Evening star., 1951-07-18
Isaacs 0utfoxes Field
With Cautious Golf
To Win State Open
By MerreII WhittIesey

JuSt pldl1 JACK 1SddCS, WIG
played his own golf game instead
of playing the course. wons his
second Maryland Open champion
ship yesterday for just that rea-
son.
Isaacs played Baltimore's Sub
urban Club in 66-71-137, pock-
eted $225 for himself. took home
a silver cup for his wife, and had
the satisfaction of beating the
best in this section for the third
time in four 36-hole meetings this
season.
Isaacs was the sectional medal
ist in the National Open and PGA
qualifying. Last week. in the
Middle Atlantic PGA, he shot a
par round in the morning but
scared to 70 in the afternoon.
The only blot on his record this
year is that he failed to qualify
for match play at the National
PGA and for the last So holes of
the National Open.
Course Proves Tougher.
Suburban played mighty easy
in the Pre-Open pro-am Mon
day. Sixteen players shot par or
better over the 6.127-yard course,
and it appeared that Bobby
Brownell's record of 1856 for the
State Open would be beaten by
perhaps the top four or five
players.
But yesterday morning it wasn't
quite so easy. The pins had been
played in fair positions, but in
spots where brides were harder
to get. Still 10 players had par
or better in the first round of the
State Open. Isaacs was the lead
er with four-under-par Sc.
But instead Of a wide-open
scrap in the afternoon, everybody
but Isaacs apparently set out to
tear the course apart. Easy-go-
ing Jack just set out to accumu-
late as many pars as possible. He
missed the maximum of Is by one
when he three-putted 10th green
for his only over-par hole of the
day. In SO holes he had 81 pars,
four brides and a bogey, 19 of
his pars in a row.
Conditions Are Better.
The strange thing about it Is
that playing conditions were
much better yesterday afternoon.
Instead of the hot, humid
weather Of Monday and yester-
day morning. there was a cool
breeze in the afternoon. The
course had dried out and the ball
rolled. But only four players shot
par or better in the afternoon,
Dan Herring of Petersburg with
So, Brownell and Ralph Bogart,
69s. and Kenny Fletcher Of Burn
ing Tree 10.
After it was over, Brownell's
1941 record of 1856 strokes at Elk
ridge still is the tournament rec
ord. In fact, Isaacs was the only
man to beat Brownell. who
finished second for the second
straight year.
Charley Bassler, defending
favorite, has lost his edge some
where between the National PGA
semifnals and his return home.
He made a stab at 1t with a 68 in
the, morning, but that included
shot out of a sand trap into the
cup for an eagle three. He is
not playing with the same hungry
manner, and, although he is not
complaining, obviously is not feel
ing fit.
Players Hit the Skids.
Bassler scared to IA in the
afternoon and his kid brother
Bill, who tied Charley's 68 in the
morning went all the way to 80.
The morning So shooters, Walter
Romans, Andy Gibson and Keith
Kallio, all hit the skids early in
the afternoon. The field had
played only few holes Of the
second round when it was obvious
that Isaacs was making one
man show of it'by playing it safe
instead of chasing after brides.
Bogart. with 1859, and Her.
ring, 1868 tied for third with one
over par totals of 141. For the
championship, Isaacs was the
only par breaker and Brownell
the only par shooter,