Evening star., 1940-07-26
Match Play a Pain to Him, Cox
Passes Up P. G. A. Tourney;
Peacock u. S. Title Threat
By WALTER McCALLUM.

BY WALTER McCALLUM.
Witty Cox is Old Man Consistency
himself. Both on and of the golf
course. Witty doesn't like match
play tournaments and he's honest
about it. He admits, he likes medal
play, and doesn't give two hoots for
match play. /
Two years ago the Congressional
pro played the Shawnee Country
Club course in par 70 strokes, and
was badly licked by John Revolta in
the opening round Of the P. G.. A.
championship. Witty, always con-
sistent, was straight as a string
down the alley, while Revolta was
all over the course, making mi
raculous recovery shots and holing
lengthy puts. After that match
Witty said: II think this will be my
last P. G. A. championship. I don't
care for match play, and I don't like
it when I've certainly played as well
as the other fellow and been licked"
Passes Up P. G. A. Prelim.
That is why tall Wilfred, the
reigning District open champion,
won't be at Baltimore today to try
for one of the four places open to
the Middle Atlantic pros in the Ma
tional P. G. A. Championship sched-
uled for Hershey, Pa, late in Au-
gust. Witty made up his mind last
hight not to CO. But really his mind
was made up two years ago. why
should I spend 5000 to take chance
on getting it back?" asks Cox.
Tournaments don't mean that
much to me. II I want to play in
one I'll play where the rates come
cheaper and where I have chance
to pick up more dough-"
Nor was Fred Mcleod a sure
starter. Freddie had about made up
his mind today not to attempt to
qualify. He probably couldn't make
it anyhow, for the parade has passed
the one-time brilliant Columbia
Scotsman. Which leaves about one
place for every seven starters in that
P. G. A. sectional round at Five
Farms. 1t will take about lat to
win one Of the four spots.
Peacock Pointing for Amateur.
Roger Sylvester Peacock, half of
the District pro-amateur champion
ship team (the other half is Henry
G. Picard Of Hershey, Pa, is going
into this years amateur champion
ship with a better chance to 20
places than he ever has had.
A new determination and a new
spirit for competition blazes from
Roger as he discusses the forth
coming simon-pure title tourney,
due to be played at the Winged
Foot Club of Mamaroneck, N. Y, in
September. Roger hasn't played
any golf now for fortnight but he
is sure shot to win one of the sec
tionai qualifying spots in the trials
at Chevy Chase August q.
1t isn't any secret to those Who
follow golf that Roger Peacock
were he to campaign as some of the
crack amateurs campaign-would be
placed generally among the first 10
simon-pures in America. And he
might well be among the first five.
Nor is it any secret that Roger, even
though he does not hold cham
pionship, generally is rated Wash
! lngton's top amateur.
Now Roger is 20 years old. In
other words he is nearing the age
when he either is going to be a big
shot in national amateur golf, or he
isn't. A man doesn't win many
championships in the superheated
competition of today after he has
reached his middle 30s, and Roger
realizes this.
| Right now-this year-Roger feels
that he is playing the best and the
soundest golf of a consistently bril-
liant career. Il feel more confident
On the greens than I've ever felt"
he says. Il really feel that 1 can
hole any putt from six feet down,
and get my share of the longer
ones That sounds fairly reason
able. when you consider that Roger
bet 10 bucks on himself in that Red
Cross match at Indian Spring to
shoot SO or better. And did a 81. A
big part of it was his putting.
Doesn't Underrate Competition.
Getting back to the National,
Roger feels he is hitting the ball
well enough to get along pretty well
in the big show. He isn't cocky
about it. nor does he underrate
gents like Bud Ward, Willie Tur-
mesa, Ray Billows, Art Doering,
John Burke or some of the other
top-notch amateurs, of whom there
happen to be very few. incidentally.
I've played with a lot of them" Z"
says Roger. And I think that If I
am playing my game I can do all
right"
Rogers top showing in the Ma
tional was made in 1885 at Cleve-
land, where he went to the fourth
| yio1yv