Evening star., 1941-08-14
Manufacturers Seek
To Learn Status in
Stettinius' Setup
Seven Capital Amateurs
Attempting to Qualify
For U. S. Tourney
BY WALTER McCALLUM.

y
ing to find out where they stand or
the new steel priority regulations
which will turn all steel into defense
channels at the order of E. S. Stet-
tinius, chief priority officer. The
club manufacturers are aware, OF
course, that golf clubs do not fall, by
any stretch of the imagination, into
war necessities. Their supply OF
steel can be cut off at moments
notice.
What that could do to a big in
dustry, turning out many millions OF
dollars worth OF equipment every
year, is easy to guess. And what the
effect would be on golfers who now
adays walk into golf shop and
casually order a new set of clubs
also would be easy to guess. The
time can come when your old set
of steel-shafted clubs will be ex-
tremely valuable.
1t isn't certain, by any means, that
there will be no steel for golf club
shafts next year, or even that club
manufacture will be seriously cur
tailed. But when official Washing
ton earmarks steel for defense
priority orders that means just that,
and little or nothing for golf club
production.
Feel" of Wood Not Duplicated.
OF course there are substitutes.
Wooden shafts could come back, and
a lot of people who grew up in the
ways of steel would thrill anew to
the sweet feel of Well-hit shot
from a wooden shaft. That thrill
has gone. No matter what the steel
shaft manufacturers claim about
their product, they haven't yet pro-
duced a steel shaft that has that
fine feel of a wooden shaft. Steel
Just doesn't have it and so far they
haven't reproduced the sweet feel
of wood. But at the same time there
have been advantages.
There isn't any doubt, for in
stance, that steel shafts hit the ball
consistently further than wooden
shafts. Or that steel remains con-
slant, subject neither to the moods
of the weather nor to such frequent
breakage and torsional stresses as
wood. In the old days many of the
best players changed their wooden
shafts each spring. That isn't neces-
sary with steel. 1t remains con-
slant, both as to torsion and hitting
ability. barring an accident.
So far this troubled year of 1941
with defense industry getting into
high gear, there has been no pro-
hibition against the manufacture OF
steel-shafted golf clubs. But it may
come. And when and if it does
don't say you were not warned
Better, If your clubs are getting old
go out and buy yourself a new set
now. You cannot tell, nor can any
one else, when you will be able to
buy the next set. And the ware
houses are not brimming over with
unused sets of golf clubs.
Amateurs Qualify Today.
Today, over the tightly trapped
and tricky little golf course of the
Country Club of Maryland, near
Towson, seven Washington anna
teurs started in the sectional quail
fication rounds for the national
amateur championship, tourney
which is being given successful
brushof by the simon pures this
year.
If the Washington entries quail
ify according to their numerical
strength, they'll win two of the four
places allotted the Middle Atlantic
section, for the original Washing
ton list was made up of eight men,
One of them was not starter to-
day. That one was Bobby BroWnell,
the Maryland Open champ and
Middle Atlantic king, who would
be a sure shot to win one of the
four spots if he started. But Bobby
is out of golf for a long time.
Favorites to qualify from Wash
ington were Ralph Bogart, the Dis
trict amateur champ; Earle Skink-
er, the Columbia tow-head, and
Charlie Malone, the erstWhile Red
skin. We say erstwhile, for Charlie S
gigantic playmates-ther rest of the
Redskins-Were to leave town this
afternoon for their training base at
San Diego. And Charlie is playing
in a golf tournament. He hasn't
yet signed up with the Skins, and
there is some doubt that he will
But Charlie is doing all right with
his golf.
The sectional rounds today were
over the 36-hole route, with the
four low scorers to be sentenced
to go to Omaha for the national
tourney, starting August 25.
Manor Women in Tourney.
Manor Country Club women to-
day were to wind up their tourney
for the Schloesser Cup, which
opened yesterday with the first
round in the 36-hole medal play
affair.
Tied for the lead over the first
round were District Champion Mrs
Walter n. stokes ana MIS-. JdIlle'
v. Brownell. Mrs. Stokes scored
79-2-77, while Mrs Brownell
mother of Bobby, scored 89-12-
IT. Tied for third were Mrs. F. G
Butler, 93-15-78, and Mrs. H. j
Beech, 90-12-78.
Clyde Martin, former Congress
sional Country Club caddie, nov
private golf professional to Jo'
Louis, is doing all right in the Jo'
Louis Open at Detroit. Clyde ant
Howard Wheeler paired agains
Emmett and Chuck Kocsis, two o
Michigan's better golfers, and licked
them, 2 and /. Martin shot sub
par So, according to Pace Reyburg
another former Congressional ba'
toter. Pleasant Goodwin, one of th'
locker boys at Chevy Chase, alSt
is playing at Detroit.