Evening star., 1947-06-03
D. {. Interest in Open
To Focus on BassIer
And Two Worshams
By MerreII Whittlesey

Three young golf professionals.
ore of them already proven tour
nament player, who made their pro
debuts at the Chevy Chase Club. viii
carry Washington's roofing interest
in the National Open championship
next week at st. Louis.
Only one of them, 26-year-old
Charles Bassler, a native Baltimore
an who turned pro last summer, still
represents Chevy Chase, but the
other two, Lewis and Buck Wor-
sham, still are claimed by the Dis
trict divot devotees.
Lew, who will be making his last
tournament start next week before
taking over the Oakmont (Pa.) club,
was an automatic qualifier by virtue
of having finished 23d last year.
Buck. now assistant at the Winged
Foot Club in Mamaroneck, won
place at New York with 71-74l
las, one stroke better than Bobby
Locke's qualifying score over the
same course.
Bassler Shoots.
Bassler won a place to the Open
in his first attempt yesterday at the
Country Club of Maryland with a
great morning round Of 68 and an
afternoon IA for 142, over par for
the day. Charley, q consistent win
ner in the one-day pro tournaments
this year, is greatly improved golf
er.. He Is the fast-walking, nervous
type and took an extra stroke yes
terday due to inexperience when he
tapped at ball on the lip of the cup
and 1t failed to drop, but the strong
armed ex-Marine has potentialities.
The Middle Atlantic section sup
piled the Nations lowest qualif1er
in Otto Greiner, the jut-jawed 27-
year-old Baltimorean who decided
to pass up accounting and take a
fling at pro golf a few months ago.
Greiner played his former home
course in 71-64-135. five under par
and two strokes better than the 1877
turned in by Al Smith, medalist at
Winston-Salem, N. G.
Greiner was a playing partner of
Bobby Cruickshank, the Wee Scot
from Richmond, and although Bobby
failed to qualify for his 18th Open
championship, he said he enjoyed
the day. merely by watching
Greiner play golf. Otto was out
of the fairway only once in his rec
ord round OF 81, required only "a
puts. He has been to the Open
twice before, was third low amateur
last year.
Others Win Places.
Greiner's busting effort was
seven strokes lower than Bassler's |
142. The others who won places in
Baltimore were George Payton, "a
year-old unattached tournament
player from Hampton, Va, who was
71-72 and will be making his first
start in the open; John ODonnell,
33-year-old pro at the Norfolk OH
GERS Club, who led this section last
year at Burning Tree and won a
PGA place two weeks ago, with 75-
TO. and Walter Romans, 29-year- -old
pro at Five Farms In Baltimore, who
had lott. Romans, making his
third start in the Open, won a play
off from Hest Pro Andy Gibson,
who shot 1911 but took five on the
first hole.
The "hoaters" who attempted to
qualify here because they were in
this section for the National Capital |
Open, came away empty handed. |
Tommy Wright Of Knoxville. who
holds the all-time Open qualifying |
score Of 1872 at East Lake, Atlanta,
missed out with a pair of 74s, while
Dale Andreason, the Southern Cali
fornia PGA champion: Jimmy
Clark, who shot 81 In the Public
Links medal round last year, and
George Low, jr., of Clearwater, Fla,
all picked up during the day. Wal
ter Hagen, jr, paired with young
pro from Baltimore, Charles Her
ling, who shot 1924, apparently
was distracted and had 74-77 for
ISL; too many.
Shoots Eight Brides.
With Baltimore and Virginia each
winning two places, Bassler was the
star of the District delegation. The
good-looking youngster who hits the
ball a country mile had eight brides
for the day. Bassler turned pro last
year after winning the Maryland
four-ball title and he hopes to make
1t his life'S work.
Scores:
quo Grelner tBaltimore> - II -64-l3b
Charles Bassler Chevy Chase) 6S-74-l42
George Payton Champion va ! 7l-7a-l43
John O'Donnell Norfolk, Val T5-7O-145
walter Romans Baltimore C.
Andy Gibson &c. c. of Md 7S-7i-i57
Tommy Wright Knoxville
Tenu.) ---.- 74-74-14Sl
Ed Finnessey (Mt Pleasant) 73-75-I4S
Soooy Crulckshank (Richm d. 75-74-14a