Evening star., 1933-06-12

~ H1CAGO, June l2.-Gof Is q
tough game for any front run
4 ner: The tedency to start
playing safe is overpowering.
When Johnny Goodman, the new
United States Open champion, passed
the third hole of Saturdays final round
he knew at this spot he was at least 8
strokes in front of Ralph Guldahl and
8 strokes beyond Craig Wood. his
closest pursuers. On top of healthy
lead, the opening blast of 4-3-2-a
par, an eagle and birdie-apparently
had wrecked all competition.
It was only natural from the human
side, under these conditions, that 23-
year-old Johnny should shift from of
tense to defense. His main idea at this
point was not to throw away a crown
he already had won. 1t was this switch
that came near costing the Omaha
entry his chance for the title.
For after that first brilliant dash he
then played the next six holes in even
IS and lost most of his lead before he
left the ninth green. From a matter of
8 under par for the first three holes he
moved to 6 over par for the next six
holes. He saw strokes melting faster
than snow flakes under a June sun.
It was Mac Smiths rally call, Come
on, kid, let's play some golf" that
helped to check the rapid descent and
after that Goodman met the challenge
of the stretch with fine golf and fine
courage He caught himself just in
time with Guldahl, Wood, Hagen and
Armour pounding out their pars ana
brides over hot trail.
The Winning Shot.
IF there is any. such thing as one
i winning shot among 287 strokes,
should say that it came on the short
sixteenth hole of the final round.
Goodman apparently had clinched his
lead and his place in front by fine
clip shot for a birdie on the long fif-
teenth. But he came near throwing
the advantage away by hooking to the
trap on the 170-yard sixteenth. His
tee shot not only reached the bunker,
but remained on the down slope OF sand
at the back of the trap.
It was a critical situation for any one
to face. 1t would have been easy
enough to knock the ball down into the
sand, or hit it well over the narrow
green into guarding pit.
AS it was, Goodman sliced low re-
COFeTy SIlOb lEOIl ILLS Qdll6CiOuo ICAiA-
tory with enough cut to hold the green
and stop the ball only 10 feet from the
cup, and then he rammed in his putt
for a that was the winning thrust
and it just pulled him through, with
Guldahl ripping along at a dizzy clip.
When 21-year-old Guldahl a willowy
six-footer from ST. Louis with a fine
swing, split the middle of the eighteenth
fairway on his last drive, a tie seemed
certain. Guldahl at that point needed
4 to square the fight. The tee shot
here Is the main factor and GuldahPs
tee shot up the narrow bunkered rib
bon of green turf was perfect.
The safer play was to the left side
of the green where there was open room
and slope toward the cup. But Gull
dahl elected to go boldly for the pin on
the right near a sand trap, and the
slight cut that followed sent him into
trouble Even then he continued the
battle with fine recovery shot up
within four feet of the cup.
But the strain had been too heavy.
He had been hammering away at Good
mans big lead for Is holes. Nine strokes
behind on the fourth tee, he had wiped
away the big margin to catch his man.
But he couldn't quite hold him. The
smile chase had come down to mat
ter OF feet at the finish. and these
4-footers under such conditions can
look to be longer than miles.
Youth and no long tournament ex-
perience-a blazing sun-a tense gal
lery-a pot Of gold-that putt was an
easy one to miss.