Evening star., 1940-07-25
By WALTER McCALLUM.

Tall, gaunt Cliff Spencer, the for
mer Baltimore lad with the fine golf
swing, today stands out as top pro-
fessional linksman in this territory.
1t isn't surprising considering the
equipment Cliff has for golf.
There were those who watched the
black-haired Spencer emerge victo-
rious in bitter last-ditch fight to
the final putt against Witty Cox to
win the Middle Atlantic P. G. A.
championship at Columbia last Oc-
tober who said Cliff was lucky as
we'll as good. That only a red-hot
putter won him the title, and that
without lot of putting luck he
wouldn't have won.
Cliffs putter was something less
than red-hot in the playoff at Co.
lumbia yesterday for the Maryland
open golf championship. Indeed, it
was just an ordinary blade with little
magic in it. Yet he won the title,
annexing the playof of the longest
Maryland open championship on
record, with 1-over-par II, against
73 for Rut Coffey, and a IS for AL
Houghton, who had tied with him
over the regulation 36-hole distance.
1t took long time to finish that
Maryland championship. First a
torrential thunderstorm Tuesday
forced Maryland State Golf Asso-
citation officials to declare part of
the second round off. They decreed
that those caught on the course by
the storm should start over again
yesterday where they were stopped
by rain.
Three Tie at 142.
Then along came Spencer, play
ing the last nine holes in IS for a
70 and 142. Earlier Al Houghton, the
only competitor who finished the
round through the storm, had gone
back to the 18th hole and played the
last five holes in even par for a
second II and 142. And then along
came little Rut Coffey, the chunky
man from Winchester, Va, tossing
away his chance with a series of
over-par holes and finally canning
a tough 6-footer on the final green
for 73 and triple tie. So the
committee at once ordered the
three-way playoff.
Cliff Spencer happens to have one
of the finest swings in golf. In addi-
ton he picked up few tricks and
angles on the game on his swing
around the winter tour a few months
back. And in addition he is very
long hitter. All these things should
have made him standout in that
playoff. And he was-for nine holes.
But then that putter. which has
betrayed him many times in the
past, began to act up again. Cliff
missed short ones at the 9th. 10th
and 18th holes. and saw his hard
won lead almost vanish.
Houghton Holes Pitch Shot.
At the 18th. where Houghton holed
40-yard pitch shot, he led Coffey
and Houghton by a single stroke.
But Spencer put the clincher on the
title with a bird 3 at the 18th.
Coming to the last hole he led Coffey
by two shots and Houghton by three
The tournament was in. And now
Cliff wishes all championships were
played over that same Columbia
course. Over the last eight months
he has won two big sectional titles
on that lengthy layout.
1t isn't his first Maryland cham
pionship. Back in 1887 Spencer
played through downpour of rain
over the longest course in this Sec
tor-that of the Woodholme Country
Club-to win the crown with a &c.
hole total of Isl. So the champion
ship isn't new to Spencer.
But it does set him up as the top
scoring pro Of this sector AS far
back as I can remember no pro
has held the Middle Atlantic P. G. A.,
and the Maryland crown at the
same time. Spencer didn't do much
on the winter circuit, but he has
possibilities. With his advantages he
can 60 long way.
Played Only for Title.
The playoff didn't mean anything
but the title The three who tied