Evening star., 1939-06-12
Shoot Sparkling 68s
As Shute Fades Out
With a Poor Is
Craig Saved When Wild
WoIlop, Telling Fan,
Bounds to Safety
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer,

PHILADELPHIA, June 12.-The
natinoal open golf tournament,
which started somewhere in the dim
past, went into its second extra
session today as two tenacious sur
vlvors, Craig Wood and Byron Nell
son, continued to fight it out over
Spring Mills sun-scorched acres for
the title relinquished by Ralph
Guldahl.
The tall grass long since had be-
come trampled and discouraged and
the spectators who raced the fair
ways in high enthusiasm when this
tournament was young had retired
to nurse blistered feet, but there
was no relief in sight for Nelson and
Wood. Since they tied with spectac-
ular rounds of 68 in yesterdays first
extra spasm, they had to battle on.
At least, the field gradually was
becoming narrowed. Denny Shute.
Of the original three who tied with
scores of 284 at the end of the regu-
lation u holes Saturday night,
found yesterdays sizzling pace far
too fast for him and dropped out.
In the fury of the finish between
Wood and Nelson on the 18th green,
poor Denny scarcely was noticed He
shot rs.
Record Play-off Is y.
There was hope among the cor
respondents that Wood and Nelson
would get it over today and not try
to match the record set by George
Won Elm and Billie Burke in 1881.
when they went 70 holes at Inverness
before they reached a decision.
Wood, by virtue of a shocking
"break" on the last hole, when his
wild second shot hit spectator
squarely in the temple and bounded
back to safety on the fairway, had.
a golden opportunity to win his first
national championship yesterday.
After the injured man had been
carried senseless and bleeding from
the scene, Wood Clipped up and had
a 5-foot putt for a 81 and the victory.
But he missed it.
All the way the pair had waged
tense, dramatic duel. first the 27-
year-old Nelson and then his sea-
soned rival leading. Both shot bril-
liant golf and they quickly shook off
Shute, He still was in the throes
OF grief from the previous dav
when he had tossed away the title
after having it good as won with
flVe holes to play. Denny never
was in waving distance after his
rivals hit the turn in 80 strokes
apiece.
Through the last nine the stand
ing changed at nearly every hole.
Nelson went up at the 10th only
to be pulled back at the 1lth bv
his blond, determined opponent. A
birdie 3 on the 48O-yard 18th again
put Nelson in front, but it was
squared once more on the 18th
when he missed 1-foot putt.
Trap Costly to Wood.
They halved the next two and
went to the 18th still deadlocked
as the excited gallery raced and
scrambled. There. on the easy 18th.
Wood drove into a trap and lost a
valuable stroke to Nelson's calm
birdie 3.
But the fortunes of golf change
quickly. Nelson, feeling the strain,
3-putted the 18th and took 5.
Wood grasped the opportunity to
run down an 18-foot putt for a
birdie 3, picking up two strokes and
going to the last tee l up
Both hit great drives on the long
home hole, and Nelson put his Sec
ond on the fringe of the green.
Wood uncorked a terrific spoon
shot that curved high to the left
of the green and still was singing
along when it hit the galleryite
with a smack that sounded like
sapling breaking. Unobstructed, it
would have gone far on into the
grass and litter around the 9th
green and made recovery doubt
full.
But it bounced back high over a
trap into the fairway, and though
Wood couldn't chip it quite close
enough to win the match he at
least gained another chance at Mel
son today.