Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-17
|Ex-GI Passes LEADING
Nelson, Ghezzi Late
In DoubIe-PIayoff
By MerreII WhittIesey
Stor StoH Corvsspondent

| CLEVELAND, June I.-ByrOI
Nelson stood in front of his locker
in the Canterbury Club House last
night, shedding wet clothes ano
said, Il never saw anybody putt
like that in my life" The mar
Nelson was talking about was Lloyo
Mangrum, the new and deserving
National Open Golf champion.
The 3l-year-old Texas-born Man.
grum, present resident of Los An
geles, was several rows over, at
tempting to fight his way out OF
a mob of reporters, photographers
broadcasters and we'll wishers
Mangrum had just won COLTS great
est crown after a double-playofi
with Nelson and Vic Ghezzi by
scoring 72-72 for the day. Nelson
and Ghezzi shot TBS in the after
noon after the triple deadlock at u
in the first playof1 in the morning
The soft-spoken Mangrum, who
said he wasn't scared or nervous
in his bid for the open title, but
just sufficiently excited to play
WE'LL" undoubtedly agreed with Mel
son (they played together the last
u holes. His putting was terrific.
Mangrum required only 26 puts in
the last round and made up for
countless lapses from the tee to
green. In the 108 holes of the ex-
tended championship, Mangrum's
great putting helped him to ~
brides.
Mangrum Long on Courage.
In addition to his putting (the
rest of his game isn't bad, it just
suffers by comparison) this fellow
Mangrum is long on courage. With
six holes to go in the afternoon,
Mangrum trailed Ghezzi by three
strokes and Nelson by two before
he sounded of with three brilliant
brides in the next four holes and
picked up five shots on Ghezzi and
four on Nelson in that short span.
Mangrum had a two-shot lead
with two holes to play. The sky
was filled with thunder and light
ming, the first bad weather OF the
tournament, and the crowd had
thinned to about 1000 drenched
but faithful souls. In addition it
was too dark to see more than a
few yards ahead
Lloyd bogeyed the 18th and
Ghezzi picked up shot with a par.
Mangrum was trapped in two on
the 18th and blasted out Is feet
short of the cup. 1t appeared that
Ghezzi might tie it up again, but
Big Vic's approach was past and
he missed a 4-foot putt for a 70.
Mangrum dropped an 18-inch putt
and was home with the title, eight
years after his first pro tournament.
Nelson, who also bogeyed the 18th.
pared the last hole to tie Ghezzi
Twice Wounded in Combat.
The 5-foot-l0. 150-pound Man
grum was twice wounded in combat
as an observer with an armored
reconnaissance outfit, once by a
sniper and once by shrapnel. In
addition he was hospitalized for six
months after jeep accident in 20
months overseas. Although only 81
he has three grown stepchildren
and four grandchildren. He has
been married II years.
The usually calm Nelson was a
trifle perturbed as he hurriedly
packed and scrammed. II played
pretty hard, I played pretty good,
but every time I made a mistake it
cost me-" he said. Nelson added,
I've had more than my share of
good luck in my life, but in this
tournament ny luck has been
rotten. I'd rather finish 40th than
second"
Two time Champion and Record
Holder Ralph Guldahl sympathized
with Ghezzi. Vic played the best
golf of his life all through this tour
nament and didn't win it," Guldahl
said, to which Ghezzi assented. Il
can't play any better" he said.
Mangrum, who won 81 500, plus A
third of the $1,000 bonus posted by
the USGA yesterday, said he would
| not compete in the British open
after winning this title. but gave no
reason. He said he didn't want a
club, but would continue to play
unattached golf His next stop will
be Toledo, where he and Lawson
Little are defending champs.
All Toss Away Shots.
For all the fuss that's made about
the open title, it went begging for
80 holes before Mangrum avoided
any more unwanted playoff records
by winning in the afternoon. Ben
Hogan would not have felt so bad
about those three puts on the last
green on Saturday, nor Herman
Barron so disguised over his dismal
bogey-bogey finish If they could have
seen the boys stage the old AL
Castor act yesterday MORN
ing.
Mangrum was the last to lose a
one-stroke lead in the first playof1
round. Dapper Lloyd was l under
par with two to play, but his old
enemy, straying woods shots, caught
up with him on the 18th and he
hooked spoon far to the left OF
the swarming gallery, which was
some hook. He didn't have a chance
for par and thus they strolled UP
the 18th all even and scored regu-
lation pars.
Ghezzi had a one-stroke advan-
tage playing the 18th, but he was in
trouble twice on the 371-yard par 4
and was fortunate to get down in
l-over-par 5.
Nelson, who lost a stroke when
his caddie kicked the ball ano
missed a tiny putt on the list hole
to lose outright possession of the
title in the regulation distance
hit a sour streak midway of the
/ first plaYou round and nlaved as