The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-06-12
CRAIG WOOD AND
 BYRON NELSON. . IN SECOND TRY
Spectator Struck By Ball Wood Misses 6-FOOt
 Putt for Crown
BY HARRY FERGUSON United Press Sports Editor)

United Press Sports Editor)
 Philadelphia, June 12-tUP) - With almost $1 ,000 riding on every shot the ymake up and down the Hot Hills, Craig Wood and Byron Nelson go out today for IS holes of man-to-man combat to see who gets the fame and the cash that go to the winner of the National Open Golf championship.
 Regardless of who wins; they will be making golf history for this isl the first time since 1881 that sec- ond play-off round has been neces- sary in the National open cham pionship. First prize money is $1,- 900 but the money that is picked up/ in prizes is only a dribble compared to the flood of cash that will pou1 in on the winner. It may run as high as $70,000 from radio appear ances, indorSement of golf products and tour of the hot golf towns
 After l8 holes of firing in the first play-off round yesterday, Nell son and wood still were tied with 6s strokes. Unable to keep up with the par-busting pace, Denny Shute, who was tied with wood and Nelson at the end of the 72 holes of the tour nament proper, fell by the wayside with an indifferent 76.
 Medal Score
 The tournament committee ther ordered Nelson and Wood to go an other 18 holes, starting at 9:30 a. m (EDT today. It will be medal play and the man with the lowest score will be the new champion.
 Not since the stirring days of the great Bobby Jones has there beer such scene as was played out or the 18th green of the Philadelphia Country club as the sun went dowr on a burning, humid afternoon yes terday. For 10 awful minutes il seemed that death might be stand ing among the 5000 babbling, mill ling persons who were thronged al the green.
 For one of Craig Woods scream- ing wood shots struck Bob Mossman a spectator, in the head and he dropped as though felled by a bull let.
 Shute by this time was so fal back that he was out of it, but Wood and Nelson were waging a heart stopping fight for the title.
 Coming up to the 18th green Wood led Nelson by one strokel Their drives were well out. and Wood chose a No. 4 wood for his second. The ball took off like d rocket and headed straight for the wall of spectators around the green There was gasp as it hit Mossman in the head and bounced. Moss man dropped and blood flowed from his temple.
 The crowd was pushed back from the green, and Nelson hammered a spoon shot up to the apron. Wood found his ball about 50 feet away from the green and sent it arching six feet from the pin. Nelson's ap- proach was about eight feet past the hole.
 Nerve Shaking
 They both walked up on the green and Wood saw something that must have sickened him. Mossman, blood on his head, was carried on a stretcher directly across the green where Wood was standing. Later it was found that Mossman had. only head laceration, but for all Wood knew at that moment the man might have suffered a fatal injury.
 Nelson, one precious stroke be- hind t1a bod fN h vHxskk or he would be out of the cham pionship. He waited for the gal-I lery to quiet down, then lined his putt up carefully and tapped the ball.
 It ran straight and true and plop- ped into the cup for a birdie four.
 Wood, trying to forget about the man on the stretcher, now had the championship locked away if ha could only drop his six-foot putt. He studied every blade of grass be- tween his ball and the cup and then putted. The ball started true. wav- cred, and then curled six inches away from the cup. Wood tappeds in his six-putt for a 68 and a tiea with Nelson. Considering the heat and the large gallery that stompedI on their heels, Nelson and Wood shot startling golf. Par is 69 onh this tough course, and usually the participants in play-off are sol tense that scores soar. Nelson andE Wood both turned the first nine in X B, one under par, and came home in 35. even par.