Evening star., 1941-03-26
-Four Famed Players
Already in Line for
April 10Contest
In Hot Streak, Rippy
Suggested as FIoshy
Addition to Party
BY WALTER McCALLUM.

Dy FNEAA NASSFAAAOu "
Gene Sarazen, runnerup for the
1910 National Open championship;
Jimmy Thomson and Horton Smith
among the pros; Wilfred Wehrle,
Wisconsin crack and co-winner with
Sam Snead of the st. Augustine
amateur-pro, and George Dawson
among the amateurs. Those are
the famed linksmen already signed
up for the British War Relief match
at the Chevy Chase Club April 10.
But the fly in the soup came to-
day when it became known that
Sam Snead and Ralph Guldahl, two
of the aces of the same company
that employs Sarazen, will not be
present when festivities start over
the closely clipped fairways at Chevy
Chase Is days hence. Sam and
Guldahl would just about make the
show complete, but it will be far
from a bust without them. Or even
without Byron Nelson or Ben Hogan,
who haven't said one way or an
other whether they will be here to
play with their fellow pros.
Farrell May Come.
Meanwhile John Farrell, who
hasn't shown his handsome Irish
face around Washington in quite a
fQu told tho y
probably will be able to play. The
same goes for towering Jim Ferrier,
the big Aussie. who turned pro a
few days ago after a short and hec-
tic career as an amateur in the
United States. Clayton Heafner.
the erstwhile barefoot boy who came
out of candy factory at Green's
boro couple of years back, and now
rates among the top pros of the land,
also probably will be among those
present, although the committee has
not been informed about him.
All told it adds up to a pretty
substantial group of the better links
men of the land. And efforts still
continue to gather in the best. 1t
won't be surprising if Hogan and
Nelson join the parade. or if Jimmy
Demaret comes in, red blazer. green
hat, breezy smile and all. In any
case the success of the show is as
sured. And there are five thousand
tickets to be sold at buck a head.
They could do worse than stick
Claude Rippy in there among the
top pros and amateurs of the land.
For Claude, who won the Chevy
Chase invitation affair two years in
a row, has been setting a blistering
pace at the Washington Golf and
Country Club, where the erstwhile
Shelby, N. c., boy now plays most
of his golf
Rippy Scores 81.
| Remember that wind yesterday?
1t blew 80 miles in some of the
gusts. Well. all Claude did was
steer the ball over the Washington
course through that half gale in 81
thumps. That is three below the
F! par of the course. Sure they were
playing winter rules, teeing 'em up
everywhere except in hazards, but
you don't get in hazards and have
a 81.
That's only half of it, however.
| Claude has not been more than II
whacks in half a dozen rounds of
the Washington course. 1t is quite
early to start talking about the
winning Of tournaments around
town this year, but if they played
| 'em right now Rippy would be an
odds-on favorite to win his share.
So well does Lefty Harrell think
of Rippy's game that he is promot-
ing match for a purse between
the amateur and Leo Walper, the
crack pro and former Middle At
lantic p. G. A. champion. 1t might
be close at that. although the pro
In any sport usually has the edge
on the amateur when cash is laid
on the line. Certainly Rippy, play
ing as he Is playing right now,
would be a match for any man over
the Washington course or any other
course.
Palmer Scores Ace.
James c. Palmer is the latest gent
to enter the hall of fame via the
hole -in-one route. Palmer took his
trusty mashie in hand on the 18th
| hole at Washington and smacked
the ball into the cup. 1t took one
short hop and nestled in the hole.
Playing with him were Adam King,
Sam Galloway and A. Lane Cricher
Fort Meade, Md, where a gigantic
expansion program is taking shape,
is looking for lot of golf on the
nine hole course at the nearby Army
post. Within q few days Army au-
thorities will announce the name of
Washington pro to take over the
pro berth at Fort Meade. Two or
three from Washington have sub
mitted bids for the job and a Wash
ington man probably will land it.
The golf club on the Army post will
have, it is said, 500 golfers by the
middle OF summer.
We know how they could save
some money. 1t could be done by
getting. via the orderly processes of
the selective service draft call of
course, young pro who would learn
the military art as quickly as pos
sible and then set up shop at the
golf club. But Uncle Sam should
| pay him more than $21 a month.