Evening star., 1939-06-07
Harry|s Hot Article
In Practice Rounds
On Tough Links
Champion 81 Fovorite
On Eve Of Tourney;
Stamina to Tell
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

PHILADELPHIA, June Some
165 of the Nations sickest golfers
were leaping nimbly from crag to
crag of the Philadelphia Country
Clubs Spring Mill course today as
they got in their final practice shots
for the national open, which begins
tomorrow
Most of them will be worn down
to a nubbin by the time the final
putt is sunk on the I'D hole late
Saturday afternoon, for it is an up
and-down layout of vast distances
and a constant wind that dislodges
the freckles. The hills make man
tired just to look at them.
The question uppermost in the
mind of every competitor is, of
course, Can anybody head off
Ralph Guldahl 2-time winner and
public golfer No. ~" There is a
faint hope that Harry Cooper, who
has come so close on couple of
occasions and at present is as hot
as traffic cop who has been sassed,
will score the lowest and keep the
open from becoming Guldahl
monopoly.
Situation Almost Incredible.
It's an almost unbelievable situa-
ton, considering the complexities of
golf and the strokes even a great
player can drop in single hole.
Guldahl, the big, phlegmatic fellow.
has them all scared to death.
He has won it twice in row now,
at Detroit and Denver In between
he has lazed about good deal and
come out every so often to knock
off the big-money tournaments he
happened to covet. His most recent
important victory was in the Augusta
Masters, when he finished with a
sensational 33 on the final nine to
beat out Sam Snead.
One of the big books on the open
last night had Guldahl the 6-to-l
favorite. Grouped next to him at 8
to were five fine golfers-Sam
Snead. Byron Nelson, Henry Picard,
Dick Metz and Harry Cooper. The
remainder of the field could be had
at practically your own price.
Cooper, an old friend of Guldahls
when the two were youngsters to-
gether around Dallas, Tex. a decade
ago. is regarded as the most likely
to dethrone the champion. Almost
always Harry is put down as the
open threat" but this time he ap-
pears to be in earnest.
Threatened to Skip Open.
Less than a month ago Harry was
so disgusted with his game he was
threatening not to play here. He
had to be talked into entering the
metropolitan open, in which he fin
ished fifth.
Then, last week, he caught fire
and won the Goodall tournament at
Fresh Meadow against a select field.
Monday he captured medal honors
in Connecticut's qualifying round
for the P. G. A. tournament with
143 for 36 holes.
Cooper, born in England IS years
ago, has his game under perfect con-
troll. He is hitting his drives on
dime. which is the main thing the
Spring Mills course requires. He is
plopping his approaches smack on
Spring Mills heavily trapped greens
and putting with deadly skill. He is.
in other words. hot" golfer. Yet
the bookmakers like Guldahl, who
merely is playing his usual game.
Because of the rugged terrain of
the championship course. only the
young and powerfully muscled are
being conceded much chance of win
ming the long grind. The older stars
are likely to develop spots before the
eyes as they chug up the hills on
the third day.