Evening star., 1950-05-27
By ths Assosiotsd Press

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland. May
27.-Frank Stranahan of Toledo
Ohio. today won his second
British amateur golf champion
ship within three years when he
overwhelmed Dick Chapman OF
Pinehurst, N. c.. 8 and s in the
scheduled 36-hole final.
Stranahan. who also captured
the title in l94S. never gave Chap
man a chance. Playing in rain
and a cold. gusty wind. he built
a three-hole lead on the morning
round and increased it to 7 up
on the first nine in the afternoon
as his older opponent played
ragged golf.
Chapman. who won the amateur
championship Of the United States
decade ago. played his worst
golf Of the week k-long tournament
as he took 80 strokes-7 over par
in the morning and then re-
quired ~ more to negotiate the
out nine in the afternoon.
Stranahan Shoots II.
On the morning l8 holes Stran-
ahan shot 40-37. which was not up
to his previous form. but the
round was played under excep-
tionally poor conditions. His 80
on the third nine holes Of the
match was not as we'll as he has
been shooting, either, but all he
needed to do was stay somewhere
near par to defeat Chapman.
With seven holes to go Strana-
han was dormie and needed only
to get a half on the 30th to sew
up his victory. But he declined to
do it that way.
He pitched his second beauti-
fully to the green on the 316-yard
hole and raped down his putt for
a winning birdie 3 to score the
most lop-sided final triumph since
Lawson Little defeated Jim Wal
lace of Scotland, IA and l3. in
1884.
Stranahan and Little are the
only Americans to have won the
title twice in its 65-year history
1t marked the second bitter dis
appointment for Chapman in the
five times he has tried for the
British crown. He also reached
the l947 final only to lose to an
other American. Willie Turnesa
Stranahan entered today's final
after beating Cyril Tolley, last re-
manning British hope, in their
semif1nal match yesterday. The
score was 4 and 3. Chapman
edged out another American, Jim
McHale of Philadelphia. l up.
Chapman Wins First Hole.
The match started with Chap
man winning the first hole. when
Stranahan missed an 8-foot putt.
On the next hole Stranahan
squared the match as Chapman
pulled his second shot into a
bunker short of the green and
took three to get down.
Stranahan won the 576-yard
fifth with par 5 after they had
halved the third and fourth. He
outdistanced Chapman off the tee
and was just short of the green
with his second, Chapman failed
with a 3-foot putt to take a 6 and
fell behind for the first time.
Chapman appeared bothered by
the wind on the green's. His putt
ing was not as steady as yester-
day. W - -.
Stranahan kept His one-hole
lead around the turn.
On the 364-yard seventh Stran-
ahan twice started to putt, then
walked away to take his stance
anew. After all this maneuvering
he failed to sink 1t from feet.
Chapman, also taking plenty of
time, missed from feet and they
halved in five.
Stranahan increased his lead to
two up through the 18th as he
shot steady 4-3-4 par golf.
On the 170-yard 11th Chapman
sliced his tee shot to the edge of
the adjoining seventh green and
had to pitch back with his second.
He missed a 10-foot putt for a
half as Stranahan easily got down
with his par.
, They halved the 18th in one
over-par f1ves. Stranahan then
increased his lead to 3 up by hit
ting his second shot true to the
green on the 564-yard l4th and