Evening star., 1947-06-09
Sponsors Begin Plans
For '48 Open After
hangrum Victory
By MerreIl WhittIesey


for only one more week Lloyd
Mangrum said as he received his
81, 900 check at Prince Georges, "but
I'm be the National Capital Open
champion for year and just as sure
as I'll be in ST. Louis defending my
title, I hope to be back here next
mere next year defending this one
Mangrum was taking the words
out of the mouths of the sponsors of
the first $4,000 National Capital
Open, who were elated over the sue
cess of the event and plan to take
immediate action on the National
PGA's promise of better dates for
next years event.
With the National Open in Cali
| fornia next June, Prince Georges
will not run the risk of getting week
before -the-National dates, time of
year that found Ben Hogan, Jimmy
Demaret and others on the scene
of the Open championship a week
in advance and passing up the local
| event.
LOCkeS B STcdh DIUhCH.
Mangrum, the dapper, 33-year-
old native of Texas who registers
out of Chicago, lives in California,
broke Bobby Locke's winning streak
in capturing his first tournament
since winning the Open last year.
He was 10 under par for the u
| holes with his 269 total.
| With the seven top players group
ed within one stroke going into the
final round, it appeared that one
of those dramatic, last-hole finishes
was in prospect, but Mangrum
didn't read that script. He simply
started out with four brides in the
first six holes and when he turned
the first nine in 81, five under par,
it was a matter of playing out the
| string. Mangrum is not the type
to blow a lead
While his playing partners, Ed
Oliver and Bobby Locke, were gam
bling desperately for brides to stay
in the running, Mangrum played
safe golf on the back nine and
came up with eight pars and a
birdie. The $4,000 helped Mangrum
close in on the years leading money
winners, Jimmy Demaret and Ho-
gan, for while Mangrum had not
won a tournament before yesterday
ne stands third on the prize list
with succession of consistent per-
formances.
Three Youngsters Impressive.
Before the Capital Open comes up
next year the golfers probably will
hear lot more from three young
sters who finished we'll up among
the prize winners. Skip Alexander,
the Lexington, N. c.. product, tied
IMangruni's closing 66 to deadlock
for second George Payton, the
third round co-leader, had a clos
ing 10 to tie for fourth, and Otto
Greiner. the Baltimorean making
his third pro start, won $3.50 for
eighth.
Locke, whose American golf win
nings passed the $4,000 mark in a
little more than six weeks, said he
was here in person, but his mind
was on the National Open this
week. The South Africans shots
were not as crisp as in the first
three rounds and the puts that
had been dropping were hanging
on the lip as he finished with a 70
for 273.
Lew Worsham's bid for victory
before hiS hnnnn rnNf fall
four strokes short. Worsham, who
followed two lucky breaks on the
first nine with two of his greatest
shots in the tournament, hit hor-
rible approach shot to the ninth
green to lose an important stroke.
On the back nine Worsham,
Payton and Sam Snead took turns
giving and taking strokes and all
tied Locke at 273 and won $3.50
each. Snead's closing SO was an
unspectacular round.
Houghton Finishes in Money.
The home club members were
proud of Al Houghton, who played
the first five holes of the back nine
in under par and finished with
68 and a 7-under-par 281 total to
win Sl73 The only other Wash
ington area golfer in the money was
Roger Peacock, whose finishing 73
gave him 282 and $125.
The handsome triple tro-
ply for low amateur went to newly
crowned Middle Atlantic Champ
RoLby prpuy,o1l oc aypoctoJ uritb a
281 total, which would have put him
in the money among the pros. Billy
Griffin, the sensation of the first
two rounds with 67-68, took dou-
BILE bogey on the 17th hole where
he used wrong club and those two
shots were the difference between
first and second amateur.
The most spectacular shot to the
(See WH1TTLESAY, Page A-15J