Evening star., 1950-01-04


Open which starts this week end
and runs four days into the first
Of next week-January 6 to 8.
TO-. Mangrum, with a shoulder
smashed after an automobile COL
lision. won't be able to start for
another four or five weeks. But
Hogan, practically torn apart last
February when his 1877 pounds
collided with a bus, has been con-
sidering the idea of trying out
again in this next Los Angeles
show.
Ben already has turned In an
amazing SO over Los Angeles
Riviera course. But his legs have
been swelling up on him and CIV
ing out. and he is wondering If
he can hold out through four days
OF competition over the rugged
Riviera layout which is long and
hilly In spots, fine champion
ship test.
Oddly enough. Hogan won here
IN 1947 and 1913. He won the
National Open here. And 1t was
Mangrum who won year ago.
Now both are suffering from
motor mishaps or their resultant
troubles. Hogan hopes he can
play a round or two anyway as
a test for his once-shattered legs
and body. He is as game as pit
bulldog. So is Mangrum, one of
the heroes Of the Battle Of the
Bulge.
Full Co. ordination Needed.
But golf is a peculiar game. re-
suiring both mental and physical
coordination. It also requires the
working together Of all the body
forces-hands. arms. feet, legs,
head and body. Let one OF these
get out Of whack and the player
usually is in trouble.
So it may be some time before
Hogan and Mangrum. the two
slim Texans. are fit for champion
ship battle. You have to be right
when you 60 up against 10 or IA
under par-up against CTS and
Cos. &
For while Hogan and Mangrum,
two great golfers, are fighting for
condition, out of a field of such
stars as Snead, Middlecoff, Pal
mer, Penna, Burke, Haas, ETC.,
there seems to be at least three
or four who will happen to be hot
over this week end. And, as the
senior Joe Kirkwood says-"When
they get hot, you can take your
six under par and finish 12th."
Joe, jr.. could do well here. Att
least, he has the game. So have
several local pros who are hitting
the ball well. i
One of Big Tournaments.
This L. A. Open is one of the |
big tournaments Of the year. Just
back of the National Open-along-
side the Masters at Augusta. I'll
was the first Of the tournaments, |
as far as ! can recall. that Of
fered $4,000 In prizes. In one OF
these tournaments, $500 was Of
fered for the top purse. 4
I recall the days when Light
Horse Harry Cooper and Mac
Donald Smith were two Of the
. main battlers. The brilliant Scot
won this competition four times
against the pick of the field.
Smith is one of the few good
golfers I've ever seen play who
took practically no turf with his
iron shot. He had such perfect
touch and timing that his iron
blade barely skinned the grass.
Course a Tough One.
The Riviera test is tough one.
At the first hole you stand on an
upland plateau with the fairway
far below. From there on you get
little rest from numerous traps,
trees and barrancas-deep depres-
sions, after the manner of deep,
wide bitches full of rocks.
When Hogan shot this course
In 276, or IL under par, he turned
In a matchless feat Of long, accu-
rate swinging and sound putting.
The bus that crashed into Ben's
auto early last year came close to
Wrecking a great artist.
$ Mangrnm sounds a warning
that Middlecoff may be even more
dangerous this season. "He has
the swing, the power and the con-
troll" Lloyd says, "and now he
i. has the needed experience. You
can keep your eye on him this
year." i
In the l.. A. Open, they begin
their years collection Of prize
money and their stroking for the
Vardon Trophy. Snead will have
to defend both.