THE GAME in NEW ENGLAND Four Bay State Players Have Been Chosen to Play in British Amateur by A

MAY, 1921 29 THE GAME IN NEW ENGLAND Four Bay State Players Have Been Chosen to Play in British Amateur By A. LINDE FOWLER ASSACHUSETTS has reason to feel proud of the Hoylake. The wind may blow a hurricane at Hoylake; but does fact that in looking over the country's golfing talent anyone think that the Americans in Fownes' group have never M to find the right kind of amateur material to invite played good golf in a gale, or that they cannot vary their game to abroad in quest of the British title, W. C. Fownes, Jr., called upon suit the conditions fully as much as their English cousins? no fewer than four Bay State representatives. We of Massachu- Referring once more to Wright, the Massachusetts amateur setts do not doubt in our own minds that he would have made no champion, whose selection for the invading party was hailed with mistake had he invited at least one other Greater Boston golfer— great pleasure by his Greater Boston friends and golfing cronies, Tesse Guilford. But the fact remains that Francis Ouimet and it is worthy of note that on the day of this writing he took part in Fred J. Wright, Jr., are of the party and that at the time of this his first tournament play of the 1921 season on his home course, writing there was every reason to believe that P. W. Whittemore Albemarle, and scored a seventy-two at medal play. Albemarle is also would be a starter at Hoylake later this month. Captain F. C. not normally a difficult course, being of the nine-hole variety and Newton of the Massachusetts State team also was asked along, rather short, with a par of sixty-eight. Yet, when a man takes but decided that two years in succession was more than he cared thirty-nine for the first round of a nine-hole course and then gets to undertake. The special satisfaction which Massachusetts golfers a seventy-two he is "stepping," to use the racetrack term—espe- enjoy over the State's prominence in this year's big international cially on a day when the fairways are soggy from a heavy rain quest comes from the knowledge that it was not so many years and the putting surfaces slow. Wright had six threes in the last ago that the district would have been almost entirely, if not quite, nine holes, which is some playing. overlooked in the mustering of a group to invade the British Isles. Patriots' Day, April 19th, always looked upon as the official com- In fact, there was quite a stretch in Bay State golfing history when petitive opening of the Massachusetts season, turned out this year the district was decidedly a minor factor in national, let alone to be a raw and disagreeable sort of day. Hence, when one international, play. The great change came about with the advent hundred and thirty Brae-Burn Country Club members turned out of Ouimet and his performance at the Country Club, Brookline, and large fields were the order all through the Boston district, it Mass., in 1913, followed up by his winning of the national amateur was an augury of the busiest season the section has known. Hardly title the next year. It was also in 1914 that Jesse Guilford hove anything else could be expected, seeing that the waiting lists of all in sight. Parker W. Whittemore has been ranked high for a the clubs keep lengthening at a pace which is astounding. The number of years, but never came through in a big way nationally, Massachusetts Golf Association is still busy on its handicap list, although not without some sterling victories to his credit in past newly based upon the Calkins system, and also has been struggling championships. "Freddie" Wright was known here as a comer over its award of open tournament dates, so as to escape conflicts. before he appeared at the Engineers' course in Roslyn last Fall, Its championships as first announced conflicted with the national but his tie with Robert T. Jones, Jr., for the qualifying medal and title tournaments—which once again shows the need of a national his later victory over Jesse Sweetser were the factors needed to clearing house for district championships and other important put him to the fore as a national figure. events. Subsequently, the Massachusetts amateur championship There is no need to rehearse the fact that Ouimet has played was set for July 6th to 9th at the Worcester Country Club, abroad once and that he went down to defeat at the hands of a and the Massachusetts Open to September 27th and 28th at the man who had no license to win on the basis of their respective Essex Country Club, Manchester. The Junior goes to the Bellevue records, and who did not have to play first-class golf to gain the Golf Club of Melrose, June 28th to July 1st, and the Caddies' victory. Wright is making his first foreign visit. It may be news title event to Chestnut Hill on August 29th. Golfers of the metro- to a great many to know that Whittemore has played in a British politan and Pennsylvania districts doubtless will be interested to championship before now and made an excellent showing. It was learn that the Lesley Cup matches will be played at the Country in 1911 that he went over and played at Prestwick, the year that Club, Brookline, the same course on which they have been staged Charles Evans, Jr., first went across, to go down to defeat before the last two times held in the Massachusetts district. October 7th Bruce Pearce of Australia. Whittemore at that time was an and 8th are the dates. The Massachusetts-Connecticut interstate "eleventh hour" voyager. He started in the annual Spring tourna- match will be played at the Winchester Country Club June 25th. ment for the Country Club Cup at Brookline and won the gross. The request made by J. D. Standish, Jr., chairman of the eligi- That was on May 11th. He learned that night that business affairs bility list of the U. S. G. A., that sectional organizations should had shaped themselves so that he could go abroad and he sailed send in by May 1st the names of men in their districts rated at on May 13th from New York. As the championship began at five or better, to comprise the official list for the national amateur Prestwick on May 29th, Whittemore had about a week to get back championship, is raising the query of whether such lists shall be his "land legs" and become familiar with conditions on the cham- the final decision as to a golfer's eligibility for this year. The point pionship course—Prestwick, a course with narrow fairways and is that the season is barely getting under way by May 1st. Between trouble aplenty. Yet, with all this handicap and the fact that he lost that date and the time designated for the closing of entries for the the first four holes of the match in which he was beaten, he only lost national there might be some golfer who had demonstrated by his by two and one to E. A. Lassen, the British amateur champion play in open tournaments that he was strictly in line for the highest of 1908. Moreover, Whittemore reduced the lead to one up at the golfing honors in the land, yet whose handicap at the beginning of sixteenth hole, only to lose then the seventeenth and the match. the season, based wholly upon his play the year previous, was Seeing that Lassen went right along to the final before losing to above five. There have been golfers in Massachusetts who, for Harold Hilton, the achievement of the Brookline golfer merits this example, have started the season at ten or twelve handicap and rehearing. What is more, Whittemore started 6, 3, 5, 6, and then wound up around five or six through the consistency and excel- was around in seventy-seven. When it is borne in mind that he lence of their play. It is to be presumed that State or district as- barely had time for a few rounds of the course before the cham- sociations will be allowed to use discretion about sending additional pionship play, it rather discounts some of the criticisms of the late names to the eligibility committee as the season moves along. On start the American amateurs are making for championship at the basis that only golfers rated at five (Continued on page 38) 38 GOLF ILLUSTRATED THE GAME IN NEW ENGLAND (Continued from page 29) or better May 1st will be eligible bers. The initiation fee will be $75 for this year's national, Massachu- and the annual dues $75, making $150, setts could not enter more than payable on application." eighteen, for the revision of the In connection with the first 1921 handicaps whereby they are figured meeting of the M. G. A. executive for par rather than Massachusetts committee, President B. K. Stephen- ratings, plus the natural revisions son appointed his various committees, which have been made on the basis among which is named, for the first of last year's play, bring the num- time, a Slate Green Committee. This ber of Massachusetts players of follows the suggestion of the U. S. five or better down to the figure G. A. that all the State and district above mentioned. Ouimet, on the associations do their best to co-oper- new basis, has been cut from plus ate with the national body in its new 2 to scratch; F.

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