Evening star., 1941-06-26
BY WALTER McCALLUM.

Some golfing gents apparently are
cut out to be champions, perpetually
sticking their noses out there in
front when titles are being tossed
out. Others, flashing to the front
just before payoff time, seem cut
out for the runner-up role. Such
was Macdonald Smith, one of the
links greats of all time, who never
won major championship in nearly
30 years of campaigning. Such was
Craig Wood until early this month,
when the links fates that hitherto
had crushed Craig's hopes in an
unparalleled series of reverseS re-
Tented sufficiently to let him win
the National Open.
And such, in a minor way in golf
around Washington, seems to be the
fate of George o. Vass, jr., of Ken
wood. Son of a prominent banker,
a fine golfer for the past five years,
captain of the George Washington
University freshman links team and
a tall youngster with everything
needed to win in the better links
circles. George has yet to win even a
schoolboy or a Junior crown. Con-
sistently he has been cast in the
runner-up role. Yet you'll never
hear a Squawk from George VaSs
He has all the Spartan character
istics of his dad, who used to be
crack oarsman on the Potomac in
the days when rowing was the thing
in athletics around town.
George Vass, said George Diffen-
baugh, the Kenwood pro, should be
and some day may be one of the
best young champions we have had
Yet Vass, although he has twice been
runnerup for the metropolitan inter-
scholastic crown, and twice runner
up for the District junior title, re-
mains the uncroWned lad who should
win. It's one of those queer quirks
in a game filled with unusual situa-
tions. But when George finally
breaks down the barrier he can win
lot of tournaments.
Tom Brandon Wins Title.
George finished runnerup again
yesterday to a tall, blond youngster
from Columbia. Tom o. Brandon,
jr., son of a Navy lieutenant COM
mander and of one of Columbias S
most prominent feminine golfers,
won the District Junior champion
ship with rounds of rs and 78 for a
total of 153 at Indian Spring. Vass,
the perennial runnerup, was second
again with 7880-158.
The new champ played on the
Wilson High School team last spring,
and graduated from the school early
in June. He will prepare for Har-
ward University entrance exams dur
ing the summer. But meanwhile he
will not neglect his golf
A sizzling second nine in the fore
noon round won the tournament for
the 17-year-old Brandon youngster,
who last year won the junior cham
pionship at the Washington Golf
and Country Club before the Bran
dons moved over to Columbia. Tom
shot that second nine in a two
under-par "a, following an indif-
ferent out nine of Al. 1t gave him
. rs, which led. And he led all the
rest of the way, winning as cham
pion should, by a margin of five
strokes
Yet somehow your heart goes out
to George Vass, the boy who hasn't
quite been able to make it, the peren-
nial runnerup. But Vass is only 18,
and has lot of years of golf ahead
Of him. Some day he'll win tour
nament and from that moment on
will be hard to stop.
Logan Manders Third.
Third was Logan Manders of
Washington, with 79-80-159. Nor
man Manders, brother of Logan, won
the under -16-yearS class with a card
OF 80-81-161. Norman is IA.
Where was Bill Cassidy, the de-
Tending champ, who won the Mary
land State junior championship
Tuesday? Bill had bad day. Over
the same course where on Tuesday
he shot a 73 he took 81 and 81 for
1853 yesterday to finish far down the
list.
LEROY Smith, public links champ;
Andy Oliveri, Bobby Morris, Bobby
Burton and the rest of the hot shots
from the Washington municipal
courses will have to get up early
tomorrow morning to get over to
Baltimore for the sectional rounds
in the public links championship.
They'll start getting under way In
the 36-hole medal round at 7:30 am
over the Mount Pleasant course. Al
together Al Washington lads have
entered.
Women in Second Round.
The wedding out process over,
eight survivors in the Maryland
State women's title tourney settled
down to serious business today at
Chevy Chase, where four Washing
ton women and as many from Bal
timore remained in the quarter
final round of the tourney.
On the sidelines was Mrs. Walter
Stokes, 1910 Maryland champ and
1941 District titleholder, who was
Knocked out in the first round by