Evening star., 1939-09-14
BY WALTER McCALLUM.

by WALTER McCALLUM.
AL Houghton thumbed through
the pages of a dummy" program,
one of those things that are made
up in advance of actual printing.
"You know" he said, this is going
to be the biggest golf tournament
we've had around Washington since
the National Open championship
back in 1921, when I was a caddie
trying to promote a dollar carrying
President Wilson's golf bag. Yes,
sir, it's going to be the biggest ever
bigger than those National Capt.
tai open tournaments we put on at
KenWoOd."
AIS enthusiasm is catching. Lis
tening to AL talk about the forth
coming Middle Atlantic P. G. A.
championship you get the idea that
the whole thing is wrapped up like
an auction-sale Turkish rug and
that all the boys have to do is step
out on the first tee and start carving
out pars and brides and splitting
some $4,000 at the finish. But it
isn't as easy as that
Discounting AIS enthusiasm (and
after all he is the promoter, you
thumb through the dummy" pro-
gram and you see this name and
that name, high up in golf, buying
space IN the program And you get
the idea that maybe AL has some
thing after all. To hear AL tell it,
the coming tournament, to be
played some time later in October,
Will have quite piece of change
In the purse. There may be $2,5OO,
which would put it in a class with
the National Capital open and not
lar back of the open championship
OF 1921, when purses were simmer
than they are today. You listen to
AL talk about how there may be
100 entries at $5 head and how
all that dough will be dumped into
the pot; of how flock of amateur
prizes good ones) will be forthcom-
ing and you get the idea that maybe
the Middle Atlantic P. G. A. will be
real tournament after all. 1t
should be, for the pros have had a
long time to work for it, since they
started away back in the spring.
And particularly after the last two,
which have been good ones.
Pros Good Statesmen.
But amateur golf, and business
men, have rallied to this one. and
dumped hard cash into it. All of
which reflects credit in Houghton
and on pro golf. After all, as the pro
goes, SO goes the club-generally
Your average club member looks to
his golf pro as his golf doctor. What
ever the pro does is right-and the
pro usually knows what he is doing.
So when the pro goes for a tourna-
ment, heart and soul. the club men,
Der feels it is right. That's the case
With the coming mid-Atlantic. It's
certain to be good one because the
pro thinks 1t will be- And he sells
1t to his members.
Just where it will be played no one
knows yet 1t will be played in
Washington somewhere, but the club
and the date haven't vet been
chosen. But wherever 1t is played
you can bet it will be worth while
seeing. The pros are going to open it
to the amateurs, and, above that, to a
flock OF good pro golfers everywhere.
They've even. understand, had the
promise Of Henry G. Picard. the
reigning national p. G. A. champ.
that he will come to Washington for
the tourney. And, of course. they've
had the O. K. of the P. G. A. Tour
nament Committee. And if. as is ru
mored, the Pinehurst mid-South
tournament is off this year, they NAV
have a flock more of good pro golf
ers around. The pros in this sector
deserve good tournament. They're
a hardworking bunch of lads and
should have something good to play
in every year.
Bobby Brownell, the Manor
,oungster who was Washington's
lone representative in the national
amateur championship, is out of
the tournament. But Bobby. even
though he fell in the second round
yesterday, went down before really
fine golfer and man who can win
the current tournament at Chicago.
Trailer" Bill Holt of Syracuse is
a very fine player. and a man who
can, on his day, lick any amateur
in the world. He had one of those
days yesterday against Brownell. He
had to, for Bobby is far from weak
sister in any tournament. Holt got
his nickname back in 1926. when he
went to Garden City in an auto
trailer, and lived there a few yards
from the golf course. He's a big
fellow with a tremendous wallop
from the tee.
N. B. c. Tourney Tomorrow.
Gordon Hittenmark' golden put
tor" to1lrpey scheduled f0r KepwOod