and
other executives gathered at Pine
hurst last week. Quietly they saw
their paid boys one by one and
explained the situation. Nothing
personal. they said. But we cam
not continue So the angle now
Is that a lot Of high-priced pros
are to be cut of those generous
payrolls and will be looking arouno
for some spot TO pick up few
dollars to fill the gap.
One result will be that Cooper
Little, Smith and Thomson will be
relieved OF the burden OF playing
a flock of exhibition matches and
may be expected to play better golf
in tournaments. 1t has particularly
been a tough spot for Little, whose
game has gone sour through 20
much steady golf. And for Cooper,
frailest of the quartet. 1t has been
no cinch. Cooper, by the way,
plans to play in the British Open
next year. Although British-born,
he never has done that. He prob
ably will be joined by Little.
Ordinarily a stunt like the goll
circus would be put down as just
another manufacturing promotion
gag. But the Spalding people didn t
want it that way. Afraid OF just
that line of thought. they carefully
deleted all reference by name TO
their company, made no direct at
tempt to advertise-and put the
thing on a free basis. No such
stunt ever before had been done
in golf.
One interesting angle will be the
compilations of score averages
when they come out. Each member
of the foursome was required to
hole all puts for 100 contests. They
played TO 100000 spectators-and
all in all-have done quite job OF
GOLF promotion, in the larger sense
of the word.
Chip Shots.
Bobby Brownell, tow-headed Md
die Atlantic junior champ, probably
will head the Duke University goll
team next spring when it plays
Georgetown in Washington .
the bows haven't chosen a captain
vet, nor have they lined up team,
but Tom Perry, one of Bobs school,
mates, says Bob probably Will play
No. l which should give us a
line on the best college golfer IN
washington John Burke Oh
GEORGETOWN won the District cham
pionship in which BroWnell didn't
play.
Bob Jones drew more galleryltes
In the few informal rounds he
played at Pinehurst than the pros
Id like to see Bob in there
leveling off on such a course as
that No. z layout .. great player
and a great course, and think
Bob would lick it, as the pros have
done.
Putting still remains the tough
kOOC IN ROll vi tllC 4VV ~ Oo 6UCAA
cred at Pinehurst. IS of them could
knock a tee shot straight and far,
and bunt an iron onto the green
:. but getting the ball into the
cup is different.
Tommy Armour. the craving Scot,
is the only professional member
of the famed Tin Whistles, Pine
hursts swanky amateur organiza-
ton Tommy will be around
Pinehurst for a month before leav-
ing for his winter job at Boca
Ration.
Clayton Heafner, the angular
candy maker, has impressed the
boys tremendously with his golf :. {.
unknown before he showed up for
the tournaments at Pinehurst, he
definitely is tabled q conner :.
The best looking youngster I've
seen since Snead." said Lawson Lit
tie Of the Heafner boy He