Evening star., 1950-01-07
Ben Hogan S Stamina
.0ver 72-HoIe Grind
Still Questionable
BY the Asseeioted Press

strokes behind, is still the center
of attraction in the $4,000 Los
Angeles Open golf tournament.
This shows the hold Ben Hogan
has over the rest of the profess
sional golf contingent, and over
the public which wants to see
| him succeed in his unprecedented
comeback try.
When they picked Ben up from
beside West Texas highway last
February, doctors doubted if he
would live. Then it became clear
that he would. But few believed
he would recover sufficiently from
his terrible traffic injuries to play
golf again. Yet he has.
He went Is tense holes in 70
strokes yesterday to open the 24th
renewal of the richest tournament
in the winter swing. He trailed
Is other golfers, but it made no
difference to the spectators.
Crowd Also on Edge.
They were on his side. He was
nervous, but they were on edge,
too. When he got into a dispute
about photographers swapping his
picture as he shot, Hogan was
calm. But the gallery booed. and
shouted: Throw them out" and
Take their cameras away"
Ed Furgol Of Royal Oak, Mich,
who has suffered from withered
left arm since childhood, turned
in a SO for the days low. Nor
mally, such a performance would
have had the crowd muttering to
itself. Just before dusk, Ellsworth
Vines and Jerry Barber, both of
Pasadena, came in with Cos. At
the 18th green the crowd, what
there was of it, applauded politely.
Most of the record gallery of 5000
was off down Riviera's 7,020-yard
course, right behind Hogan.
Ben was tired at the finish, but
he proved he could go 18 holes of
tournament play. Many felt,
however, that despite his gallant
try, he wouldn't be up there at
the end-that he doesn't have the
stamina yet for u holes of tour
nament golf.
Not the Hogan of Old.
Hogan has been called "the Ice
man" because of his GOODNESS
under fire. But not only the pho
tographers bothered him yester-
day. So did low-hying airplane.
a spectators sudden cry in the
silence before a drive, the ham
mering on a building far distant.
That wasn't the Hogan of old.
Even so, he was terrific for nine
holes. He finished at "a, l under
par. Then his touch on the
greens went a bit sour. He went
3 over on the par 36 back nine.
He called it very satisfying" at
the finish, as he sat in the press
room, arguing out the matter of
action pictures. PGA and tourna-
!ment officials finally agreed with
him that press photographers
could accompany him the rest of
the way, but that amateurs will be
barred. .,.... .,
Furgol put together an odd
|card-seven brides and four holes
one stroke over par-to get his 68.
Vines, ex-tennis champion, was
consistent all the way to finish a
stroke off the pace. Barber, who
only three weeks ago won the
nearby Montebello Open with one
round Of % puts in 10 holes, was
death on the green's.
Five players solved fast, tricky
greens for par 71s in temperatures
ranging from 36 at the start to II
in midafternoon. They were the
veteran Sam Snead of White Sui
phur Springs, w. Va; Jim Ferrier
of San Francisco, Bob Gadja Of
Detroit, Bob Hamilton of Land
over, Md, and Otto Greiner of
Baltimore. Greiner was the hot
test golfer on the course for IL
holes, carding 4 under par. But
his putting touch disappeared and
he went l over par on four Of the
last six holes.
Worsharn Posts II.
At II were Lew Worsham of
Oakmont. Pa. former National
Open champion; Stan Kertes OF
Chicago, Henry Ransom, st. An
drews, ILL.,: Jack Burke. White
Plains, N. Y; Max Evans, Detroit,
and Willie Hunter, jr.. son Of
Riviera's pro. The days best
amateur, Bob Duden of Portland,
Greg, also was just one over par.
With Hogan at 73 were II
others, including the current Ma
tional Open titleholder, Cary Mid
dlecoff of Memphis; Jimmy
Demaret of Ojai, Calf; Jim
Turnesa. Briarcliff, N. Y, and
Eric Monti, Santa Monica, who
finished third in last years Los
Angeles open.
Lloyd Mangrum, the defending
champion, Is on the shelf with in
juries this year. The second fin
isher, E. j. Dutch) Harrison of
st. Andrews, Tll., was coupled at
"a with such veterans as Johnny
Bulla, Verona, Pa, and Toney
Penna, Cincinnati.
The rest Of the field stretched
far back. and it looked like 10
over par at the end Of today's
round would get any entrant into
the 80 and ties competing in the
final SO holes.
Leading scorers for the first 13
holes:
I'd Fureol, 36.32--6s; Ellsworth Vines.
34-35-69; Jerry Barber 34.35-69; Sam
Snead, 36-35-71; Otto Greiner. 3a.3B--
q; Jim Ferrisr, 35-36M71: Bob Gajda,
sssn sssn EYES ss-ss Ra5 R5sbfs badssa Nss VIZ:
Max Evans. 37-35-72. Stan. Kertes,
wills s1 Husptefi r., 3e.aSg7$i Ben Hossi,