Evening star., 1939-07-16
Two Brides Hii
In Succession
Decide Final
Hershey Stor Sinks
25-Footer on 34th
To Remain in Duel
BY BILL BONI.

NEW YORK, July 15.-Handsome
Henry Picard of Hershey, Pa, show
ing more fight than an aroused Joe
Louis and a better finishing kick
than Glenn Cunningham, let loose
with all he had on the closing holes
today to beat out United States Open
Champion Bryon Nelson, l up in 81
holes and win the national P. G. A.
golf championship.
Before gallery of $500 that saw
one of the toughest yet one of the
friendliest finals in the history OF
the professional tournament, Picard
won with two booming tee shots and
two fine puts that gave him brides
on the 36th and 37th holes. The
lanky stylist had the shots when he
needed them and the courage to
make them, and even Babe Ruth
never came through better in the
clutch"
Picard, whose victory was worth
81 100 and a place on the United
States Ryder Cup team that will meet
the British in Florida in November
turned the tide of battle by coming
out of trap and canning a 25-foot
putt to save a half at the 34th hole
That left him down with two holes
to play.
Great Duel on Seth Hole.
The 35th, a short one, was halved
in par 3's, and Nelson, who had
played sensational golf all day, was
within one hole-one shot, in fact
of becoming the second man in
American golf history to win the
open and the P. G. A. in the same
year.
Nelson had the honor off the 36th
tee, and hit beauty that split the
fairway. But Picard, knowing he
had to do it here or call it quits
for another year, let loose with
terrific tee shot that left him only
10 yards short of the green, 300
yards away. The gallery came
storming down the fairway and
behind came Nelson. the 27-year- old
railroad clerk who used to be an
amateur in Texas, and Picard, the
inscrutable, often dour New Eng
lander who has been a pro for Is
of his 81 years.
They strobe through the slim gaps
in the crowd and studied their lies.
Nelson, playing first, laid one up 20
feet short of the cup. Picard fol-
lowed with a chip that stopped 6
feet shy of the hole and laid his man
a partial stymie. Nelson putted and
his ball went wide.
Picard Sinks for Birdie.
Still Picard had to sink his putt
to square the match. The gallery
hushed, Picard sighted along the
line, tapped the ball and it dropped
in for birdie 3.
They went to the 37th, for the first
extra-hole final since Denny Shute
had to 60 81 holes to down jug Nc
Spaden in 1887. and the fourth in
the tournament history. This time
it was Picard's honor off the tee and
again the big 6-footer gave it all he
had. There was a slight slice on it,
though, and the ball dropped into a
group of galleryites lining the fair
way, headed for a sand trap, but
instead caromed off a news reel
truck.
To give Henry room to play his
approach-Nelson's drive had split
the middle of the fairway-the truck
backed up. AS it did so, one wheel
rolled over Picard's ball and pushed
it down into the dirt. They had to
call for a special ruling and Henry
was informed he had the right to
pick it up and drop 1t back over
his shoulder.
Nelson's Putt Goes Wide.
Meanwhile, Nelson had played his
approach, feet from the pin. Pic
ard looked at that. took out his No.
8 iron and put his own ball within
10 feet of the flag.
Henry studied that putt carefully.
He walked up the line to the cup and
back again. He kneeled down to
study the conformation of the green,
something he rarely does. Then he
hit it and, with never a waver from
its proper line, the ball went straight
for the cup
That left Byron squarely on the
spot but, in the friendly atmosphere
that had surrounded the entire
match, he looked the putt over, then
turned to the gallery and said:
Would any one like to putt this
one for me?"
With that, he stroked the ball.
1t rolled up, then veered wide of
the hole. The week-long tourna-
ment, which produced an unprece-
dented number of sub-par cards
and three days of xtra-curricular
fireworks over Benny Shute's status,
was at an end.
Historic Match All Way.
1t was a historic match all the
way. Even Bobby Jones, walking
off the 37th green, could express
it no better than by saying to P. G.
A. Tournament Manager Fred Cor
coran:
Fred, that was a whale of
match"
1t was all of that all the way
except for the first six holes of the
morning round, through which Mel
son had been of the fairway three
times and had played both of the
par-3 holes in bogeys. Picard was
3 up at that point and appeared
on his way to doubling that margin
almost any time.
But Nelson got back on his game
in hurry. He holed out a 30
yard chip shot at the ninth for an
eagle 2, played the longer back nine
in 5-under-par 80 to 60 to lunch
only ! down and squared the match