Evening star., 1940-08-10
BY WALTER McCALLUM.

ny "AL1Ln McSALLO I'M
Putting" said Witty Cox" is the
trickiest part of this game of golf.
It's a game within a game, and
sometimes you have that touch and
sometimes you haven't. When you
do have it you feel that you can
hole anything, and when you don't
you wonder on which side the ball
is going to miss. But the fellow
who gets around with 33 puts or
in that neighborhood hasn't any
thing to worry about"
Witty used only % puts in that
wonder round couple of days ago
at Congressional, when he played
the lengthy course in 81 strokes.
That happens to be 10 under par.
Witty was talking about it.
You know I've heard some re-
marks about this or any other course
without fairway watering being a
good spot for the open champion
ship. Now don't forget that Con-
gressional is a good course-one of
the best-but over these fairways
you can hit that ball very long
way. The ball just runs and keeps
on running Which is one reason
the United States Golf Association
insists on watered-fairway courses
for the big championships. Frankly,
to topnotchers of the pro game
would make any course look silly
that doesn't have watered fairways.
They hit that ball so far it's a
crime.
Like War of Nerves.
"And take putting. OF course
that's the toughest part of the game.
was lucky the other day. I got
down some good ones, and I was
plenty lucky when I holed that shot
for deuce on the 18th. But
didn't miss many that I should have
holed. That's where putting counts.
You go along and you don't have
that fine touch. You miss 'em by
fractions of inches. And after a
while it gets you. It's like the war
of nerves, wearing you down until
you wonder if you'll ever get one to
drop. And some days the hole looks
the size of a bucket and you feel
as if you can't miss. Funny thing.
this putting. Either you have it
or you don't"
Witty was putting George F. Mix
kelson for a nickel hole. This
man is a fine putter." said Cox.
"One Of the best" Mikkelson not
long ago played Congressional, using
only % puts for 18 holes. 1t made
his pals a little i'll.
That's record, as far as I know,
for this course" said Cox. But
what would a long hitting pro do
to this or any other course if he
get around in % putts?" You figure
it out. Witty had % puts in that
81 round. With % puts the round
would have been five strokes less.
Or would it?
Never mind about that" laughed
Cox. Il hit that ball all right and
the score was all right. But I wish
l could figure to hole all these six
footers every time I step up to 'em
as did that day. When they finally
get that putting down to a real
science I guess golf will lose, its
kick"
Over at Washington 1t H. J..
Webb, United States Coast Guard,
put together lot of fine shots to
manufacture subpar SO, thus
carrying out the idea that right now
and until mid-September-is the
season for low scoring. Fast fair
ways and well-watered putting
greens do their part in making the
scoring easier.
Tourney Listed at Scranton.
Some of the local pros are plan
ming trip to Scranton, Pa, early
in September to play in the Anthra-
cite open tourney, which this year
fills in tho spot on the schedule
uscally engaged for the Glens Falls
open. The Scranton tourney has
some engaging aspects.
In the first place prize dough is
IS 1000, with 1000 to go to the VIM
ner. And in the second place the
low scorer on each of the four days
of the affair, starting September S,