Evening star., 1939-05-07
First Week Of PLAY
Shows Title Fight
Will Be Keen
Field Better BoIonced
Than Lost Year; Teams
Open Maryland Meet
By WALTER McCALLUM.

6OTeQ LOT une second year Dy Inc
Evening Etar, linksmen in the
Federal departments and independ
ent agencies agree that this years
tourney not only will be the tough
est to win, but also that the cham
pionship is bringing out flock of
better golfers than ever before.
New names of men who have
golf ''savvy" dot the lineups of the
80 teams, say the officers of the
Federal Golf Association, who are
running the tourney.
Il had no idea we had so many
good golfers in the Government
service" said Charles P. Redick
president of the Federal Golf Asso-
citation and tournament director
"The results of the first week of the
matches show it's not only going to
be close race, with interest kept
right up to the finish next fall, but
that we have lot of new material
we didn't know about"
Redick referred to men like Bruce
Mansfield and Elan from Govern
ment Printing Office. new faces in
the lineup who have not played be-
fore.
Seeding Is Uncertain.
I'VE didn't know much about the
strength of that Accounts and De-
posits team last year, but they won"
he added. Nov they are the cham
pions. and every team that goes
against them will put up its best
lineup. They are standing pat with
Harvey, Miller, johnson, Palmer and
OMalley and it looks as if they are
strictly the team to lick.
But scattered through the three
sections are several teams which
look good to us. We tried to seed
them on their known ability, in
making up the schedule. but it
seems as if we overlooked some
teams on which we didn't have any
advance dope 1t might be that one
of the unseeded teams can win the
tournament. Commerce surprised
us last year, and it can happen
again"
The Government golfers have
weeks layoff facing them, with no
matches scheduled until May Is.
On the basis of matches last week,
it looks as if Accounts and Deposits.
War, Navy. and perhaps Govern
ment Printing Office, will be the
teams to lick.
But you never can tell about this
golf game" says Redick. I'VE may
have complete upset this year"
Indian Spring Pair Strong.
Tommy Doerer, East Potomac
Park handspring of golf, has
changed a tourney scheduled for
June IL from pro sweepstakes af-
fair to pro-amateur tournament.
He expects quite few of the top
pros of the land to come to WASH
ington, and has been assured of the
backing of the Middle Atlantic
P. G. A.
Buddy Sharkey and Roger Pea
cock, the No. Indian Spring COM
bination, are billed as strictly the
outfit to lick in the Maryland State
four-ball matches opening today at
Indian Spring.
Sharkey. the Indian Spring club
champ, and Peacock, Washington's
best amateur few years back,
clash III the opening round with
John Hoffman and Harris Jones of
Baltimore Country Club.
Not all the Washington clubs have
entered teams, but from where we
sit it looks as if another WASH
ington combine will win. The Bal
timore boys are not as good as the
amateurs from the Capital That
has been proven in so many team
matches it's almost standing rule
that Washington club wins the
Maryland State team contests.
The team of Leroy Sasscer and
Elliott Spicer, last years winners,
has been broken up. Sasscer now
plays at Kenwood and Spicer is not
named on either Indian Spring
combination.
Ball Voted All Right.
Seeking an answer to the ques-
ton as to whether the present golf
ball is satisfactory, Golf magazine
has found as the result of Nation
wide poll that the pill now in use
satisfies SO per cent of the golfers
of the land. Which should dispose
OF any further attempts to monkey
with the golf ball along the lines of
some folks who feel that the pres
ent ball can be hit so far it makes
par ridiculous yardstick.
I remember a few years back
when the United States Golf Asso-
iation was experimenting with a
shorter and light ball that several
local linksmen said they would
rather give up the game than at
tempt to steer the old balloon" ball
through high wind.
But around 1886 the U. S. G. A.
stabilized the ball in its present
specifications, of 1852 ounces in
weight and l68 inches in size. That
ball certainly fills the bill for all
types of golfers. And if the Gull
dahls and Sneads and Thomsons
can score better with it that's a
matter of skill, and nothing else.
Down at East Potomac Park to-
day two teams of public links golf
ers are to settle a long g-argued mat
ter of supremacy between outfits
from the Potomac Park and Rock
Greek Park courses. AL Prices
gang from Rock Greek Park looks
as if it is readying for licking
today. but it'll be able-maybe-to
turn the tables on Tommy Doerer's
gang when the two meet later at
Rock Greek Park.