The Washington times., 1938-07-06
EAST POTOMAC
IMPROVED FOR
P,L, GOLF TESTS
BY FRANK BUCK" oNEILL

By FRANK BUCK" O'NEILL
The course at East Potomac
Park, where the District qualify
ing rounds for the public links
championships will be held on
July 26 and 81, under the auspices
of the United States Golf Associa-
tion, has been improved to make
it a test of golf. This was in ac-
cordance with orders received
from the New York headquarters
of the U. S. G.. A. 1t was feared
that the local course would prove
too easy for the qualifiers in the
coming tests.
Under direction Of Seth G.
Loeffler, who holds the golfing
concessions at the local public
parks, tees we're moved back and
the course stretched to a total Of
6,400 yards. Sand was placed in
the few traps that guard the
putting carpets The broad spaces
off the tees we're narrowed by the
simple expedient of bordering the
fairways with out-of-bounds stakes.
Thus premiums were placed upon
accuracy off the tees.
$50 TO QUALIFY
Dave Herman, public links rep
resentatiVe Of the United States
Golf Association, said today that
he expected the men who qualified
for the championships, to be held
at Highland Park municipal course
in Cleveland, starting on August
% and continuing through to Au-
gust q, will score approximately
280 for the 72 holes.
The four low scorers will be sent
to Cleveland, Loeffler paying their
expenses. Loeffler also is placing
in competition trophies approx
mating in value $3.50. These tro-
phies will replace the one retired
when Claude Rippy won his third
National Public Links champion
ship.
HAS COMPETITION
Andy Oliveri, generally regarded
as the No. l public links con-
tender, may be sorely pressed for
local honorS this year. Willie
Hurd, scion of golfing family,
formerly a low handicap player
at Indian Spring, is blazing his
way over the fairways in 10 and
II with rare consistency. He is
regarded as a threat to the cham
pionship.
Dutch Rittenhouse is another
public parks player whose form
and ability to score have attracted
attention. He recently won q
match play tournament at East
Potomac Park. Welsh, the local
taxicab driver, and Charley Secco,
a linotype operator in a Washing
ton composing room, are two clever
golfers who will enter the trials.
Secco will go to Pittsburgh to
play in the Union Printers Inter-
national golf tournament to be
held at Pittsburgh, July 80 to
August 4, and with him probably
will go Ed Merkle.
PROBABLE QUALIFIERS
Joe Gipe, of the Navy Yard,
and Bobby Burton, who has quail
fled five times for the public links
tournament, are held in high
esteem as probable qualifiers.
Rogers ICY" Peacock is back at
Indian Spring and will represent
that popular club in team compe-
tition for the rest of the season.
Jerry Hart, former junior State
champion, of Arkansas; Jack
Olmstead, Bobby Brownell, Arthur
Urban, Elliot Spicer, Buddy Shar-
key and a few others will make
the Springs outfit plenty tough.
cox LEAVES FRIDAY
Witty Cox will leave for Shaw.
nee-on-Delaware Friday morning.
The Congressional pro has been
so busy conducting club activities,
giving lessons and doing the
myriad chores of an alert profeS-
sional that he has had no time to
practice. But his game will be all
right, barring accidents.
Cox is not so sure that he will
go to Cleveland to compete in the
first Cleveland Open on August II.
Al Jamison intends to make
the hike to the Forest City in
quest of a share of that $4,000
prize money.