Evening star., 1941-09-06
kears P. 6. A. Record
With 133 for First
Half Of Tourney
Wizard at Freak Bets,
Plays BlindfoIded
And on One Leg
BY EARL HILLIGAN,

CHICAGO, Sept. 6.-Golf fans
meet the young man from the
Ozarks, Leonard Dodson, a swash-
buckling vagabond of the bunkers
who'll bet you on anything, any
time. anyWhere-and probably make
you like it.
He's the laughing boy of profess
sional golf today. for he's leading
the $1,000 Tam OShanter golf
championship field with a 36-hole
total of l33-and has a great chance
10 come in tomorrow night with the
$4,000 first prize money. Regardless
of where he finishes, however. he'll
continue to rank as COLTS Dizzy
Dean-a likable, happy lucky
chap whose story spinning and shot
making ability make him the game
most colorful personality.
Il love a bet he smiled. with q
twinkle in his blue eyes, then added
quickly. If the odds are right"
Wins Freak Wagers.
They've been right many times for
this quick thinking Missourian Two
years ago he won $500 when Miami
player wagered-at 4-to-1 odds
that Dodson couldn't beat him at
match play blindfolded. With his
opponent tying the handkerchief
before each shot, Dodson won, 4
and g.
Il won $1,000 in 1888 at st. Angus
tine playing on one leg" he con-
tinued. Il took a lot of bets that
I could shoot rs or better. I had
a neat 10. two under par. They
didn't know I'd been practicing on
one leg for years. It's an easy trick
if YOU can acquire balance. Tell
you what III do, I'll bet you -
I'm lucky guy" he said, then
told of a match in 1886 with Harry
Cooper at St, Petersburg, Fla. I'VE
are all even coming to the 18th tee, y
Dodson said.s Harry steps up and
as he starts to swing. a gang of
ducks near the tee starts quacking
When Harry stops, the ducks stop.
Finally Harry swings with the
quacks and puts his ball in lake
l step up and the ducks never make
q peep as I hit one mile.
The 18th tee Is near military
school and it's quiet and peace
full as I hit another one mile
AS Harry swings the school band
breaks out with a blast and Harry
puts his drive into the rough. He
turns to me and says: Len, l might
beat YOU I might even beat you
and the ducks: but I'll be. darned
if I can beat you, the band and
the ducks I give up"
He has the trigger mind of the
real gambler One lime he walked
into a craps game. listened a minute,
then picked up the dice and tossed
them into a Wastebasket, announc-
ing, they're loaded" Examination
proved he was right.
Another time, at St. Paul, some
of the players, looking for a laugh,
engaged a professional card manip-
ulator to teach Dodson a few tricks
The plot backfred-With Dodson
showing the amazed pro few.
I'll never forget the time I was
playing golf in Texas town where
they were holding a rodeo,' he
laughed. I'm all dolled up in boots,
1O-gallon hat and spurs when some
Fasteners walk up and remark, III
bet you 5000 you couldn't climb on a
horse, let alone ride one
Il say, Mister put up your 5000
and III ride the toughest critter in
the rodeo.' So I goes out and climbs
aboard That horse makes three
leaps and We part company, but 1
won the 5000.
Come to think of it now, that
5000 probably cost me S2,00O-for I
was so sore for three weeks 1
couldn't play lick"
Three Over P. G. A. Record.
Dodson, who had a 7-under-par
65 in the opening round. added a
fine SO to his record yesterday for
a 1873 total that is only three shots
over the P. G.. A. scoring record.
And only a on the par sixteenth
kept him from threatening that
mark Three shots back, as the
field headed into todays third round
of 18 holes, was Byron Nelson of
Toledo. who had a SO yesterday for
a 1856 aggregate.
Ben Hogan of Hershey, Pa, lead
ing money winner Of the year, blazed
his way back into the big-money
picture with a second round sc for
a 139 total, one shot ahead of the
14O aggregates held by Al Huske,
Dekalb. Ill, who had a second-round
II. and Henry Ransom of Fort
Worth. Tex, who held pair of 70s.
In all, 18 players bettered par of
IA for the SO holes, among them
Vic Ghezzi, the P. G. A. champion,
who was at 142 Craig Wood, Ma
tional Open champion, had a sec
ond-round IA for a two-day total of
l45, the same figure turned in by
Lawson Little, 1910 National Open
king
The field was cut to S. players for
today's and tomorrow's rounds.