Evening star., 1943-07-21
Berg, Hicks Head FaiI
Players; Chambers
Is Amateur Meda|ist
BY CHARLES DUNKLEY,

CHICAGO, July 21.-Golf on
tremendous scale-three tourna-
ments rolled into one-was present.
ed with theatrical setting in the
Tam o'Shanter extravaganza today
The tournament became the Ma
tion's biggest show of the year when
the professionals and women joined
the amateur ensemble which has
held the stage since Monday.
There were 200 swingers in action
los professionals, 81 amateurs and
81 women.
While the surviving 81 qualiflers
In the All-America Amateur were
sweeping through their first day of
match play, the pros battled for II
places in the $4,000 All-America
Open and the women played for 18
positions in their tournament
both of which start tomorrow at u
holes of medal play.
Nelson Is Heavy Choice.
Blond Byron Nelson Of Toledo,
twice winner of the Tam Open, was
rated as a topheavy favorite to re-
peat, while Patty Berg, famed
freckle-faced redhead of Minneap-
oils, and Betty Hicks of Long Beach,
Calf, were favored to dominate the
women's tournament.
The Misses Berg and Hicks are
considered several shots better at
medal play than any other girl
player in the field
Due to the list of pros exempted
from playing a qualifying round to-
day, none of the big guns In the
pro ranks unsacked their shots
other than in practice rounds. This
situation gave the amateurs and the
women the spotlight in today's play.
Nelson played few practice holes,
but was hitting the ball with rare
skill. With many Of the leading
pros in the armed service, Nelson
promises to shadow the field even
more than in previous champion
ships Since few of the pros have
had any competition of Importance
this summer. opposition to Nelson's
third straight victory may come
from unexpected sources.
Harbert Is Chief Threat.
One of the youngsters who
threatens to give Nelson a battle
is Chick Harbert of Battle Greek,
Mich. Harbert was advancing rap
idly in the tournament field before
the war and won the ST. Paul Open
last summer. Jimmy Demaret of
Detroit gives promise of being an
other challenger.
Clayton Haefner, now a sergeant
in the Army, tied Nelson in the 1912
Tam Open, only to lose in the play
of. Haefner. who is pounding the
ball for long distances, also is in
the challenging class along with
Lloyd Mangrum. the Californian,
and James Ferrier, the former Aus
tralian amateur.
The windup of qualifying round
yesterday for amateurs installed Bill
Chambers. a sailor from the nearby
Great Lakes Naval Training Sta
ton. as medalist with a 36-hole
total of 145, the lowest card in a
field of $50.
Plays Without Sleep.
Chambers, third-class store
keeper at the worlds largest naval
training station, played without
sleep. He was on duty all night and
at am. he went to school to take
an examination for second class
storekeeper.
Wilford Wehrle of Racine. Wis.
to Marvin (Bud) Ward OF
Spokane, Wash, in last years Tam
Amateur, sizzled to a subpar 10 yes
terday, the lowest round of the tour
nament that placed him along with
six others in the 40 delegation.
Runnerup to Chambers at 147
was Walter Kroll of South Bend,
Ind. Then came a pair of Chicago
veterans, Art Doering. former trans
Mississippi champion, and Steve
Kovach, bracketed at 148. A score
of 160 or under was necessary to
qualify.
The only better known veteran
who failed to qualify was Gus More
land Of Peoria. Ill, former Western
amateur champion and member of
the Walker Cup team.