Evening star., 1942-04-13
Title in Grasp, Byron
Loses Opportunity
With Gritty Shot
Disduinine Safe Tactics,
Goes for Pin, Londs
In Trop on 18th
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

.
AUGUSTA, Ca, April 13.--Slen-
der Ben Hogan and towering Byron
Nelson, two of golf's crack profess
sionals match their skill today In
an 18-hole play-off for the Masters
championship.
The two Texans were deadlocked
with $50 strokes apiece at the end
of the regulation u holes yesterday.
When they tee of at 2:30 pm.
eastern War Time) they'll be
shooting at golfing gold Of $500
for the winer and $500 for runner
up.
Nelson was leading Hogan by
three strokes when they started
yesterdays final round, but he wilted
under the pace and wound up with
an undistinguished 73. A trapped
second shot on the list hole cost
him clear claim to the title. Hogan,
the dark little man who never quits,
shot birdie on the last hole Of the
tournament to gain his .70-two
strokes under par-and tie.
Runyan Finished Third.
Their respective records for the
four rounds were: Nelson 68-67 70
70, Hogan 73-70-67-70. Paul Run
yam, a pint-size like Hogan, scored
a fine II on his final round for a
283 total and third prize of 5000.
Fourth was tenacious Sammy Byrd,
285 and $500; and fifth, the veteran
Horton Smith, 287 and $400. From
there down the prize money dwin-
died fast.
Nelson and Hogan have been
battling each other in play lofts for
a long time. Back in 1926, when
they were a pair of ragged-pants
caddies and Hogan was making a
little extra by selling Fort Worth
(Tex.) Records, they engaged IN two
9-hole play-offs for the caddie
championship Of the Glengarden
Country Club. Nelson claims he
won, but Hogan dispites it hotly.
Then they tangled over 18 holes for
the Texas Open title at San Antonio
In 1910 and Nelson won by a stroke.
Yesterdays tie was q heart
breaker for Nelson. With two holes
to 60 he appeared to have his second
Masters crown won. He was two
strokes up on Hogan and needed
only to shoot the finishing holes
in par as to post 279. He was jubi-
liant, Just having scored a spectacu-
lar birdie on the famous 18th hole,
the one where Gene Sarazen once
shot the double eagle"
Then, on the 17th, comparatively
easy hole, his drive was long and
straight. Between him and the flag
there was only a small shallow
trap. To the left there was a wide
expanse of open green, If he pre-
ferred to play it safe and take the
regulation two puts. But Nelson
didn't play it safe. He whacked an
eight-iron high into the air. straight
for the pin, and as several thousand
fans groaned, the ball dug deep
into the sand, scant yard from the
smooth grass.
Why, he was asked later as he
sat looking miserable, didn't he play
that shot safe? Why gamble at a
time like that? His answer made
him look a couple of inches taller.
"I can't help it," he said, I'll
always go for the pin. Anyway.
that was one OF the best shots I
hit in the entire tournament. 1t
was Just a little short"
His blast-out was none too good.
1t rolled well past the hole and
two puts were needed to get down.
And there was Nelson, transformed
from an almost sure winner into
a shaken young man desperately
needing a par on the last hole even
to tie.
He got it, of course, but only
after he had splashed his drive
into the woods and had made a
spectacular recovery to reach the
green with his second. There, his
15-foot putt for a and victory
curled to the left Of the cup.
The bookmaker on the clubhouse
lawn announced that Hogan was a
6-5 favorite to win today.