Evening star., 1939-08-06
Five Farms Course
will Test Golfers
Of This Area
Houghton Looms as Man
To Beot for Maryland
Stote Open Title

MdyUS tIlS udpS IidS USCil lOoI III
all the minor golf activities that
have been going on around town
since the big time tournament sea-
son ended late in June, but only
one full week remains for the
aspiring amateur linksmen of WASH
ington to get their names in to the
United States Golf Association for
the amateur championship sectional
rounds. Closing date for entries is
August Ia, which is one week from
tomorrow, and the closing time is
s pm.
Sectional trials will be played over
the good Five Farms course of the
Baltimore Country Club, on Tues
day, August 30, and only one day
has been set aside for practice
Which is too bad, for it takes more
than a single round to become
familiar with the troubles that
abound at such tricky layout as
Five Farms, where the national
amateur title tourney of 1882 was
played.
The championship itself will be
played at the North Shore Country
Club of Glenview, Ill, where John
Goodman won the open title in 1888
And where Ralph Guldahl blew
4-foot putt to tie, and went into
a competitive tailSpin which didn't
end until 1886. Notwithstanding the
distance from Washington most of
the Capitals top amateurs all are
excited about the coming tourna-
ment Chicago is about 720 miles
from the National Capital.
Deadline Nearly Here.
But they first should be excited
about getting their entries in for
the sectional trials. If they don't
do that they'll be out of the tourney,
for there aren't any automatic
eligibles around Washington. The
sectional rounds are open to amateur
golfers with handicaps not exceed
ing four strokes who are members
of member clubs of the United
States Golf Association. That bars
such good golfers as Andy Oliveri,
public links champ, who wouldn't
be allowed to play any way because
he entered the national public links
tourney. But public links golfers
in Washington are behind the
8-ball, not having any organization
affiliated with the U. S. G. A. All
former amateur champions are ex-
empted from sectional qualifying
rounds in the 36-hole tests to be
held August %.
AS curtain-raiSer to the sec
tional qualifying rounds, the Bal
timore Suburban Club is talking
about holding an invitation tourney
over its PikeSville course, starting
August 25. This one will be open
to invited Washington amateurs,
who should do all right.
AS further check on amateurism
in golf. the U. S. G. A. this year re-
quires each entrant to name his en-
ployer, his employers business and
the nature of his own duties.
Stretch Out Tournament.
Some of the public links boys are
steamed up over the four-day tour
ney that will settle the municipal
links championship early in Sep
tember. But to most of them it
probably will become a headache
1t could be settled in two days, or
even one day of medal play, but in
stead they stretch it out to four days,
with a 36-hole final.
That's taking a little tournament
pretty seriously. when even major
sectional championships and State
title events in this territory are set
tied in three days and produce
while champions.
Al Houghton looms as the man
to lick in the Maryland State open
to be played Tuesday over the short
course of the Hillendale Country
Club, near Towson, Md. A total of
$500 has been put up for the tour
ney, but Witty Cox of Congressional,
who could win, won't be around Wifi
will be in New York.
Andy Gibson. the defending
champion, can win again, but prob
ably one of the Washington par
busters will grab the title this year.
1t might be Houghton, who has won
four times, or Cliff Spencer, 1887
champion, or Leo Walper, Middle
Atlantic P. G. A. king.
Because of the Maryland open a
pro-amateur tourney slated for to-
morrow at the Army Navy Country
Club has been postponed until a
later date. Most of the pros will be
at Baltimore tomorrow, practicing
over the Hillendale course for the
Maryland open.