Evening star., 1940-09-12
ID. G.. Golf Amateurs Near Top
Nationally, Despite Defeat,
Vet Pro Observers Feel

VI Cilc DcHlpScy VI 1919 Will Vic
Louis Of today. But remember that
in those days we had about half
a dozen really fine amateurs, and
there was a wide gap between them
and the rest of the pack. Today it's
different. We have one or two who
stand out, but all the others are
good. mean the difference be-
tween the topnotchers-the cham
pions-and the rest of the pack isn't
so pronounced Take this fellow
Otto Greiner, for instance. He
licked Art Doering in the first round.
Art was a semifinalist last year and
was picked to go long way in this
one. Yet a lot of people who heard
of Doering never heard of Greiner.
And Greiner's win wasn't by one
hole. He licked Doering, 4 and g."
Bob Jones has the same idea. ut
was tough enough when I was play
ing" he said. But think it's just
as hard now-maybe harder" You
couldn't expect Bob, who was on top
Is years ago, to compare the best
Of today with the best Of the older
days. That wouldn't be like the
modest Jones.
Greiner Meets q Dawson.
Horton took over again. Take
these Washington boys. They were
licked in the first round, but they
looked good out there swinging the
club Those boys will come along
II rfo1t RI
pion there few years from now"
Getting back to Greiner. tall Otto
is in there today against George
Dawson of Chicago. George Is a
brother Of Johnny, and golf runs in
the Dawson family. Otto came home
in "a yesterday afternoon to lick
Jack Hoerner of Chicago in the sec
ond round He was down to Jack
at the turn. We've touted Greiner
| for two years now as one of the best.
He may prove to be just that here.
Already he has licked two good ones.
Earle Skinker of Columbia and
Ralph Bogart Of Congressional, two
Washington qualifiers for the match
rounds. were back in the Capital to-
day, practicing for the District
amateur championship, which opens
Tuesday at Manor. Both made
| quick exits from the big show,
Skinker losing. 3 and 2, TO Johnny
Burke, the former Georgetown cap
tain, and Bogart dropping his first
round match by the same margin
to Ted Bishop, the lanky Massachu-
sets champ.
Burke did some miracles out Of
the traps against Skinker, coming
out of four Of those cavernous
Winged Foot bunkers for single
putt. But Earle didn't play we'll.
He wasn't nearly as good as he had
been to qualify.
Burke Turns on Heat.
Bogart ran into streak of erratic
putting against Bishop. The Wash
ington champ missed two of 2
feet. You don't do that in this
championship, and go anywhere.
Ralph. for the first time in his
young life. is afraid of a 2-foot putt.
He admitted it. I'll have to brush
up on my putting before that tour
nament next week" he said.
Skinker. out in 40. was level with
Burke, but the ex-intercollegiat
! champ, now registered from Rye, N.
Y. turned on the heat over the last
nine, playing the first seven holes of
/ that stretch in even fours to win.
Bk"op put on hot hand against
Bogai hitting the turn in par 36
to round the nine 2 up. Ralph
missed a short one at the thirteenth
! and that match was about over.
But Bishop put the crusher on
Bogart with a birdie at the long
sixteenth.
/ The Washington boys play well,
/ but you have to do more than that
| to get far in this championship.
Good golf won't win. You have to
be better than good.