The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1941-08-23
|Searles Not
Considered In
Early Bets
Martin Had To
Wage Uphill Fight
To Win Tourney


Before the opening OF the first
annual Joe Louis $1,000 Open at
Rackham last week. Clyde Martin,
pro TO the heavyweight champion,
was made top favorite with the To-
cal fans. The Detroiters figured
Martin. who had been playing the
course through the past two years.
was well acquainted with its In
tricacies and could come through
with brilliant game.
Then Howard Wheeler, former
National Open champion who for
merly lived in Atlanta. Ca, and
now a resident OF San Diego, CAL,
came to town and his supporters
Immediately offered to wager that
he would walk off with the top
honors.
Searles Overlooked
But one OF the chief threats had
been overlooked by the players and
gallery! 20-year-old Calvin Scar
les. OF Atlanta by way OF New Or
leans. Martin came through as
Louis predicted but only after the
stiffest kind OF a battle with this
youngster. whose entry fee was
paid by Or. II. \. Holmes. OF Chi
caog. experience telling in the
final eighteen holes after Searles
had been scorching the greens In
the previous 81.
Il was not shooting my best
game" said Martin after he had
sunk his ball at the last hole to
assure himself of victory. MY
long game was off. and / was only
able to get good results from my
putting"
Martin. who had been playing
every day for the past month, said
he was "overgolfed.
Beat kOcsls Brothers
Lustre was added to the tourna-
ment Tuesday in an exhibition
match In which Martin paired with
Wheeler TO defeat limerick Kocsis.
former state PEA champion, and
his brother. Chuck Kocsis. former
member of the American Walker
team and now a leading pro, 2-1.
The players had side bet OF 5000.
Martin and Wheeler clinched the
victory when Wheeler holes out
from a trap for a birdie 3 on the
$50 yard fifteenth in this exciting
match.
Martin and Wheeler jumped In
TO the lead at the start. Martin
sinking a 4O-foot futt on the first,
and Wheeler pitchinr inches from
the cup on the fourth, both for
winning brides.
Going into the final round Of the
tournament. 219 TO Martins 2lS.
Searles. by excellent putting, went
ahead after the third hole by col
lecting a string OF brides. But the
slightly built Searles encountered
difficulty on the sixth hole when he
drove over the green, and had to
take a six for the hole.
At the end OF the first nine Mar
tin was leading by three strokes as
he finished with a37 while Searles
and Wheeler were home with 80
each.
SearIes fought back bravely,
waging an uphill fight 10 even the
score at the twelfth hole, but Mar
tin came through with airdies on
the fifteenth and eighteenth 10 card
a "a and give him a total OF 202 for
the 7e holes.
searles collapse on the last holes
sent him into tie with Hartsheld
at 294.
Four tied at sol. Ben Greene. New
Orleans: Theodore Rhodes. Nash
Vile: Ben Davis, Detroit. and Bob
Seymour. Fort Custer. Wheeler
was eighth with S02. and Solomon
Hughes, tiadsdcn. Ala, and Eddie
Jackson. were tied for ninth place
with 303.
The amateurs were paced by Le-
| Roy Smith. 19-year-old Norfolk,
(Va.) florist who put together
scores Of 7s and 10 10 give him a
total OF 400 for the 73 holes. Oscar
Ciisby. Pasadena. Cal, who rallied
in the last rs holes, was one stroke
behind. while Or. Remus Robin
son. Detroit. who lost his amateur
championship last week. was third
with 900.