AMATEURS “ON TRIAL”

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVI, Issue 21360, 1 June 1939, Page 10

AMATEURS “ON TRIAL”

VIEWS OF BRITISH WRITER We are going to have some surprises in golf this summer. What is it all about? It is our old friend “Amateur Status” again, only this time he will reappear in a different and infinitely more serious setting, writes P. B. Lucas in “The Sunday Express.” One or two of the more famous of our amateurs will, it seems, be on trial. There are those who say that the odds are on their being found guilty of violating the rules of amateur golf. This is the reason. In the Royal and Ancient Club at St. Andrews there has sprung up a youngish body of men who are all out to improve the game and to take a firm stand over things which the rulers have shunned in the past. They made a lot of useful noise before the last Walker Cup which resultel in the best possible selection committee being elected. Norv they are agitating for the question of one or two of our leading amateurs to be investigated. They are acquainted with much of what is going on. and they want to have things put right. Every one knows that many of our tournament players receive free supplies of golf balls. They want to put that practice down. But what they are most anxious to have looked into are the salaries which some supposedly “amateur” players are earning out of golf. It may be that they are being paid for using a certain golf bag. steel shaft, tee peg, golf shoe, or golf ball. All I can say is that they are getting perhaps £lO, £5O, £lOO, or £3OO. or whatever the sum may be, from various sources. This applies only to one cr two players. They know they are being watched. Their days are numbered. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me one mite if, when the Amateur Championship comes round again, the Royal and Ancient take it upon themselves to refuse one or trvo highly important entries.