Evening star., 1951-04-24
Golf Courses Battling
Big Pro-Am Fields
In First 7 Events
By MerreIl Whittlesey

It's an old spring complaint of
baseball hitterS that the pitchers
are ahead of them. After two pro-
amateur tournaments, the pros
and amateurs in this section are
complaining that the golf courses
are behind them, not yet in shape
because of the severe winter. and
making them look bad.
In two events, pro-an1 last
week at Rolling Road and one yes
terday at Kenwood, there have
been tremendous turnouts of III
and ISL players-yet there has
been only one par round.
Andy Gibson of the C. C, of
Maryland, who has been playing
in Charley Bassler's shadow for
the past two or three years.
matched par with a 10 at Kenwood
yesterday to win the pro sweep
stakes by three strokes. The best
score last week was a one-over par
II by Otto Greiner.
Gibson had II pars. three brides
and three bogeys to top 40 pros in
the sweeps and finish three strokes
ahead of Harry Griesmer of Be-
thesda; AL Houghton of Prince
Georges; Bill Clarke of Baltimore
C. c., John Musser of All View and
Harold Oatman of Norfolk.
Clarke Has Trouble.
Clarke, husky assistant to Wal
ter Romans at Five Farms, had
the hard-luck story of the day.
He was one under part playing
the 18th hole, but finished with
four straight bogeys for his 73.
Houghton started with two double
bogeys, then played two-under-pa
golf for Is holes before he finished
with a bogey on the 18th.
Kenwood still is a stumbling
block for the tournament players
It's not supposed to be a hard
course, is rated only par 10 by
the Maryland State GA, but it
seldom gives up low scores. The
competitive course record for the
revised layout is SO. shared by
George Diffenbaugh, the host pro;
Mus OLinger of Winchester and
a former Kenwood amateur. Joe
Wilson. Diffenbaugh had IS
there but not in competition.
For the two tournaments of the
season Griesmer is the leading
District pro with IA last week
and 73 yesterday, to a pair of 74s
for Diffenbaugh. Bassler, who
won a majority of the pro sweeps
last year, still hasn't won in 81.
He had rs at Kenwood in what
he described as the worst round
Of golf he has played in years.
Houghton, Musser in Tie.
Two of the 73 shooters, Hough-
ton and Musser, took high-handi-
cap partners and tied in the pro-
amateur with best ball 65s.I
Houghton'S partner was a club
member, Mummy Nichols, who has
been playing golf less than two
years. He had IA handicap strokes
and whereas Houghton started
and finished poorly, Nichols
started and finished like cham
p4on.
Musser's partner was Wayne
MeGee of Bethesda, the feast-or-
famine golfer. MCGEE either
make pars, brides or eights or
mines. His big moment came on
the fourth hole when he stood on
the tee and apparently sliced five
drives out of bounds. But he
found his first one had hit al
stump and bounded back in the
fairway and he followed with AM
iron shot within foot of the cup
for a birdie three. That was a
stroke hole and had had a net
two on the hole.
Best Ball Deadlock.
Houghton and Jim Gardella, |
Gibson and Dennie Adams and
Griesmer and Herb Rudd tied with
66 best ball scores in the pro-am
and Cts, also in the money, were
by Oatman and Jack Dorsey of
Kenwood, Clarke and Bill Parker,
Greiner and Mickey Behrend,
Ward Burgess and Ralph BogartI
of Chevy Chase and Bobby Bowers
and Henry Spaulding of Indian
Spring.
Bogart's 73 was the best by the
amateurs and tied the second best
score in the pro sweeps. Spencer
Overton of Rolling Road finished
poorly for IA. and 75s in the
amateur division were by Keith
,Kallio and Andy Oliveri, the pub
bic links players. Dorsey won net
honors with 83-13-70 over J. K.
Noel of Hagerstown with 79-8-71.
PRO SWEEPSTAKES.
Andy Gibson, c. C. of Maryland - 70i
Harry Griesmer. Bethesda - 73
Harold Oatman. Norfolk ---- 73