Evening star., 1942-01-02
Lafayette Staff Man
Rolls Top Scratch
String Of III
Boss, No. ! Duckpinner
Of U. S., Finds Duffer
Hondicops Too Stiff
By ROD THOMAS.

Pat Loughney, member of Astor
Clarke's managerial staff at the
Lafayette Bowling Center, today
was high man in scratch games in
The Stars Defense savings handi-
cap tournament with tally OF 178
rolled last night at the Lafayette
with his famed boss in the same
squad.
With other games of 96 and 143
Loughney totaled AIT to gain third
place in scratch sets and, adding a
handicap of 80 for 447, landed
among the potential prize winners
In gross sets. With 178-10-l88 he
took over fourth place in gross
games.
1T seems" commented the great
Clarke, eve have a bowler around
here"
Clarke, No. l ranking duckpinner
of the country, leaves today for
Stratford, Conn, where tomorrow
he will attempt to win his fourth
victory in the last nine years of
the United States Open. He is the
only bowler who has won more than
once this event, which brings to-
gether, with fancy cash on the line,
the Hogans. Nelson's, Sarazens and
Sneads Of the duckpin world. The
entry fee is $50; first prize, $1,000.
Too Tough for Clarke.
Clarke paid 81 to enter The Star
tournament. Last night, facing the
headpin with Loughney, he stood
TO win. among other awards, a 81 900
Defense bond.
In his three United States
triumphs, for which he rolled As
games, he averaged a fraction bet
ter than 1856. On recent tour of
tho West Coast of Florida, where
the duckpin sport is on the boom,
he gathered a flock of records.
In The Star tournament final,
with q prize almost as fat as the
one he will seek tomorrow, the in
comparable one fired a three-game
Get of $40.
Said Clarke, blandly: Il couldn't
get going"
Said Clarke, seriously: mo star
bowler can win this tournament
without a miracle. The full handi-
caps of the low-average bowlers shut
him out, except for scratch prizes.
And maybe you've noticed that only
a few stars are in the running for
these. In an army of ordinary
bowlers-and the field in this tour
nament is the largest in the history
Of the game-are bound to be some
to shoot better for an evening than
they know how, and from these
will come most of the prize winners"
Nothing to Be Lost.
Which brings up a point. A num-
ber of bowlers who qualified for the
final, reading day after day of large
gross scores, seem to be discour-
aged Said an alley manager to-
day: Some of my qualif1ers ap-
parently intend to pass up their
opportunities. Perhaps they over
look the fact they have three free
games owed them. They could bowl
these just for pastime"
In the pay-off will be many who
Yeckoned: Il haven't chance,
but here goes"
Some high-average bowlers. look
ing over the buffers handicaps have
quailed.
Not among these is Lorraine GULL,
also in the Lafayette roll-off squad
last night. Illustrious Lorraine,
who used to rule the Nations woman
duckpinners and again may. won
a top scratch prize in the qualif1ca-
ton round with a set of 401 and
in the final kept swinging to land
third in scratch set standing with
365 and second in scratch games
with 158
Heavy action is slated tonight at
the King Pin, Brookland Recreation.
Fort Davis and the Arcadia, also
tomorrow night at Brookland and
the Anacostia Spillway.
Brookland produced three poten-
tial prize winners in gross sets last
night in Charles Fife, jr., 102-457;
Lee Haywood, 87-458, and Clyde
Jenkins, 54-452.