Evening star., 1944-07-02
Fires 66 10 Pace
Chicago Scrap
With 134 Total
Horrison, Also Under
Arms, Goes Second;
Nelson SIumps
by CHARLES CHAMBERLAIN,
Associated Press Sports Writer,

CHICAGO, July Little Ben
Hogan, burned up because some one
said men In the service probably
would have q hard time becoming
tournament golf threats after the
war, let some of the heat sink into
his game today as he coupled q 66
with q 11rst-round 68 for a 36-hole
total of 134-eight strokes under
par-to take the halfway lead in
the Chicago Victory National.
Il was doggone mad when heard
that us guys probably would be
unable to make a comeback" fumed
intense little Ben. absent from tour
nament competition for almost two
years while filling lieutenancy In
the Army Air Corps. II would like
to prove that wrong, and I've got a
good start at least"
Hogan. dominating figure on the
money circuit from 1882 1912, now
is stationed at the Fort Worth, Tex,
Air Field and his golf has been
limited to weekend outings. Now
on furlough. this Is his hrst tourna-
ment since he entered the service In
the fall of 1942 after capturing the
Hale America crown.
Practices for Four Hours.
Like the prewar Hogan, he spent
nearly four hours practicing his
shots TODAY before setting out to
overtake Byron Nelson, Amateur
Steve Kovach Of Pittsburgh, Jug
McSpaden and Johnny Revolta.
Another serviceman-theo only one
to win q tournament since the war
started-was second at the halfway
point with a pair of 68s for 1876. He
was lean E. j. Dutch" Harrison,
stationed at Wright Field, Ohio, and
winner of the 1914 Charlotte IN. c.
Open.
With the Army Air Forces taking
over, 1t remained for a member of
the old guard, be-knickered Gene
Sarazen. to walk in calmly with a
pair of 69s for 1873 and third place,
tied with steelworker Kovach who
also posted 1873 with a round of II
today. Bracketed at 139 were Bob
Hamilton Of Evansville. Ind, with
a SO today: Revolta. who skidded to
u, and two members Of the big four,
Nelson and Craig Wood.
After his Immaculate IS of yes
terday, Nelson had six bogeys for
38-36-74, as compared with Edge
waters par of 35-36-7l. He hit
one tee shot out Of bounds, and
even overblasted from a trap 40 feet
past the pin. into the wiry fringe
on No. 8.
Wood had the oldest card of the
day. shooting a SO after going foul
under par on three successive hole.
on the back nine with an eagle
and two brides.
jug McSpaden and Sam Byrd, tn.
other members of the Big Four,
were in the 140 and 141 division
respectively, after posting a 73 anc
"a 10. Others punched at 140 were
Mike Turnesa, Jim FOULS, Amateur
Chuck Kocsis Of Detroit and Willie
Goggin. Gene Kunes of Philadelphia
and Sam Bernardo, veteran Chicago
pro, were with Byrd at 14l.
Kovach's Putter Strays.
Kovach, the surprising amateur
who was among the leaders by vir.
tue OF hooking up 67-71, missed
several short puts today-and his
putter as we'll Two threesomes
went through his group while he
searched frantically for his weapon
finally finding couple of kids
using 1t to scuff up divots.
Hogan threaded six brides. goine
out in 81 and back in IS, for his 66
Several times he lost the range and
over-shot green's, sometimes chip
ping back badly only to call upon
his magic wand, the putter, to ram
the ball down. On three of his
birdie puts he had to sink from
such distances as 80, % and 8 feet
and on another he planted his tee
shot three inches from the cup, l82
yards away, for a simple deuce.
Sergt. Harrison had five brides