Evening star., 1942-04-10
Neiis5sF:avorite
Augusta GS!t>
After 68 Card
Runyon, Smith Stort
With 67s, but Byron's
PIoy Appears Best
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer


AUGUSTA. Ga. April 10.-The
Masters Golf tournament, struggling
along against discouraging rain and
distracting war news, entered its
second round today with Horton
Smith and Paul Runyan, a couple
of proficient veterans, leading the
field with equal Cts at the first quar-
ter.
Strangely enough. scarcely any
body expected either Smith or
Runyan to win the tournament. The
favorite, after the wet and be-
draggled field of a had checked in
last night, was Byron Nelson, who
shot a 68 on his first round. When
Nelson shoots like that at the start
and admits, as he did, that he never
felt more certain of his game, then
it is hard to make any other choice.
Harold jug" McSpaden, who
played a round with Nelson, was so
enthralled by the tall Texans game
that he offered to bet him against
the field. The former Open. P. G.
A. and Masters champion failed to
hit only one green, said McSpaden,
and that was because one Of his
drives came to rest on a rock.
when he's hitting the ball like he
is now, he's unbeatable" McSpaden
added.
Runyan Takes Only rs Puts.
Smith and Runyan, however,
deserve full credit for great rounds
under difficult conditions. Five under
par on the exacting Augusta Ma
tional course is eye-bulging golf,
even when the sun is shining. Smith
was in rare form from tee to green
Runyan, the little fellow who can't
hit ball very far, was helped a
great deal by the fact that the
course was very fast for most Of his
round. Also, he took only 26 puts
on the 18 holes. Nelson. by COM
parison, required 50 puts.
The sensation for some time was
Sammy Byrd, the former ball player,
who came painting in before the rain
began with an elegant 68. Before
Smith and Runyan bettered his
mark and Nelson tied him, Sammy
had time to tell what finally
persuaded him to chuck comfort
able baseball career for the uncer-
tAinties Of money golf.
II stopped Of In Atlanta In the
spring Of '35 and played q round
with Bobby JONES'" he recalled. land
Bobby was kind enough to say that
I had as good q swing as he ever
saw. And then, later that year,
Larry MacPhail, for whom was
playing at Cincinnati, said he
thought I was q sap If I didn't
devote myself to golf. I've never
regretted taking his advice. II had
stuck with baseball I would be
washed up by this time"
Sarazen Highest With 80.
Behind the four punched leaders
and within quick striking distance
were Jimmy Demaret and Lawson
Little, each with 10. Then there
were Ed Dudley, Billy Burke and
Jim Ferrier, the Australian, at II.
Craig Wood, the defending cham
pion, played around with Bobby
Jones before the days only sizable
gallery and matched Bobbys u.
Ben Hogan, the pre-tournament
favorite, had disappointing 70:
Sam Snead IS. Gene Sarazen got
in a peck of trouble and listed an
80, highest score of the day.
Among the first-day oddities were
Byrd's five consecutive brides on his
second nine, which he SKINNED
through in 81 strokes. Old-timers
could not recall similar cluster Of
brides in a major tournament over
a championship course. Dudley, In
shooting 81 on the back nine, had
only one par.