Evening star., 1948-02-07
s. Golfers Break Par,
With -Four Tied for
Texas Open Lead
BY the Asseeioted Press

SAN ANTONIO, Tex, Feb. =
The field was punched like a stalk
of bananas today as the Texas
Open golf rolled into its second
round. There were 80 immediate
pursuers of those six-under par IS
shooters, KY Laffoon, Jim Ferrier.
Eric Monti and Norman Won Nida-
quadruple leaders at the quarter
pole.
Minus one of its stars and favor
ties, Ben Hogan, who persisted in
disqualifying himself for a rules
infraction the Tournament Com
mittee said was not an infraction,
139 fancy shotmakers moved for
another assault on par 36-35-71
over Breckenridge Parks battered
6 400 yards.
No more than four strokes sep
arated the first a men at the end
Of the first round yesterday as ex-
actly SO bettered par-the greatest
day In the history of the ancient
Texas Open for shattering regula-
ton figures. In addition Is more
equaled par. Breckenridge Parks
water-logged fairways and soggy
green's made no pretense of being
tough for golf's touring stars.
Snead One Stroke Back.
Within a stroke of Laffoon, who
plays out of st. Andrews, ILL.,; Fer
rier, the National PGA champion
from San Francisco: Monti. the
from Santa Monica,
Calf. and little Won Nida of sgd
ney, Australia, Britain's top money.
winner, were three veteran pros.
They were Slammin' Sam Snead Of
Hot Springs, Va; Stewart (Skip)
Alexander of Mid-Pines, NJ c., and
Horton Smith of Detroit, whose
name has been missing for some
time from the leaders in the Ma
tion's tournaments.
And Just two strokes away were
eight par -smashers. including Jimmy
Demaret of Ojai, Calf, one of the
tournament favorites. and Lew
Worsham, National Open champion
of Washington and Pittsburgh.
Another stroke back at 68 was
Bobby Locke, the johannesburg,
South Africa, sensation. along with
eight more fellows who were a mix
ture of old heads and newcomers.
The amateurs found the going
entirely too rough. There wasn't
a simon pure in the top "a, although
four of them shot 2-under-pa Sos.
They were Frank Stranahan of
Toledo. Ohio; Roy Schneider of Fort
Sam Houston, Tex; Douglas Ford
of New York and r. E. McCreary of
Houston, Tex.
Hogan Disqualifies Self.
Hogan was scheduled for the sec
ond round but there was no indica-
ton he would change his mind and
continue to play Hogan had put
down a on hole Is yesterday,
thinking he had one stroke penalty
for a hazard, when in fact it was an
unplayable lie and should have cost
two. When Ben found out about it
he said he would disqualify himself.
The Tournament Committee told
him he couldn't do it, that 1t was
only a question Of judgment and he
had violated no rule. But Hogan, a
member of the PGA Tournament
Committee, said he wasn't going to
be criticized. that registering the
wrong score should disqualify him
and that was that. Hogan's score
was changed to give him even par II.
Virgil (Buck) Worsham, brother
OF the open champion, now playing
out of Mamaroneck, N. Y, carded
36-33-69. Chandler Harper Of
Portsmouth, Va, had 36-34-70. Fred
Bolton, former Bethesda, Md, pro
now playing out of Pendleton, Greg,
withdrew, while Harold Oatman OF
Norfolk. Va, had 38-37-75.
Otto Greiner of Baltimore did not
qualify, although previously listed
through an error of tournament Of
ficialS