Evening star., 1941-08-31
Victory Termed
Toughest Ever
Won in Event
Golf Association Head
Makes Talk Against
GoIIery's Actions
BY BILL BONI,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

HSeoSidlCu EAOss opOAtS
OMAHA, Aug. 30.-A true cham
pion was crowned at the Omaha
Field Club today-a self f-assured, 28-
year-old Westerner who had to over
come what undoubtedly was the
toughest combination of obstacles in
the 47-year history of the United
States Golf Associations amateur
championship.
The. champion is Marvin Harvey
Ward of Spokane, Wash, whose
friends call him Bud" but who dis
covered today that apparently he
doesn't have friend in Omaha.
The obstacles, in the order In
which they stood between him and
his second amateur title, were Pat
Abbott. handsome young Los An
geles player who was matched with
him in the 36-hole final; the Field
Club course, with its tight fairways
and hidden, slick greens, and a
boisterous, mruly gallery of 5000
that had come out to see Abbott win
and didn't care who knew it.
CHS hooOSt odu Ohots
That, at least, was the most chari-
table Interpretation that could be put
on their actions, notably on the oath
hole in the afternoon. 1t was there
that six people got in front of Alb
bolts ball when it was on its way
over the green, after having been
warned to be alert so they could
move out of the way If necessary
and this stopped the ball on the
fringe of the green and in none toe
serious trouble.
Perhaps this was accidental
Harold w. Pierce of Boston, the
U. S. G. A. president, said he thought
so. Yet after a marshal, in the
ensuing scramble for places around
the green, had kicked Abbott's ball
onto the green-this time genuinely
by accident-Pierce himself felt it
was necessary to step to the center
of the green and deliver q lecture
on proper gallery conduct which
opened with the statement that
I'VE all know what is happening
here today"
Relish Wards Errant Play.
Again, perhaps it was accidental
Then 1t must have been coincidence
that on the 31st hole, with Wards
approach shot rolling fast toward
the back of the green. some one
shouted LET her go through" and
the crowd standing on the fringe
moved fast enough so that there
wasn't any one in the way of the
ball when 1t came on over and down
the back edge
Joseph c. Dey, jr., of New York,
the U. S. G. AS executive secre-
tary, said he never had seen such
demonstrations, and Pierce admitted
he never had seen such ami
mostly in a gallery. Back of it
all, apparently, was a widespread
story that Ward on his first day
here had labelled the course Cow
pasture"-a remark he denied ever
having made, though he admits
quite frankly it was in none too
good condition.
The finish of the match. on the
33d hole with Ward the winner by
4 and 3, was entirely typical. No
sooner had Abbott, who had taken
Ave to reach the green on this
para hole, made the gesture which
conceded the hole and the match
to Ward than two huskies rushed
forward and hoisted the loser on
their shoulders while the new cham
pion was left alone until some one
shouted:
How about Ward?"
Abbott Makes Big Rally.
Despite all this turmoil, the match
itself was by no means secondary
1t was a match worthy of better
treatment between the man who
won the 1889 title at North Shore
in Chicago and an equally likeable
Californian who took the public
links crown in 1888 and two years
later went to the amateur final al
Oakmont in Pittsburgh.
1t was a good match, but one in
which at only one stage did there
appear even a shade of doubt that
Ward would be the winner That
came from the 21st through the
oath holes in the afternoon when
Ward, who had been 4 up at the
(see WARD, Page A-140