Evening star., 1939-09-21
BY WALTER McCALLUM.

For the first time in the brief his
tory of what hitherto has been syn
thetic District open golf champion
ship the little orphan, run exclusive
ly by the pros for the last two years,
Is going to have the official backing
OF a strong amateur organization.
The District of Columbia Golf As
sociation moved into the picture to-
day with an offer to the professionals
to sponsor the District open cham
pionship at club and on a date to
be chosen by the professionals. The
District association will swing its in
f1uential backing to secure any club
the professionals want, and Wilflend
all its resources toward making the
tournament major affair.
AS explained by Secretary William
c. Barr, the District association will
get a good course for the tourna-
ment, and will sponsor it as an Off
clal association affair. Officials of
the District association also will aid
IN the operation of the event. We'll
do anything the professionals want
to do" said Barr, following a meet
ing OF part OF the Executive Commit
Tee OF the association. We'll help
them run the tournament, we'll make
every effort to get them the course
they want and we'll aid in every
possible way. We cannot help them
raise the money for their purse, but
we IL help IN every other way"
1t sounds as if the District associa-
ton has something pretty good in
MIND. But it also leaves the matter
OF getting a purse together strictly
up to the professionals themselves
There would be around IS or 40 en-
trants in the tournament, with the
amateurs. and they may have a
purse around 5000. That isn't much.
but it's worth a few rounds of golf
TO win first money and the title
which Witty Cox has won for the
last two years
Cruickshank Enters P. G. A.
Meanwhile plans for the Middle
Atlantlc P. G. A. tournament. to be
held at Columbia October 4, S and 6.
moved forward. Al Houghton. tour
nament promoter, said he has the
entry Of Bobby Cruickshank of Rich
mond for the affair Bobby. in case
you don't remember, won the last
National Capital open tourney at
kenWood, and twice has been run
ner-up in the open championship.
He won't lay his championship on
the line. but the gent who licks
Bobby Will come fairly close to win
ming the championship.
One of the fastest fields ever to
compete in the District amateur
championship started match play at
Burning Tree today in the title
tournament, with Champion Johnny
Burke among the missing. Johnny.
whose entry was received Tuesday.
didn't show up for the medal round.
but there are plenty of capable golf
ers in there without the Providence
redhead. Not the least is Walter
r. Tuckerman, Burning Tree vet
eran, and twice District champion.
who has returned to the title chase
after lapse of many years. Walter,
who was semifnalist in the
national m a ateur championship
back in 1910, before many of the
current competitors swere 6 bhrn.
played Claude Rippy, the Indian
Spring flash, in the first round to-
day.
Tall Ralph Bogart, the Wilson
High School youngster, who has
been in great scoring mood over
the past fortnight, won the medal
with 2-over-par IA. Bogart
was the only man all through the
medal round yesterday within hail
ing distance Of par and met George
Molloy, the Capital club sorrel-top,
in the first round today. Ralph
picked up three brides in his medal
winning effort, finishing two shots
in front of quartet of good golfers
bracketed in second place at rs.
They were Gene Pittman and Parker
Nolan of Congressional, Claude
Rippy and Roger Peacock of Chevy
Chase.
Here are the frst-round pairings
in the title tourney as the boys
opened the first of two rounds to-