Evening star., 1938-08-09

| without major professional
Capital Open championship was abal
back in 1894. Washington may see a
| of the Junior Chamber of Commerce
gressional Country Club has been apr
been asked if they would consent tc
$4,000 open. which may be staged il
| next spring. Such a tournament. fc
the Capital back on the bie-time link
such present-day stars as Ralph Gul
king. and Sam Snead the Sensationa
Sulphur Springs, w. Va. by way of
Hot Springs. Va. I've been asked
whether Congressional would put on
such tournament" said Witty Cox.
( Naturally. I referred all inquiries to
Ted Grape, president of the club. They
asked me if the pros would come here
for $4,000 I told them No but l
said all Of them would be interested
in a tournament for or 5 grand in
the fall. possibly just before the Mid
South at Pirehurst which is staged
around the middle of November
Last Big One in "a.
Kenwood held its last National Cap
ital Open championship in November,
1884. won by Bobby Cruickshank of
Richmond, who could still, if he so
wished. sign himself National Capital
Open champion" for the tournament
hasn't since been held. Kenwood held
four such affairs. and. taking them
right through they did swell job of
running Washington's biggest golf
show. Nor were the financial aspects
hearten promoters. KenWood prob
ably made few bucks on the four of
them. Certainly the underwriters
didn't lose anything And they got
advertising and free newspaper space
they couldn't have afforded to buy
Washington needs a big golf
tournament every year.
And don't believe a 5-grand tour
nament would cost its sponsors a
nickel if they took some tips from the
live wires Of other towns and ran it
with an eye to the box Office.
Under present Professional Golf
Association regulations a weekend
tourney over "a holes must carry a
purse Of at least S grand. And anJ'
| tournament around Washington, to
make money. must be held over week
end. Those admission fees at buck
head really pour in on Saturdays
and Sundays. if the men who run it
are smart and pick a Sunday when
the football Redskins are out of town.
Sharkey Behind Ball.
Buddy Sharkey. the apple checked d
Indian Spring youngster, who at l8
is about as smooth kid golfer as
you'll find anywhere in these bunker
bordered precincts, today wondered
what it takes to grab slice of the
prizes in the little tournaments staged
| by the Middle Atlantic P. G. A. Buddy
topped the amateurs in the slugfest
at the hilly Capital Golf and Country
Club course yesterday. tied the top
pro in the pro sweepstakes with a
2-under-par So, and yet didn't win a
nickel's worth Of prizes.
Being an amateur he wasn't
eligible for cash; there was no
straight amateur prize, and
Buddy's partner-young Paul
Jamison. assistant pro at Indian
Spring-helped him only one
shot. which wasn't good enough
to cut them in on a slice of the
prize dough.
1t was quite tribute to Tony
Sylvester and that fine Capital bunch
who are whooping it up at the ole
Bannockburn Club and really putting
it on the golf map. that one of the
largest turnouts in pro-amateul
affair this year showed up on one OF
the hottest days of the summer tc
play at Capital. Fifty-three played
in the pro-amateur, and 81 pros COM
peted in the pro sweeps. which saw
silver-t -thatched Al Houghton, fresh
from winning second place in the
Virginia open, hole chip shot on the
last green for 68 to nose out Lee
Walper and Ralph Beach. tied al
SO for the top cash award, and the
extra prize of $40 put up by the club
But Walper and Beach got even in
the pro-amateur. Walper paired with
Frank M. Williams of Washington to
score 81, while Beach and Maury
Fitzgerald. Kenwood amateur. also
scored 81. with Fitzgerald finished
4, 2. 3. which happens to be three birds
in row. TIE amateurs were aided by
handicaps. Walper also paired with
Fitzgerald to tie for third place with
Houghton and George Borsari Of the
Capital club at SO. Now the golfers
of the town are looking forward tc
another amateur-pro affair to be held
tomorrow at the Woodholme Club Of
Baltimore
But I still say that Buddy
Sharkey was the fall guy Of that
tournament. He. topped the
amateurs by mile. equaled the
best pro score, and all he got
was a pair of sore dogs.
1t was young Jamison's first tourna-
ment.
One of the finest golf rounds OF the
l. -