Evening star., 1940-02-18

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Cox Advocate Change;
Mcleod okoys Ideo
BY WALTER McCALLUM.
With hardly q dissenting voice,
golf professionals remaining around
town these midwinter days speak
in favor Of change In the honor"
rule on the tee. It hasn't anything
to do with their moral sense, but
only with the way the game is
played, and it all arises from sug-
gestion made a few weeks ago In
California when a flock of the pros
got together and suggested re-
vision in the rule making the man
who last won a hole drive first from
the succeeding tee.
IT think change should be
made" said Witty Cox, permitting
the man who won the last hole to
have his choice between driving first
or second from the next tee"
Il think the proposed change is a
swell idea," said AL Houghton. ut
should have been done long ago."
Fred Mcleod thinks the optionai
honor feature is O. K, but adds,
"Why monkey with the established
rules of the game?"
George Diffenbaugh for many
years has thought change in the
honor rule should be made. 'The
man with the honor should have
the choice of driving first or Sec
ond," says George.
Cox Sees Good in Change.
The pros feel that it is a distinct
advantage under certain conditions
to drive in second place, although
they don't suggest any change in
the time -honored rule that the
player farthest from the hole shall
be required to play first on the
other shots through the green"
MANY time on short holes with
q wind blowing, or on holes where
deceptive ground conditions make
the shot hard to judge, I've wanted
to get the benefit of the other fel-
lows shot, says Cox. Take a
200-yard hole, for instance, when
you don't know whether to play it
with a strong 2-iron or a 4-wood
The fellow playing second has the
advantage.
Suppose the green happens to
be very fast and a ball carrying to
it bounces over. The second player
has the advantage of seeing this
and knows just how to play his shot
If the honor necessarily goes to the
winner of the previous hole, it works
hardship on the first man. Let
the man who has won the last hole
have the choice of shooting first or
second, by all means"
Mcleod Favors Revision.
Mcleod favors change in the
rule, but being an old-timer Freddie
doesn't hold with any scheme tc
make the game easier when they
begin monkeying with the rules OF
golf they are treading on dangerous
territory" says Mcleod. Never
theless, I'd be in favor of changing
this rule"
Diffenbaugh said he long has
thought the man with the honol
should have his choice between
shooting first or second. Some time!
it is an advantage to park one ur
against the pin and let the othel
fellow shoot at it," said George
sometimes you would better play
second. But I emphatically think
the man with the honor should have
his choice"
Take that eleventh hole at Wash.
ington," said AL Houghton. Some
times wind comes down over thai
green that you can't feel from thu
tee. You shoot first and your bal
drops in the water. The fellow
playing second has a great advan.
tage. Yes, I think the man with
the honor should have the choice
So there isn't much dissensior
among these four representative
Washington pros. If the rule il
changed it will find most of them
favoring the change.
Chip Shots. -.
Feminine golfers of the Capita
will meet tomorrow at Columbia tt
90 over all angles of their tourna.
ments for 1910 and to receive the
report of the Tournament Commit.
tee, headed by Mrs. Frank Kramer
Team matches will be played as last
year; that is, first teams will have
eight players, second teams will have
six players and third teams vii
have four players. Any club enter.
ing third team also must have
first and second teams in the field
A week ago Al Houghton said h,
was not going to Florida to be Bot
Barnett's aide at Indian Greek. To-
day he isn't so sure. Bob want'
him, but Houghton told him h,
couldn't make it; that he is bus.
arranging plans for pitch and put
course. But now AL may go. HI
is very anxious to get back int
pro golf.
AL Jamison, Indian Spring pro
whom rumor has it will go to Brad
ley Hills, is due back in town thi
week. Secretary Bill Barr of tn
District Golf Association will leav,
town tomorrow for Florida stay
Witty Cox left last Friday and viii
be at the Coral Gables Inn.
Harvey Cobb, well-known Con
gressional golfer, has been commut
ing between Washington and Miam
by air.