Evening star., 1941-08-24
Chapman Is Confident
He Will Retain Title
In Amateur Golf
Says Accurate Driving
Will Tell at Omuhu;
146 Sturt Tomorrow
BY BILL BONI,
Associated Press Sports Writer.


OMAHA, Aug. 23.-To the best OF
their respective abilities the Omaha
Field Club, the 140-odd starters in
the 45th national amateur golf
championship and defending Title
holder Dick Chapman were set to-
day for the starting gun that will
send them into their three-cornered
battle.
The gun doesn't go off until Mon
day morning.
But the field club has been
trimmed down to fighting form
the tees pushed back and the greens
and fairways clipped-for its task
of battling the par-busters. The
starters are as ready as they'll ever
be to tackle the courses par 72.
The combined forces are set for
their attempt to dethrone Chapman.
And the Socialite Army athletic in
struction, whose work at the Mont
gomery (Ala) Air Base has put him
in grand shape, is confident in his
ability to defend title no one has
been able to retain since Lawson
Little won in 1884 and repeated in
1885.
Straight Shooting Needed.
Chapman's workouts haven't been
too impressive. But he never has
been able to bear down in practice,
and that doesn't worry him.
"All I'll need, or any one will need,
is the ability to hit tee shots straight
and learn to play the ball out Of
the soft sand-almost like quicksand
which they have in the traps" Dick
said today.
II found out how important ac-
curate driving is going to be yes
terday. when I kept going off line
land his score mounted to an ap-
proximate 80). In fact I think
that's going to be so important I
may even switch to using spoon
off the tees. The lost distance won't
be important, because this isn't a
long course.
Putting will be important, too,
since some of the green's aren't in
too good condition and all of them
are fast But putting always plays
a big part in a championship and
that's one department in which I'm
sure III be able to take care Of
myself"
Five Former Champs in Field.
Chapman's emphasis on accuracy
comedies with the opinion of STAN
ley Davies. who has been the field
club pro for 81 years. But some
of the other leading contenders-
among them Ray Billows. Wilford
Wehrle and Skip Alexander-feel
there aren't sufficiently severe pen-
alties for getting off line. and that
a scrambler may make out just as
well as the on-the-line shooters.
Pending last-minute absentees,
the field stood at 146 tonight.
Latest withdrawal was Willie
TurneSa of Detroit. who won in 1888.
Willie had announced several days
ago he thought business reasons
would keep him at home for the
first time in nine years, and today
informed Joseph c. Dey. jr.. execu-
tive secretary of the United States
Golf Association, that he would not
be able to make it.
This reduced the list of former
champions in the field to five
Chapman, Johnny Goodman, 1887
winner and a hot favorite on his
home course: Marvin BUD Ward
of Spokane, Wash. 1899 champion
who checked in today for his first
practice round and is likely to go
to the post one of the leading
choices; lean Johnny Fischer of
Cincinnati, who took the 1886 title
at Garden City, and Chick Evans,
the popular Chicago veteran whose
victories date back to 1916 and 1920.
Los Angeles Fireman Stars.
Ranked well up on the basis of
past tournament performances are
Billows, who warmed up by beating
q otlS llCld III tllC olSQt LdhCo
invitation at Chicago this week:
Frank Stranahan, the Toledo (Ohio)
strong boy with the arms of a
blacksmith; Wehrle, semifinalist a
year ago: Harry Todd of Dallas,
Tex, low amateur in the United
States Open in June and another
of todays arrivals; Art Doering. jr.,
stylish Chicagoan, and Mario Con-
zales, willowy Brazilian youngster
who may be the strongest foreign
threat since Scotland's Jock Nc
Lean carried Fischer to 38 holes in
the 1896 final.
His practice performances have
boosted Bruce Mccormick of Los
Angeles right into the foreground.
The likeable fireman, winner of the
public links title in 1887, matched or
bettered par in each of his first
three practice rounds, only man in
the field to do so.