Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-07-15
Byron Again Roufs Pal
In Whipping Harmon;
Sam Trims Doser
BY HAROLD HARRISON,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

DAYTON, OHIO, July l4.-Sam
Byrd, the baseball man from Geor-
gia, and Byron Nelson of Toledo,
who has shaved 81 strokes of par
In Ill holes this week, will do the
shooting tomorrow at the Moraine
Country Club for COLTS biggest pro-
fessional prize-the PGA champion
ship
Byrd, who quit playing baseball in
1886 to become golf pro and now
operates out Of BEDFORD, Mich,
carved out his second straight 7
and victory as he blasted dark
horse Clarence DoserN of Hartsdals,
N. Y, out of competition in today's
36-hole semiflnals.
And Nelson, a fellow who plays
such mechanically perfect golf that
at times it even becomes monoto-
nous, breezed past Claude Harmon
of Crosse Point Wood, Mich, and
4, He was eight under par today,
despite rainstorm that was so
heavy it even delayed the start of
the second 10.
Nelson in Final 5th Time.
When Nelson tees of against Byrd
tomorrow it will be the fifth time
in the last six PGA tournaments
that he has been in the champion
ship match. He won the tournament
in 1910 and finished runner-up to
Henry Picard in 1899, to Vic Ghezzi
in 194l and to Bob Hamilton last
year.
He'll also be shooting for his
ninth straight tournament victory
"a string of triumphs that never
has been equalled in the history of
big-time golf. He started that
amazing string by teaming with
Harold (Jug) McSpaden on Phila-
delphia to cop the Mama (FlaO
best ball tournament.
Since then his clubs have pro-
duced seven consecutive stroke-play
tournament triumphs.
A PGA finals, however, will be a
brand-new experience for Byrd, al
though he is one of the fellows
who have been giving Nelson the
biggest argument in the past cou-
pie of years.
Sam was born in Georgia, lived
much of his life in Alabama, played
his major league baseball in New
York and now calls Michigan home.
Nelson is a Texan who moved
to Toledo to become pro at the
Inverness Country Club and then
became an umbrella salesman.
Could be Oldest Champ.
If Byrd wins tomorrow he'll be
the oldest man ever to win the
PGA. He's 38 years old. Jock
Hutchinson, the oldest victor to
date, was So when he took the title
in 1920.
Nelson started slowly today, 60
ing over par on each of the first
two holes but he settled down to
work after that, Squaring the match
on the third and never falling be-
hind again.
He was l up at the end of nine
holes as Harmon rolled in a 25-foot
putt for birdie on that green.
Harmon then sank his approach
shot on the 10th to even the match
but Nelson again went ahead on
the 18th and he had a 3-hole lead
at 10.
Harmon roared right back at the
start Of the afternoon round as Mel
son three-putted the 18th hole
the second time today he had used
three blows on that green. Har-
mons 30-foot putt also won the
Goth for him but that was his last
major threat to get back into the
running. He missed an 8-footer
on the 22nd to lose that one and
then dropped the 23rd as Nelson
holed a 20-foot putt for a birdie
two.
Nelson hit the 27-hole mark with
a four-hole lead and then clipped
another stroke off par in the last
five holes to send Harmon to the
showers.
Byrd Is Two Under Par.
Byrd was two under par for the
30 hole of his match against Doser
and he never was behind. They
halved the first four holes but
Byrd'S birdie two on the fifth gave
him the lead he never relinquished.
Missed puts ranging from to u
feet, were particularly costly to
Doser and he was four holes in ar
rears at the end of nine
Starting with the 18th hole,
Byrd won four in a row with two
brides and two pars and he was
eight up at the noon recess.
The lead went to 10 holes as he
won the 10th and 22nd Doser
missed the green on the 10Th and
had to settle for a one-over-par S
and on the 22nd he missed an 8-foot
putt.
Doser, in no mood to give up.
however, dashed back with three
straight brides before losing the
9th to be eight holes behind as they
started the last nine. He won the
18th as Byrd slipped over par, but
Sam, the only man who ever served
AS 9. pinch-hitter for Babe Ruth,
closed out the match by halving the
next two.
Byrd, slugger off the tee, goes
Into the championship match with
record of IL strokes under par for
1854 holes here this ueek