Evening star., 1941-06-06
Leader Off Line
Only Twice in
Scoring 50
Breaks Keep Nelson,
Hogan Near Front
In Title Grind
BY WILLIAM 7. RIVES,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

L
FORT WORTH, Tex, June g.
Battered in the opening round, pur-
SuerS of the National Open golf
championship staggered through the
ropes today for another tussle with
Colonial Clubs par
All alone stood quiet little Denny
Shute, sole man to master the course.
Shute. tWo-time winner of the P.
G. A championship, carved a So
33-69 to beat par 35-35-70 in
yesterdays first round.
The greatest opening day crowd in
the tournaments history. approx
imately 5000 persons, jammed the
fairways behind their favorite three
SomeS.
Overlooked by Selectors who left
him 20-1 shot, Shute found the
links friend because of his mo-
notcnouSly straight game. Shute
powder-puffS the ball in comparison
with most of his fellows. but that
made no difference yesterday. He
was off-line on only two holes. The
rest OF his shots sailed toward the
green's with a homing pigeons in
Stinct.
Ghezzi, Harris on Equal Par.
Only two players equaled par-Vic
Ghezzi and lanky E. J. Dutch Har-
risen, with identical scores of 35 on
each nine.
Bunched behind the leaders with
lis were Gene Kunes of Philadel-
phia, former Canadian Open cham
pion; Harold Jug McSpaden; Law
son Little, defending champion:
Dick Metz, and Jack Ryan of Louis
vile, KY.
Sharing TBS were Henry Ransom.
local pride; Clayton Heafner, Anna
teur Harry Todd of Dallas, Bunny
Torpey of Dodson. Mo; Ted Kroll
of New Hartford, N. Y; Bill Kaiser
Of Louisville, KY, and Johnny Nor
ris of Tuscaloosa. Ala.
The rest of the field sagged Byron
Nelson. Paul Runyan. Horton Smith.
Craig Wood, Lloyd Mangrum and
Chick Harbert were among the 70
shooters.
Ben Hogan. Gene Sarazen and
Ed Dudley checked in with IA John
Bulla. Tony Penna and Jimmy Dem
aret, IS: Sam Snead, Johnny Good
man and Billy Burke, 76, and Henry
Picard. r.
Ralph GuldafiI, who sprinted in as
a hot favorite in the final days be-
fore the tourney started, had a
sad 70.
Score of 286 Likely Winner.
Today's round was to eliminate
all but the low 60 scorers and ties.
Tomorrow comes the climactic 80
hole finals.
Because of yesterdays soaring
scores. the consensus among pros
was that 286 would win
Most melancholy finiSher was
handsome Henry Ransom. Out in
sizzling 81, which tied the open rec
ord for nine holes, Ransom came
back in Al That inspired Gene
S9razen to observe:
The championship will be won on
the second nine, one of the finest
nine holes I've ever played It's
great test of golf. The boys who
get off to a good start will burn
up the front nine. but coming in it's
a far different matter"
Breaks yesterday may have an
important bearing on the standing
of Nelson and Hogan when the cur
tain falls tomorrow
Hogan, who has been wrestling
with mental state that pulled him
off his game. said fatty the 23-foot
putt he canned on No. 18 for a
birdie did something to me-"
Nelson Has Bit of Luck.
Its all behind me now" he
bubbled. land the boys better look
out. If can hit the greens, I may
be hot. I've picked up a putting
touch here that could bring me in
ahead"
Nelson on No. IS Smacked his tee
shot. it appeared. out of bounds.
His first provisional went out of
bounds and his third left him
tough shot to the green.
Byron found his first ball, how
ever, few inches inside the boun-
Diary. He rif1ed it to the green and
picked up a par 4, instead of
threatened 7 or 8.
Nelson admitted that bit of luck
was welcome. 1t kept him among
the leaders.