The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-10
LITTLE CAPTURES NATIONAL OPEN
DEFEATS SARAZEN
IN PLAY0FF MATCH
Slugs Way Around In 20
Strokes While Gene Turns
In Card OF 70
By Y TALBOT

CANTERBURY GOLF CLUB,
CLEVELAND, June 9-LP-Ham-
mering his shots tremendous dis
stances down the soggy fairways,
Lawson Little cut the legs from
under game little Gene Sarazen to-
day in their 1S-hole playoff for
the National Open Golf cham
pionship.
With the pressure on him, the
former British and American anna
teur king slugged his way around
in 70 strokes, two under par, while
the best Sarazen could do was a
70.
After winning the first two holes
Little never looked back and the
match afforded few thrills for a
gallery of 5000 that steamed be-
hind the pair in the hot sum-.
Thus Little came back to the
scene of his climactic victory as an
amateur to capture the biggest
prize in golf, for it was on an
adjoining Cleveland course in 1885
that he won his second straight
amateur title and completed his two
year domination Of the worlds
amateur stars. He is sixth player
to win both the American ANA
teur and Open crowns.
SaraZen, who won the first of
his two National Open crowns Is
years g in the flush of youth,
punched himself out yesterday as
he came from behind in two fight
ing rounds to tie Little with PSI
strokes at the end of the regula-
ton Y holes. He didn't have the
old zing today, and toward the last
he was holding on, merely trying
to avert a knockout as his power
full young antagonist pounded away.
Little still is one of the worlds
greatest golfers when he a see
the mar he has to lick. His vic
tory in the Open confounds the ex-
perts, self-appointed and real, who
said when he turned professional
that he never would win a major
championship at medal play. He
still, incidentally, is an apprentice
professional and not eligible to COM
pete in the PGA championship.
1t was a cruel blow that de-
prived Ed oliver, the bulky Hornell,
N. Y. star, of his place in today's
playoff, but it is doubtful he could
have outscored Little, whose TO
under the conditions-was one of
COLTS great rounds. The cours
vas so muddy from a heavy down.
pour during the night that the ball
virtually stuck where it hit, and
the long curse offered a real rest
of power golf.
Oliver left to play a charity match
in Detroit without another hearing
from the tournament officials, who
disqualified him for an unorthodox
start on his fourth round. His
closing II, which would have given
him 287, never was posted and will
be a stranger to COLTS record books.
There will be a row over the in
cident for some time and the Of
ficials are being condemned round
ly in some quarters for having
thrown the rule book at young
Oliver. But neither his tears nor
the arguments of his supporters
dented the golf fathers. He drove
from the first tee, they reiterated,
without reporting to the official
starter, and hal was that. Five
others met similar disqualification,
but they were not in the running
for the title. oliver the rest of
his links life will be the man who
jumped the gun in an Open cham
pionship.
After dropping the first two holes
to Little in the play-off, Sarazen
v got back square. The plucky
little squire, after being four strokes
down through the fifth, made a
brief squirt at the start of the
second nine to pull within one shot
of his opponent at the 18th, but
he never quite caught him. Titles
"a to the turn put him three
strokes up, and that was the mar |
gin he held at the finish.
Sarazen's greatest hole was the
sixth, where he shot an eagle three
to gain two strokes on Little. He
reached the edge of the green with
his second shot on the 477-yard
hole and putted in from IS feet.
worst was the 18th, where he
took six blows after driving into
some trees.
Llttle's birdie three on the 40
yard fifth was a marvel and ex-
emplified the advantage his great
power gave him over his 3S-year-
old rival. His drive rolled into a
trap on the fairway, leaving him
l15 yards from the green, but he
slapped an iron shot hole-high and
putted out from 10 feet. Sarazen,
at times like this, just shook his
head sadly.
Inc crowd was tense as Little
came up on the 18th, waiting to
see If here was another young play
er who would blow at the last TX
snead did a year ago. He showed
them his caliber by hitting two
perfect shots to the rim OF the
green and slamming the door In
Sarazen's face.
Cards for fha p1o1, off.
Par out $500 443 44h 345-36