The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-09-22
FIVE FAVORITES
 NAMED FOR RICH COLFINC CLASSIC
Winner of Belmont Play Gets $3,OOO-Snead
 Is ''HOt"
BY ERNEST BARCELLA United Press Staff CorrespOndent)

(Un1teu Press SCatf COrreSpOMuemGD
 Belmont, Mass, September 22 - (UP) --- Before most of you rolled out of bed this morning, the van guard of 23l professional and anna teur golfing aces launched a quest for the gold and---or glory that goes with winning the $l2,000 interna- tional open championship the games richest tournament.
 Leader of the Dawn Patrol" was John McNiff, Salem Simon-Pure, who at 7:15 8. m. (E.D.T. fired from tee No. 1 of the Belmont Coun- try Club the first shot in the open ing qualifying round. For the ensu- ing seven hours the huge field was to parade to the initial tee at the rate of 8 per hour.
 This dawn-to-dusk schedule was to be followed again tomorrow SO that the 36 holes of qualifying medal play can be completed in time to get the GA qualifiers started on the first round of match play Friday. The classic reaches its climax Tuesday with a 36-hole final. Of the six rounds of match play, only the first and second rounds will be over the 18-hole route. The rest will be at 36 holes-lnore or less.
 This was a tournament of char11- pions" in every sense of the word. entered are an even IA current and former National, Canadian and British champions, nine members of the victorious U. 8. Ryder cup team and scores of sectional titlists.
 As qualifying play got under way over the 32-year-old, 6,517-yard course, five of the worlds top-rank- ing pros were made co-favorites in the fight for the $3,000 first prize.
 They were P.G.A. Champ Denny Shute, Canadian open winner, Harry Cooper, who has bagged more money ($l2,300) in golf competition SO far this year than any other profess sional; former American and Brit ish amateur King Lawson Little, U. s. open titlist Ralph Guldahl, fresh from a successful defense of his western open crown; and the sensational freshman, Slammin Sam Snead.
 In a practice round yesterday, Snead served notice he was set to go after the biggest slice of the $l2,000 melon when he toured the par-7l course in 6S-one under the record for the scene of battle. So difficult is this course that no one ever has broken 70 in competition.
 This mark is due to take lick ing before the tourney in history, however, for there are enough par shatterers entered to accomplish the feat. Besides the co-favored five, there are Tony Manero, Henry Picard, Ed Dudley, Byron Nelson, Horton Smith and Johnny Revolta - all of them Ryder cuppers.
 But that isn't all. Also on hand are P.G.A. titlist, Paul Runyan, Tom Gravy and Leo Diegel, ore-time U. s. open champion, Johnny Far rell, Jesse Guilford, once ruler ot the national amateurs; Ray Pillows, runner-up to Johnny Goodman in the 1887 amateur; and oodles Of others.
 As is to be expected, only 28 of the starting field are amteurs. To the Simon Pure who advances the farthest in this tourney will go a large silver trophy and a measure of glory.
 To the pros will go the cash, with prizes being broken down as fol- lows:
 Winner $300o; runner-up 5000; defeated mi-finalists $700 each; defeated quarter -finalists $500 each; beaten eight in the third round $50 each; beaten 16 in the second round $75 each; beaten 32 in the first round $50 each. The medalist gets a special reward of .$250 and the win ner of & driving contest $50.