The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-12-26
CRAIG WOOD WAS. GOLFER OF 1S41t
 HOGAN TOP MAN
Surprise Winners of Na- tional Open and P.G.A.;
 Newell Led Women
BY JACK GUENTHER

 United Press Staff COHreapbndentJ
 New York, Dec. 26.-(UP)-To diminutive Benny Hogan, the nle- chanical man from Hershey, Penn, went most of the cups and much of the money, but to a blond husky who waited almost 20 years for it, went the title of golfer of the year.
 His name is Craig Wood and he is famed as the most persistent runner-llp the game ever knew. Un- til the past year he had finished second In almost every major tour- nament. Then he hit the jack pot twice in Q single season; first he won the Masters at Augusta and then, his back wrapped up in a special brace, he won the national open.
 Probably no victories in recent years were so thoroughly enjoyed by the average duffer, and probably no titles were won in more enc thusiastic surroundings. The open, held at Fort Worth, Texas, was wit- messed by one of the largest gale Hers of all time although the week. long rains sluiced the .fairways and changed the greens to qiagmires.
 Scheduling of the open In Texas was one of the wisest moves made by any association which had kept its big tournaments in too tight an area in the past. The amateur, held in Omaha and won by Mar win Ward after several near riots, flrthered the new U. s. c. A. pol. icy of spreading the major tourna- ments about the nation instead of keeping all in the east.
 Hogan, although he didn't win any national triurnphs, won the Harry Vardon memorial trophy with a remarkable show of consistency which earned him S7,333 and 624 points --- slightly more in both de- partrnents than the totals run up by that hardy perennial, singing Sam snead. However, Wood passed up Q number of tournaments to con- centrate on the high spots.
 From a national standpoint, the golf year of 94l was the richest ever held. More tournaments were played and they were worth more money. Although the future of the game was in doubt when war cloud- cd the fairways late in Decenherfl, another even fuller program was scheduled for the winter of 1042 and most sponsors said their events would be held as planned.
 Woods victory in the open was c spTnrise followed closely by that of Vic Ghexd in the P. G. A. cham plonship. Long stamped aS @ faint- htarted stretch-runner 0llezzi came through with oil flags flying by dee feating the defending champion, Byron Nelson, in the final match. Wood replaced Lawson Little as the winner of the open.
 Hogan'S major triumph was scored at Hershey although he also won the Miami Four-ball, Land of the Sky, Inverness and Chicago conpe. titiorls, and in many other events he finished close up. snead again scored heavily. taking tournaments such as the Rochester, Henry Hurst, Bing Crosby, St. Petersburg, Na. tional Best-Ball, Canadian Open and the North and South Open,
 Ward won the national amateur, 6 title he previously held in 1889, and also took the western amateur. The national public links crown was won by william Welch of Houston, Texas; and the national intercol- legiate championship was taken by Earl Stewart, IT, of Louisiana State University.
 Mrs. Betty Hicks Newell of Long Beach, Cal, only 20 years old and weighing only 1o5 pounds, won the wolnen'S national championship for one of the years big surprises, but promptly dampened all jubiliation in the amateur ranks by enulating ail earlier winner. Patty Berg, in turn ing professional.
 one of the late developments of the sport was e mad rush to buy golf balls. Government bans on hubber may exhaust the supply on hand, although the form of the Washington orders was not clear immediately.