Evening star., 1938-09-16
GATE NAMES ALL
OUT OF TOURNEY:
Four Semi.Finalists Never
Have Taken More Than
Sectional Honors. n
By WALTER McCALLUM,
Star star Correspondent.

star stan Correspondent.
OAKMONT COUNTRY, c L q B,
PITTSBURGH, Pa, Sept. 16.-Fon
guys with little more than local repu-
tations clasl1ed today in two semi
dnal matches over the 36-hole route
here with the winners to crash the
fnal round tomorrow for the national
amateur golf championship.
You could search long way back
into the dim and musty records Of the
United States Golf Association and
not find = dizzier tournament than
this scramble for the. simon-pure
crown has turned out to be. Not one
of the four men who were playing
today in practically complete isolation
for the crown which dropped from
John Goodman's bulging brow yester-
day has done more than win few
sectional tournaments.
Barring the regulars at these links
jamborees and couple Of hundred
members Of the Oakmont Country
Club, the galleryites have not rushed
up to lay their dollars ON the line
for tickets to see golfs biggest amateur
show, and officers Of the swanky Oak
mont Country Club are praying for
sunshine and . couple of good days to
wind up the show. At no time has
there been more than . thousand
people out to see the top amateurs Of
the land perform.
A combination Of rain, or threaten.
ing rain, and . club far from town
have doubled to keep the galleries
down, and the crying towels haven't
yet dried out. Both the United States
Golf Association and the Oakmont
Country Club are taking licking on
this tournament. They split the gate
receipts. and there won't be much to
split unless Pittsburgh and surround
ing precincts turn out this afternoon
and tomorrow to swell the gate.
Great Break for Players.
So far 1t has been practically
complete fop, but it's been swell fer
the harried gentlemen Iof the press
and the players. The press boys
have been able to see a golf shot or
two without being showed around by
gallery marshals and the players have
been able to see their shots finish on
the green. if they hit 1t. All of which
is fine for the working press and the
working competitors, but tough on
the tycoons of golf and the club.
With hAo I1{aAN~
there in the semi final today the pros
poets were not rosy for any great
upturn in attendance. There's no
Goodman around. no Fischer around.
and no Jones, even though Bob is
here in the flesh. But he carries IN
umbrella instead Of q mashie. He's
Just spectator. as he has been now
for eight years.
Dick Chapman. the guy who bumped
on Goodman. and who played Pat
Abbott, the Hollywood movie extra,
today, looks to be the new champ.
Dick Is q good journeyman golfer, and
. very fine shot-maker. He happens
to be the son Of millionaire, but that
doesn't bar him from being a good
guy. Rangy and muscular, shot
maker from way back. Dick has been
horse Of the smudgiest hue in this
tournament. He's also one Of the
drinking clawsses. Dick packs 4 bottle
around in his golf kit, and surrep-
titiously slips of into the bushes for 4
quickie. He hides it in . soft-drink
bottle. but It's the smoke Of old Scot
land just the same.
He needed inspiration to lick Good
man yesterday, even though John has
. little on the lousy side. Dick Is the
son Of John D. Chapman, who won
the United States senior title several
times and who, before he died, asked
27-year-old Dick to win the amateur
championship. Dick Is the present
Connecticut champ, and has made
several golf junkets to England. where
he Learned the art Of hitting 'em
under the wind, and Of scrambling
from trouble.
He Is one Of the finest trouble shot
makers I have ever seen,. and he's long
and accurate, too. With the heat on
as Goodman put on his stretch drive
yesterday, Dick canned . much needed
10-footer for half at the 18th, then
niblicked one from the side Of 4
bunker 8 feet from the hole at the
18th. Two such shots in a row in the
clutches stamp a guy Is having some
thing on the ball.
Abbott ToppIed Rippy.
Abbott, his opponent, is the same
square-jawed lightweight who licked
Claude Rippy for the national public
links championship two years ago.
Abbott played matinee engagement
at East Potomac Park in 1896, where
Rippy whipped him. Chapman, If you
can judge by comparative form and
comparative scores, should whip Alb
bott about and in 36 holes.
The other match finds Willie Tur-
mesa, the finest stylist Of them all, and
the best looking hitter Of the ball,
playing q muscular little copper
worker from Magma. Utah-Ed Kings
ley by name. Kingsley finished Sec
.y!!::.!!!