Evening star., 1942-04-11
Secret Gets Him
Great 2-Round
Score Of 135
Course Always Easy
For Byron; Byrd Hits
Surprising 68s
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer.


AUGUSTA, April 11.-Byron Nell
son, leader of the Masters Golf
Tournament at the half way point
with two great rounds of 68-67,
claims modestly that he knows
something" about the Augusta ma
tional course that the other fellows
haven't caught on to. He is very
mysterious about It,
Il wish could tell you what it is"
he grinned, but some of these guys
might read it. I'm not joking,
though.
Its a popularity of the course
that I happened to see right at the
start. I've never had a really bad
round here. In 504 holes in the
Masters I'm still a stroke under
par" He won it in 1887.
Jimmy Thompson, who played
around with Nelson yesterday gave
the matter lot of thought and said
he couldn't figure any particular
system the Texan employed except
that he puts the ball on the green
every time and then knocks it in the
hole" Thomson said Nelson's 81
was one of the greatest rounds of
golf he ever saw.
Never Had Long Putt.
AS a matter of fact, it might as
easily have been a 81. The leader
didn't knock down a single long putt,
while at least five of them either
stopped just short of the hole or
curled around it. From tee to green
he scored nothing but bull's-eves.
The tall stylist is playing such i'm
peccable golf that the official price
against his winning the tournament
was only even money today, and the
bookmaker wasn't urging anybody to
take that.
The only man who appeared to
have a chance Of overhauling Nell
son was Sammy Byrd, the trans
formed ball player, whose brace of
fine 68s left him only a single stroke
behind the leaders 1876. There was
a good dea lof surprise in the club
house when Sammy's score was
posted. and it dampened somewhat
the victory celebration that was 60
Ing on around Nelson's chair. II
finally Is dawning slowly on the bows
that Byrd has become a really dan
gerous golfer, rather than a big
Lacquer who happens to play an
other game well.
Maybe Sammy has discovered
something about this layout, too
Nelson conceded.
Nelson Good With Chips Down.
Byrd, though, scarcely looks a
player capable of outshooting such
a champion as Nelson down the
hnal 36-hole stretch today and to-
morrow. If there is a tournament
star who is known for his persist
ence and sustained brilliance in the
closing stages of a big golf event it
Is Nelson. He seldom rises to the
heights on the winter money cir
cult, but he Is the only man in the
present field except Gene Sarazen
who has won the National Open,
the P. G. A. and the Masters.
Bunched five full strokes behind
Nelson at l40 were Paul Runyan
Jimmy Demaret and Horton Smith,
Smith and Runyan, who led the
field after 18 holes with 67s, each
fell OF to 70 in yesterdays wind.
Demaret smiled ruefully at his brace
OF fine 70s and observed that that
was only minor league shooting in
this company.
Stars Are Far Back.
After this trio there was another
wide gap before reaching Jimmy
Thomson and Ben Hogan at 143;
E. j. Outch) Harrison and Willie
Goggin. IA; Denny Shute and Law
son Little, las; Jim FOULS, jug Nc
Spaden and Chick Harbert, 146;
Sam Snead, Jim Ferrier, Bobby
Jones, Henry Picard and Craig
Wood, lat.
Nelson and Byrd were scheduled
to play together today They were
certain to carry big and vociferous
gallery and tournament veterans
surmised that it would be a far
greater trial for Byrd than for his
stolid companion.