Evening star., 1939-10-06
BY WALTER McCALLtyM.

real champion pro golfer all along
and didn't know it. Maybe Cliff
Spencer. the big hitter from Beaver
Dam, who learned his golf in the
neighboring precincts OF Baltimore,
via the public parks route, is a cham
pion In the making. That was to be
determined today, even though Gin,
good as he has been so far in the
Middle Atlantic p. G. A. tournament,
still has to prove that he can come
through In the clutches. And Cliff
hasn't often been In the clutch as
he is today.
With hundreds Of dollars hanging
on every shot the black-haired Beav-
er Dam mentor makes, It's an un-
usual spot for Cliff. He has been up
there before-many time-but so far
Cliffs only championship has been
the Maryland open of 1887, which he
won over course bearing a strange
resemblance to the Columbia course
of today and the last three or four
days. What I mean is that Cliff al
ways has been at his best over long.
slow course. The guy really can
pole those tee shots out there.
And somewhere Cliff has become
a good putter. can recall when
Cliff was pretty punk around the
cup. He couldn't be depended on to
hole a 2-footer. But you have to
hole a flock Of good puts to go
along under par en- six straight
holes, as Cliff did yesterday after
noon, when he equalled the competi-
tive record for Columbia with a 81,
tying the T.. c-old mai. oi c SO,
DifIenbaugh. "One OF the finest
rounds Of golf I ever have heard
Of" said Fred Mcleod, veteran COL
umbia pro. Particularly since it
was played on such long course,
made Longer by the rain we've had
Spencer Has 6-Stroke Lad.
As the situation stood today COINS
into the third round Cliff led with
36-hole total Of 1888, composed Of q
II and 67. Witty Cox, the logical
challenger, was next with 70-74-
IA. And nine shots back Of the
front-runner were two more, dead
locked at l47. These were 2l-year-
old Lewis Worsham of Burning Tree,
with consistent rounds Of - and 73,
and the surprisingly good Mel Shorey
Of East Potomac Park, with rounds
Of II and 76. The championship
probably lies among these four
men, although Ralph Beach, tied at
148 with Jack 1saacs, has a habit
Of getting hot in the late stages of
. golf tournament.
Just as Cox and Fred Mcleod did
yesterday against National Open
Champ Byron Nelson and National
P. G. A. Champion Henry Picard
when they went to the 1lth hole 5
down and ended all square on the
18th green. Maybe Picard and Mel
son pulled their punches. You can't
prove that. But they were as cold
over the last nine, before q crowd Of
a thousand people. as they we're bot
on the first nine, when they put to-
gether a better ball of 81 to finish
the nine 4 up on Mcleod and Cox
Nelson was the low scorer of the
quartet with II, and there's . lot of
question in the minds Of . lot of
folks whether Witty was smart in
accepting the fourth spot in that
golf match. Maybe he was, but I
can't help but think that If he'd been
out there winging by himself he
might have scored better than "a.
8-Hole Ruins Champion Walper.
Where is Walper? Well. Leo, the
defending champ, hooked a tee
shot on the 18th hole in the first
round "a thing no one ever should
do) and wound up with q luscious
and generous s. That would be
enough in itself to put the guy out
Of the tourney, for you don't take
IS and win big affairs like this
one. But he also took "A In the
afternoon and today he was 13
shots back Of Spencer. That's too
much even for a fighting gent like
Walper to make up.
Fred Mcleod hasn't . chance.
Far off his stick. Freddie scored
81 and 81 yesterday. Probably Fred
die hasn't taken as much as 80 In
dozen years on his home pasture.
But he did it. The course was too
long for Freddie. Even he got a
laugh out Of it. just as the hundreds
who watched Jack Redmond put cut
his trick shot stuff just before the
exhibition match chuckled constant
ly. Jack always is a good show. The
guy is one-man vaudeville act, and
packs a laugh In every shot.
Women's Tourney Next Week.
Feminine golfers around town are
getting ready for the Middle At
lantic championship next week, fol-
lowing the Maryland State tourney
at Indian Spring yesterday, where
Baltimore waltzed of with most
of the silver.
Mrs. Myron Davy of Congressional