Evening star., 1939-04-08
Disqualification Due
Bob Ignored, Says
old Man Rules
Former Pro Here Noted
For Keen knowledge
Of Laws of Come
BY WALTER McCALLUM,

Vt LOWS OF 0ome
BY WALTER McCALLUM.
The walking g-and-talking book Of
golf rules Is in town. In case you
haven't happened to run across Old
Man Rule Book himself, all logged
out in knickers and heather sweat
er. he is Mr.. Alexander Armour,
elder Of the eminent Armour BROTH
ers, who have had quite a bit to say
about golf and championship golf in
particular since 1926. The Scots call
him Sandy, name which they pin
on all men with the name Alexan-
der, and Sandy is the name by
which he is known wherever golf
is played. But a lot of people call
him Old Man Rules himself.
Personally Sandy always has been
surprise to me. He not only knows
the rules forward and backward and
sideways but what irks me most is
that he can call 'em by number.
You can bring up a situation In
golf, and Sandy will call the num-
ber of the rule covering that par
ticular situation, and he'll glee-
fully point to a footnote in the
book explaining it-with gestures.
we'll posted on the rules not only to
have them quoted verbatim but also
ratified off by number.
Claims Jones Was Wrong.
A lot of people around WASH
ington have had soft spot in their
hearts for Sandy Armour ever since
he came here as assistant to his
brother Tommy at Congressional
in 1926 and remained on as the pro
when Tommy left for Detroit, In
1928.
Sandy was at the club from 1926
to 1888. And in all those years
Sandy has been an authority on the
rules of golf.
Il daresay there isn't q tourna-
ment played in America where IS
per cent of the field don't at some
time or other trespass the rules
of golf" said Sandy. They just
don't know the rules. And I don't
lllCdli Ollly lllC
golfer. I mean the topnotchers as
we'll"
Sandy has claimed since 1929 that
Bobby and the United States Golf
Association Executive Committee
made a grievous error in the play
off for the 20 open championship at
Winged Foot and that by all the
rules of the game Bob should have
been disqualified and Al Espinosa-
the hard-luck guy whom he licked
so badly in the playoff-should have
been the champion.
Delay Upset Espinosa.
Bob and AL tied for the title. and
on the 18th hole of the playoff Bob
hit a hook that ended off in the
tiger country. At least five men,
bers of the Executive Committee of
the U. S. G.. A. were around, and
after searching for what Armour
claims was eight minutes for the
ball they discovered another ball,
which wasn't Bob's, down behind a
rock pile.
Bob started back toward the tee
to play another ball and they called
him back He played the ball as
unplayable and went on to win by
something like % strokes. It was
rout, for Espinosa, plainly upset,
couldn't hit a lick.
II think if Al had stood on his
rights and insisted that Jones had
spent too much time looking for
that ball, Bob would have been
disqualified under the rules. par
ticularly when he played the ball
as unplayable," says Sandy. Don't
you?"
And wouldn't he have been
hero?' he asked.
Well, a fellow can't always agree,
even with the book of rules.
mo. l said. Il think Al would
have been bum. He would have
gone down in golf history as the
guy who won the championship by
rule book and not because he
was the best golfer"
So the discussion didn't become
an argument, but Sandy has his
points. He really knows the rules.
Guldahl Rated Supreme.
Both Sandy and his brother
Tommy firmly believe that Ralph
Guldahl is the top man playing
golf in America today. They make
no bones about their admiration
for the bulky Norwegian who has
come with such a rush over the
last month or so.
Tommy has thought so for a
couple of years." said Sandy. That
Guldahl fellow has greater powers
of concentration than any man
since Hagen. And 1t takes concen-
tration to win.
Don't be surprised to see Guldahl
win the open championship again
this year and set record that
will stand for future centuries. Even
Bob Jones didn't win three In a
row. And the game is faster now
than it was when Bob was on top"
Anything new in golf swings?"
we asked Sandy, knowing that the
Armour boys keep in front Of the
newest theories in the game.
THE boys are swinging little
more on the parallel line" said
Sandy. "They are turning the body.
but they are keeping as near the
parallel line as possible. Not quite
so much inside out as they used to
swing"
Likes Protege's Chances.
Sandy and Tommy always have
been disciples of the theory that
the golf ball is hit with the hands.
you've got to get those hands out
away from the body in the back
swing" said Sandy.
The elder Armour claims that
Jean Cline. the 15-year-old young
ster he is tutoring at Bloomington,
ILL.,, is destined to become one OF
the greats of the game. "She looks
like a winner" said Sandy.
Toft-Burroughs Softies
Open Season Tuesday