Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-15
Hogan Choice in 0per
After Tying for Top;
.Worsham Fades

BY MerrelI WhittIesey
Stor Stoff Correspondent

CLEVELAND, June 15.-Through
As years of National Open history
the feared third. round has set up
champions, provided a stage for
stretch duels and broken countless
hearts and hopes. This golf tourna-
ment here at Canterbury has
reached that point and at least IL
pros with par or better face the
make-o or break round with a chance
for the title.
An Open champion will be crowned
today, barring tie, as the schedule
calls for So holes, but it's the killing
third round the pros face with trepi-
dation in their hearts. The second
round before crowd of 10000 was
tough enough. as of the % players
who broke or equaled par on OPEN
ing day, II added strokes yesterday.
Three matched flrst-round scores
and only three were better.
OF the co-leaders at the halfway
mark, the logical choice is steel
nerved, but not overly popular Ben
Hogan. champion of all but the big
tournaments. Hogan fired the only
SO of the championship yesterday
and finally caught his playing part
ner, Vic Ghezzi, on the 36th green,
Hogan's 72-68-140 matches Chez
zi's 7l-69-l40, against par of To-
72-144.
Little in Threatening Spot.
One stroke back of the leaders is
dangerous Lawson Little, burly Cali
fornian who can claim the greatest
international golfing record of all
but Bobby Jones with victory here
Little, a powerful hitter, and
straight, too, on this exacting course
has 1853 for two days work. Little
is one stroke ahead of the only ma
tionally unknown player in the tor
II, Pittsburgh's Steve Kovach, a
steel worker who plays unattached
pro golf, who had 71-72-l43.
A number of the smart set are
putting their money on the 142
shooters, ex-champ and dependable
Byron Nelson with pair of neat Ills
and Ed tPorky) Oliver. anxious to
win after being disqualified here in
1910 for an early start Che would
have tied the title) with the same
score.
Lewis Worsham, the Congressional
pro from Washington, yesterday
came up with sour finish. to drop
out OF contention for the title.
Worsham, who in another zany
round of golf, filled with poor clut
selecting and unsmart shot-making
managed to shoot 1-under-par golt
Tor II holes. He needed par on
the 18th for 72-71-144, excellent
position for a 28-year-old pro who
made his mark in the big time only
last week.
Worsham Fades on 18th.
But Worsham. as he put it, Event
to sleep" on the 18th tee. He fell
into drive as though he were
playing a quarter Nassau and it went
not 5, 10 or IS, but so yards over
the fence and out of bounds-two
penalty strokes. L just didn't think
what I was doing" he admitted
later. His wild second shot scat
tered spectators around the 18th
green and he holed out in seven
3 over par for 74-73-147.
Worsham required only % puts
for the round. He was in six traps
two on separate noles, but played
some remarkable recovery golf, and
finally found birdie touch on the
14th and 18th holes to 60 l under,
Then came the 7. Worsham is
in a seven-way tie for Goth, a 4
would have put him in sixth place.
Worsham's card:
Par
Out 443 445 $3.50
oatH1 44s AS s4e-s7
In 434 544 $3.50
In = 434 534 74-73-147
-Four of the five players who quail
fed in Washington at Burning Tree
survived the cut to the low so play
ers for the last day. Bobby Cruick-
shank of Richmond slipped, but
tied Worsham at 72-75-147
Chandler Harper said he played one
of the best rounds of his life, but
finished with a IA for $50. Balti-
more's Otto Greiner tied for sec
ond place among the amateurs with
75-75-150.