Evening star., 1950-01-08
Ben FiveStrokes
Off As Barber
Leads With 1877
Big Crowd Follows
Bontom Swineer;
Ransom Second
BY the Assoeiotsd Press

was still five strokes off the pace
at the midway mark of the SIS, ,00(
Los Angeles Open.
The game little better from Tex.
as blasted out a two-under par 6!
in the second round of the tour,
nament, with a large section of s
gallery of 1880 tagging at hi.
heels for a 36-hole total of 142.
The surprise leader proved to bt
little known. but widely respected
Jerry Barber of Pasadena, who
shot 68 to 60 with his opening
round 50 for a total of 1877. The
33-year-old one time farm boy
from Woodson, Ill, a five- foot five
145-pound craftsman on thu
green's, played an even 34-34-6t
for Riviera's 7,019-yard par IS.
36-71.
Ransom Two Strokes Back.
Two strokes back of Barber was
another dark horse, Henry Ran
som OF st. Andrews, Ill. The for
mer Texan, a veteran of more
than decade of tournament golf
fired the lowest round of the tour
nament to date-a -33-34-67 for
|139.
Ransom was the only one stand
ing in the f1ve-stroke spread be-
tween Barber and Hogan and
Ellsworth Vines. Vines shot 70
to tie Hogan at 142 blows.
(Charles Bassler. the District
Open champion from Balti-
more, added a rs to an opening
IS for ISL. while Fred Bolton,
former District pro now at the
st. Louis c. c., had a par II
after a first-round IS for 149.
Otto Greiner of Baltimore
was further up the list with a
II today and a 143 total, while
Bob Hamilton, representing
Prince Georges, came up with
73 today and a IA total. Also
with 70 today, totaling 145, was
Lew Worsham, the former Ma
tional Open champion from
Wasl1ingtonD
Six players were knotted at 143.
They were Sam Snead. Otto
Greiner of Baltimore, Bob Gajda
of Detroit. Ed Furgol, Eric Monti
OF Los Angeles and Charles Cong
don Of Tacoma. Wash.
Tonight the field was trimmed
slightly. Players with scores OF
1853 and under go into tomorrow's
round. Tomorrow night 1t will be
cut to 64 and ties.
Snead, who had a II yesterday,
looked like threat for awhile. He
was two under par at one stage
But his putter turned to rubber
and he missed two three-foot puts
and a four-footer on the back
nine late this afternoon and wound
up with u for 143.
The first round leader, Furgol
OF Royal Oak, Mich, also faltered
after his So yesterday. Furgol re-
quired rs strokes today for 143.
Hogan Still Focal Point.
A stiff fight looms ahead in the
18 hole rounds tomorrow and
Monday, but Hogan Is still the
focal point of interest.
Gone today was the drama and
tenseness Of his return to competi-
ton yesterday for the first time
since he was badly injured in q
car crash II months ago.
Replacing the Hogan of yester-
day with his jittery 73 was a care
full, much more confident player
Nothing seemed to bother him
even an amateur photographer
who trained his camera directly
in the line of a Hogan putt.
And where he seemed to lose
power as play progressed yester-
day. he closed strongly today.
Hogan climbed into contention
with a 34-35-69 exhibition. He
had two brides on the first side
and two coming home. He sank 8
60-foot putt on a sharply slantins
green. put that had to arch ur
and then drop down.
The weather was ideal and large
galleries turned out to watch the
show. Hogan drew by far the
largest but sizable throngs fol.
lowed subsequent threesomes thai
included Sam Snead, Cary Middle.
cof and Jimmy Demaret.
New Confidence.
Hogan, reverting to a previously
assigned starting time instead O.
a subsequent later hour, playec
with much more confidence. HI
was trapped on the first two hole.
but exploded out to bag a birdie
on one, the first, and he sank q
l2-footer on the ninth to 60 ont
under par at the turn of thu
round.
ne tnree-putted the 11th, miss
ing q 2-footer, but shot ever
figures on through the 18th. There
he shot his best stroke OF the
day, the long. curving putt, ane
wound up the afternoons worl
with an 8-foot birdie putt on l,
and even par 4 on the final hole
Monti, playing with Hogan
carded a 10 for a I43 and thu
other member OF the trio, Johnny
Bulla. got a rs for 149.
Barber is launching his thirc
year on the tournament trail. Hi
played without singular success.
the past two years but is ratec
one of the more promising of the
newcomer talent.
He chipped feet past the pir
ION the 4th hole and missed the
putt coming back for a / over
par 4. But he rammed home
(See HOGAN. Page B-2.) :