Evening star., 1939-05-10
Quits Amateur Ranks
To Take Job With
Chicago Firm
Makes Decision Known
At Luncheon Held
In Her Honor
By WALTER McCALLUM.

Helen DettWeller. for seven years
one of Washington's outstanding
feminine golf stars and holder at
one time or another of all the major
sectional championships in this ter
ritory. today announced her resig-
nation from the amateur ranks.
At luncheon in her honor at the
Willard Hotel. the tall blond girl
from the Congressional Country
Club announced REIMBURSEMENT of
her amateur status. She will be-
come a business golfer"
associated with a large Chicago golf
concern. which also employs in the
same capacity Helen Hicks Harb
and Mrs. Opal S. Hill.
Her duties will be to act as good
will ambassador for the golf COM
pany for which she works, to play
exhibition matches and to travel up
and down the Atlantic seaboard in
golf promotion capacity Her ter
ritory will cover the area from
Philadelphia to Jacksonville.
Surprise to Her Friends.
Announcement of the decision Of
the DettWeiler girl comes as COM
plete surprise to thousands of her
links friends in this territory. Last
year she worked as baseball broad
caster and previously she had had
other radio jobs, among them
sports program on a local station.
She will Leave Washington immedi-
ately for Chicago to acquaint her
self with the details of her new
post and will not play in the Mary
land State womens championship,
which she won last year
She had twice won the Old Line
State crown. in addition to the Dis
trict and Middle Atlantic titles.
both of which she also had won
twice. Abdication of the Maryland
title by the popular DettWeiler girl
leaves Marion Brown. reigning Dis
trict champ, and Mrs. Betty P.
Meckley the outstanding favorites to
win the title in next weeks tourney.
Helen will join the largest golf
staff in the world Among her
associates in the promotion end of
the business will be Ralph Guldahl,
national open champion, and Sam
my Snead. She will become a busi-
ness rival of Mildred Babe Did
rikson, who is associated with an
other golf company and who was
Helen's girlhood idol. Helen trav-
eled to many tournaments with the
long hitting Babe.
Clark Griffith at Luncheon.
Attending the luncheon were
Clark C. Griffith. president of the
Washington Baseball Club; Walter
McCallum of The Star. Lillian
Rixey of the Times-Herald, Mer-
rill Whittlesey of the Post, Maury
Fitzgerald of the Times Herald,
Bob Ruark of the News, Mrs Rob-
ert A. Lacey, president of the Wom-
ems District of Columbia Golf As
sociation; Mrs. Ralph w. Payne,
former president and chairman Of
the Maryland Women's Golf Com
mittee, and Radio Announcers Bill
Coyle of The Star, Gordon Hitten-
mark, Walter johnson and Tony
Wakeman.
Back in 1881. an awkward, gan
Cling girl. then registered from Man.
or. won her way OF the final in the
District women's golf championship,
where she took bad licking from
Mrs. j. Marvin Haynes. The girl
was Helen Dettweiler. and even in
those formative days of her links
career she was power hitter.
Today she hits a golf ball further
than any woman in this territory
and is one of its finest golfers. Last
year she set four course records,
among them scintillating "a over
the long Beaver Dam layout.
Helen spent the past winter at
Belleair, Fla, and played in some
of the tournaments. She has won
several major Journeys, among them
the Augusta open, and has been a
constant companion of many of the
outstanding feminine stars of the
game. Under the terms of her
three-year contract she may become
an amateur again If she decides to
return to simon-pure golf in 1912
and her application meets with
United States Golf Association ap-
proval. Helen is the present holder
of the Congressional Country Club