The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-07-13
BILL BURKE IN
 THICK OF FIGHT
 FOR P.G.A. TITLE
Toughest Test With HOr- ton Smith TOday-GuI-
 dahl, Cooper Out
By HENRY McLEMORE

NOHlbcu TEcSS OtdH NOTrcSpOnOcntD
 Shawnee-on-Delaware, Pa, July 12-(UP)-Even- Stephen heads or tails flfty-fifty.
 That was the bookmakers' chant today when sixteen of the countrys top hand golfers teed off to deter mine the quarter finalists in the 21st national P. G. A. championship.
 Eight matches were scheduled for the long 36 hole haul, and so evenly equipped were the boys that the opinion of the oldest critic was no better than the flip of a coin in guessing the outcomes.
 Not since the P. G. A. tournament was inaugurated a year before Americas entry into the war has third round program been studded with as many unpredictable en- counters. Six members of the vic- torious 1897 Ryder cup team were involved, as well as two former P. G. A. champions.
 Let's take look at the eight pairings:
 Denny Shute vs. Jimmy Hines: Shute, seeking his third straight title, has a thin advantage over Hines as a match player, but the blond metropolitan champion has been hitting the ball better than Shute since the tournament started on Sunday.
 Byron Nelson vs. Harry Bassler: Normally Nelson, a former Masters open winner, would be favored over the comparatively unknown Califor- nian, but Bassler was sharp as razor in overwhelming Ed Dudley, one of the finest swingers in the world. Nelson had bitter 20-hole battle with Alvin (Butch) Krueger, reformed left handed pitcher, in the second round.
 Jimmy Foulis vS. Marvin Stahl: The battle of the dal:. horses. Stahl, overlooked in the pre-tournament talk, drew the admiration of the veterans by his beautiful hitting yes- terday, and Foulis showed all the shots of a champion in vanquishing Jimmy Thomson, home pro.
 Sammy Snead vs. Felix Serafin: Before play started Sunday long hitting Sammy would have been 2 or 3 to l over Serafin, the Scranton slugger. But no more. Serafin pro- vided the major fire works yesterday when he crushed Harry Cooper in the first round and polished off the highly regarded Ky Laffoon in the afternoon. Felix is the idol of the coal mining sections and today spe- cial buSseS and trains brought his followers to the scene of battle.
 Billy Burke vS. Horton Smith: Smith is the Steadier and the best day-in- d-day-out scorer of the two, but Billy of the big black cigar is on his game right now. He knocked off Willie Klein in the first round and then came roaring from behind on the wings of birdies to defeat Frank Moore, sensational medalist, in a 19-hole battle.
 Ray Mangrum vs. Paul Runyan: The long and the short of the tour nament. Mangrum, affectionately known as the Human No. l Iron," is savage match payer. Runyan, winner of the title in 1884, has the advantage of playing on course that suits him. Runyan is short hitter and Shawnee does not de- mand power.
 Gene Sarazen vs. Jimmy Dem aret: Perhaps the best match of the day. Sarazen, his confidence re- stored by his play in the 18-hole rounds he despises, IS hitting the ball in the manner that brought him three P. G. A. championships. Demaret, a tough Texan, dotes on match play as he proved when he won the San Francisco hand to hand tournament, and when he out fought that greatest scrambler of them all, Jonnny 1.evoita, yester- day.
 Henry Picard, vs. Dick Metz: All seven wise men couldn't call this one. Henry has all the shots and world of courage, and so has Metz, conqueror of Guldahl the great in the second round.
 Today'S firing started at 9:30 a. m. with Shute and Hines showing the way.