Evening star., 1952-09-01


not much to beat?"
Luck mostly involved when the distance is short
single baseball horse sprint distance
haymake in prize fight But in championship golf there
too holes play and too many opponents oppose
upses Therefore the lively theory that WeSland
and Mrs Pung prevailed largely amateur golfers
not what they used to be-
AL HoUGHToN OF PRINCE GEORGES is mood to
believe the amateurs somewhat less talented than they
in the past Houghton is playing his 30th competitive
year golfng which began 1872 He remembers
all the good ones, pro and amateur alike.
THAT real good amateur just isn't today" Hough-
ton There's nobody like Walter Travis for instance
Nor Bobby Jones' whom think the greatest all time
pro amateur Amateurs like Oumet Johnny Good
Chick Evans and Lawson Little mopped up
today.
81 have to salute fellow like Westand right
He survived after the Sanahans Maxwels Chapman
and Urzeas bowed out But couldn't rank Westland
In the class with of other amateur champs
Mrs. Pung doesn't come off any better. At one point
remember she 2year-od UCLA coed Shirley
McFedters another trumphed
In the 36hole nal much because what did
what Miss McFedters didn't do
THERE ARE COLLEAGUES of Houghton who inclined
to along with him. Witty Cox of Congressional Allan
Burton Army Navy another topnoch player in his
day, saying: my all-time Women amateurs
Genna Coe Helen Hicks Virginia Vie and Dorothy
Campbell There other fine players who turned
like Patty Berg Babe Zaharas Louise suggs and Betty
Jameson AS amateurs I'm that of these could
have beaten Mrs. Pung."
present-day purses for tournaments reducing the
calber Of amateur golf Look at it this way
In Jones heyday all the attention Bobby
the grand slammer the glamour boy
because he could afford to Besides how many playing
the early 1930s making money like the
noers today playing tournaments for $4,000 $4,000?
Gas matter of fact Jones wasn't 100 cent amateur at
the end Hollywood paid him lot of for series of
movies while Bobby theoretically amateur. 1t hap
pened that Jones entered purely amateur tournament
afterward and the gofng brass didn't have to rule him.
COX AND HOUGHTON thinking along the lines
amateur tournament-or finishes high
up-he she pro- Witty "Six of last eight
women amateur champs pros Things have come
long 1885, when only 13 went after the first
National Amateur Cox it should be noted got this
record book and not first hand He's not that old.
practical man. Houghton inclined to think that holding
Journeys in the Pacific Northwest portland Orego
discouraged good many players can Easterner he ration
azeS would have spend about 81 1000 to compete He's got
time off his job too In view of this don't
der much that 47-yearold politician and housewife
out"
large the decline of amateur go they agree
mainly due by which the top people turn
The sisters Alice and Marlene anything i'm
porant and didn't wait to do They jumped to the pros
Lawson Little Cary Mddlecof they could be the top
amateurs today if they'd stood STILL
Too much money purses is extended That plus guar
anees by sporting goods manufacturers Endorsements ETC.
The future the amateur uncertain Chances are,
instance that from Mrs Pung will have been for
gotten Westland elected Congress there's
hou1h ho uido do1u kn0u