Evening star., 1948-06-30
Belgian, Two Britons
|Tie for Lead With
|0ne-0ver-Par 69s
By the Assoeioisd Press

|Une-Uver-Pdr tyS
BY the Associated Press
MU1RFIELD. Scotland, June 30.
Frank Stranahan Of Toledo, Ohio,
who recently won the British anna
teur golf championship, shot a n
today in the opening round of the
British Open, which may have
ruined his chance tor slam of ma
jor British titles.
Flory Van Donck of Belgium and
Sam King and Charley Ward of
Great Britain, all pros. fired Lover
par Cos to share the opening-round
lead.
Roberto De Vicenzo of Argentina,
who shot a sensational eagle on the
513-yard 18th hole, was stroke be-
hind the PAGERS.
Stranahan's card:
Out fn --- III $SSaa $SSaa 33tsss-$$ss- 33tsss-$$s-77
Kings card:
Out fs - Sa44 sa4 81 s43 33tsss-$$ss 33tsss--$$s-es
Van Donck's card:
Gas fn - az az ss9 335s.s5-es 3ts.st
King, who never had won a major
tournament, could have taken the
head but he 3-putted the 18th,
forcing himself into the three-way
tie.
! Ward holed 2o-foot putt on the
last green for his SO.
After driving more than 300 yards,
De Vicenzo holed his three-iron ap-
proach on the 17th.
AS he neared the green, people in
the gallery began to point their
fingers down, indicating he had
holed out. They clapped. De
Vicenzo bowed.
Seven One-Putt Greens.
De Vicenzo was chipping beauti-
fully and had seven one-putt greens.
He finished with 10.
De Vicenzo's card:
o. Out - IL 81 $a2-$s-7o $3.50
Lawson Little, one of nine Ameri-
cans to survive early qualifying
rounds, came home in 72 to set an
early target that De vicenzo soon
surpassed
Little, who won the British
amateur twice 10 years ago, might
just as well have carded pheno-
menal 81. Ten timeS-four on the
first nine and six coming home,
puts ranging from 10 to 60 feet
failed to drop by narrow margins.
Once Little three-putted, missing
a 15-incher on the third green. On
the ninth he dropped a six-footer
for a birdie and on the 18th he
holed out from II feet to get an
other birdie.
Little's card:
In Eu' -------54s s552 3345-3S-72
Frank JowIe, a British pro who
played with De Vicenzo, also shot
10 to rate well up in the field.
Henry Cotton. VINO played the two
qualifying rounds with a pair Of 69s,
was home in II. So was Norm Van
Nida, the Australian who is favored
by the bookmaker's odds of to l..
Defending Champion Fred DAILY of
Ulster shot a 37-35-72 to tie with
| Little.
Charles Rotar, Canton, Ohio, pro
who now is a sergeant in the United
States Army in Germany. got rs.
Arthur Clark, rangy pro from
Huntingdon, W. Va, compiled a "a.
missing a 4-foot putt on the last
hole.
Clarks card:
fn ha' --- ------ III III 81 81 4t5-374 ae5-37-74
Thomson Shoots a IA.
Jimmy Thomson, Scots born
American pro who was low qualifler
for the American contingent, equaled
Clark's IA score in the first round of
actual medal play. Thomson, wild
through most Of the first nine,
putted to exact par figures for the
last 10 holes.
Thomson's card:
Out - 654 355 $3.50
In - 444 344 344-34-74
Claude Harmon of Mamaroneck,
N. Y, the Augusta (GaD masters
champ, was another stroke back at
75. He dlSguStedly summed up MS
first day round when he said, Il
couldn't putt and If you can't putt
you can't score"
One of his misses was a 12-inch
putt on the 18th.
Harmon's card:
Out ------------ ~ ~ 354 335544 5S455-33 7s
Three other Americans aside from
Stranahan, Little, Rotar. Clark,
Thomson and Harmon were to tee
of later in the day. They are:
Capt. Ed Kingsley, Utah player serv-
ing with the United States Army Of
Occupation in Germany; Johnny
Bulla of Phoenix, Ariz.. and Bobby
Cruickshank of Richmond, Va.
u~~~s. Gill.