The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1950-04-06
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Champion Bud Ward is now a
! professional. And that means that
never again will be repeated the
stirring duels between Ward and
Frank Stranahan in match play.
; An amateur can play in the
open tournaments, but all OF them
! are medal events. So unless Stran-
ahan turns professional and ul-
! timately meets Ward in a natio-
nal PGA championship, there is
no possibility for them to duel
in match play again. Stranahan is
a millionaire's son, so it is not
likely that he will abandon his
amateur status.
| The matches between Ward and
Stranahan will be remembered
for many years by followers of
amateur golf. There have been
few rivalrles as bitter. Their first
meeting came in the western am
ateur tournament of 1916. Strana-
han won that match, one up, in
SO holes t. win the title.
Ward and Stranahan clashed
again in the national amateur of
1916. Ward was the winner in
! that second match, two and one.
The third match between Ward
and Stranahan was their most
dramatic And it makes our story
for today. 1t came in the Western
I Amateur championship of 1947
over the 6,426-yard Wakonda
Club course in Des Moines, Iowa,
in mid-July Stranahan, the de-
Tending champion, and Ward, a
/ two-times former national and
, two-times former western title
! holder. were co-favorites in the
1947 play
Let's follow the pair from the
1 beginning of the tournament. -
Ward took the qualifying medal
! with rounds Of SO and 70 for a
36-hole total of AL Stranahan
| qualified automatically as the de-
/ Tending western amateur champ
ion. But the Toledo millionaire
son played the two qualifying
rounds for practice He posted a
36-hole total of l44. That gave him
a tie for birthplace among the
qualifiers.
Stranahan had to go all out to
survive The first round of match
play. Frank finally defeated Mic
key Beal of Clinton, Iowa, one
up, on the 22nd hole. Stranahan
, was two down after nine holes
/ and didn't pull even until he
birdied the 18th hole. Ward dis
posed of his first round foe, Dave
Dixon of New Orleans, two and
one.
Two rounds were played the
next day and both Stranahan and
Ward moved ahead with little diff
Eficulty. S+ranahan beat Roberts
Abrahams of Lagrange, Illinois,
! six and four. then ousted Willis
! Walsh of Kalamazoo, Michigan,
two and one. Ward defeated Hal
Stone of Bloomington, Illinois,
six and five, then eliminated Jack
Donohue Of Sioux city, Iowa, two
up.
Both of the favored players
came close to becoming troopers
in the qaalter-finals. Stranahan
had to fire three eagles to win
out, two and one, over William
/ Campbell of Huntington, West
Virginia. and Ward had come
from behind on the home nine
to defeat John Jacobs of Cedar
! Rapids, Iowa, one up.
The semi-finals proved to be a
/ comparative breeze for the pair.
Stranahan defeated Thomas Shee-
han of Birmingham, Michigan,
four and three. Ward whipped
| Bob Willis of Kansas City, three
and one. That set the stage for a
rubber match between the bitter
rivals in the 36-hole final of the
western amateur championship.
Stranahan's play in the earlier
rounds had ranged from excel
llent to spectacular, while Wards
game had not been up to its usual
| standards. Wards tee shots had
been terrific, but he was wobbly
on many occasions on the green's
! Stranahan was made heavy
favorite TO trim his old rival in
the title match.
| Stranahan' started out as though
he was going to really blister
Ward. The Toledo husky with
1.-THE passion for weight-lifting
went one up at the sixth hole
with a birdie. He birdied the
ninth to take a lead of two up.
Stranahan won both the 10th and
18th holes and Wards putter
failed him. Stranahan made it
R;.-o - &c ba tx.nr the 12th hole