Evening star., 1942-03-01
Pro al Congressional
Shines Among Top
Players Of u. 5.
Now Mainly Concerned
With Getting Course
In Trim for Spring
By WALTER McCALLUM.

Witty Cox, the old pro golf tour
nament warrior, listens no more to
the call Of big-tine links affairs. For
more than Is years Witty was big
figure in the pro tournaments, a
winner of many and always feared
competitor. But the sparse-heired
warrior, still in top physical shape,
has given up major tournament golf
and won't be seen any more where
the stars of pro golf gather for coin
and glory.
Although members of the Con-
gressional Country Club, where
Witty is pro and course supervisor,
gave the Cox family a free trip to
Florida as o little present q few
weeks back, Witty isn't going South
for competition. He has given up
that kind of golf and hereafter will
conflne his play to the sectional
events around washington. But
Witty had plenty of that super
heated, tough and trying competi-
ton in the big pro tournaments be-
fore he racked up his war clubs and
quit.
Concerned Mostly Over Course.
Nowadays Witty is more concerned
with getting the Congressional Club
course in shape for the spring sea-
son than with keeping his swing in
the groove. Earlier in the year he
went out to the practice tee. 1t
bulged the eyes of Jocko Miller. his
aide, for Jocko hadn't seen Witty
practice in two years. But 1t was
different when Witty was big shot
In the pro tournament game. Then
he counted that day lost when he
didn't work out at least two hours
on the practice tee.
WHY'S tournament record is a
saga of victories against the best
men in the game. Victor in the
luscious Aqua Caliente affair, win
ner with Willie MacFarlane) of the
Miami International Four Ball, win
ner of Pinehursts rich North and
South title, national leader in the
qualifying rounds for the United
States Open title, winner of the
Florida and Texas Open champion
ships, of the Sacramento Open and
many other big events, Cox always
was up there. Today, with the
Miami four-ball championship
week away, the old war horse isn't
interested.
Sticks TO Nearby Events.
I've given up all that" said Witty.
oh, I don't mean that in some fu-
ture year if conditions are right I
may not take whirl at some of the
nearby tournaments, but the big cir
cult Is out. I'm too busy making a
living and keeping my members sat-
isfied to play in those tournaments
any more. 1t would take long
time to work into condition to play
against those tough
guys who are playing all the time"
WHY'S best showing in the big
tournament (the epen) came in 1884,
when he finished third, behind Olin
Dutra and Gene Sarazen. Tied for
the first-round lead at II, Witty had
a clear shot at the title right up
to the final hole, but finished with
2e5, two shots back of big Dutra, who
had 293, and Sarazen at 294.
Probably Witty never will have his
name engraved on the champion
snip cup The big-time parade has
passed the 45-year-old golfer and
by the time the war ends and the
open championship is resumed Witty
will be too old. and meanwhile new
crop of stars will be coming up. But
no more gallant fighter or finer COM
petitor ever pulled on spiked bro
gan. He is one of that crew of un-
sung links heroes-MacDona
Smith. Sam Snead, Horton Smith
and others-who never won the open,
although they always had the ability
to win.
Americas finest club pro-" reads
the inscription on picture of Frank
Walsh in WHY'S golf shop. ad-
dressed to Cox. That's the way 1t Is
nowadays. Witty is a club pro now,
but he won't be forgotten in a
lengthy stretch of years by the men
against whom he competed-and
rhn<n he licked