Evening star., 1951-07-03
Three Stymies B|ame'
In Part by Bass|er
For 9-and-S Defeat
(Later Story on Page ALL
By MerreII WhittIesey
Stor Staff Correspondent

OAhMON1 "a, july S.-Odm
Snead gets his second straight
shot at a player with strictly a
nome town reputation when he
meets Walter Burkemo of Frank
lin, Mich, in the National PGA
championship final today at Oak
mont Country Club.
Maryland Open Champ Charley
Bassler, grinning and looking very
much unlike a man who had just
been beaten, 9 and 8, by Snead,
said after losing in the semifinals
Yesterday. He'd have beaten me
anyway, he's too good for me now,
out I'd have made it a little closer
without those stymies."
Handsome Charley, 29-year- -old
pro at the Rolling Road club in
Catonsville, was referring to three
dead stymies Snead put in his
path yesterday on the second,
eighth and 18th holes. Two of
the holes Snead won when it ap-
peared Bassler had sewed up a
naive. The other he halved when
it appeared Bassler would win it.
Snead Practices on Stymies.
However, Bassler might have
jumped one or all of the stymies
if he had watched the vastly
more experienced Snead before
they started their semiflnal match.
While Charley was practicing
puts, Snead was practicing jump
ing stymies. Paradoxically, he
didn't have one all day.
They're calling this made-to-
order tournament for Snead since
he beat Lloyd Mangrum in the
third round. Jackie Burke is a
tough customer, but he couldn't
beat Snead.
Bassler is a nice youngster, but
he's not in Snead's class and the
score proved it. Sans opponent
today, the 32-year-old, curly
haired Burkemo. is like Bassler,
a State Open champion. Burkemo
is the Michigan titlist and came
from behind to beat the obviously
weary Ellsworth Vines. l up, in
81 holes. after being 2 down.
May Give Snead a Fight.
Burkemo, two-time recipient of
the Purple. Heart in Europe in
World War II, has the ability to
give Snead a scrap, and ap-
parently is not too apprehensive
as he said to Snead yesterday,
so you're the dark horse in this
tournament"
But Burkemo will have to pro-
duce a far different golf game If
he is going to make a match of
the final. For the five match-play
rounds to date, Burkemo is 13 over
par, and Snead is II under, a
difference of 80 strokes. They're
calling and 5 as Snead's margin
today. For instance, where Snead
was 9 up on Bassler after 28 holes
yesterday, Burkemo would have
been even with Bassler. matching
cards. Snead would have been 8
up on Burkemo.
Snead already has won the
PGA twice and been runnerup
twice.
Bassler, hitting the big time
after several blowups as nervous,
inexperienced young pro, played
acceptance golf yesterday, 4
over par for % holes over one OF
the worlds truly great courses
yet he wasn't in the game.
Wins Only One Hole.
Bassler won only one hole, the
18th, and on that short par he
was trapped in two and knocked
la wedge shot from the sand into
the cup. He almost won the 18th
where a 55-foot putt stopped or
the lip of the cup, and twice in
the afternoon round he dropped
birdie puts before Snead, but Sam
topped them.
Charley said after 1t was over
that he really only let out on two
tee shots, on the goth and 2lst
holes, and on those two his drives
went we'll past Snead's. On most
of the others he had a tendency
to steer the ball, and more often
than not found traps or the rough
The stymies were of tremendous
Importance. The first one was or
the second hole, where Basslel
missed a 10-footer for birdie anc
when Snead missed an 8-footer
his ball was directly in the path
of Basshr's.
Same Story on Eighth.
1t was the same story on the
par 3 eighth, with Bassler hitting
a fine appro 'ch putt, but Snead's
ball stopped in his line. On the
18th Bassler had 5-footer for 9
birdie and an apparent win, but
from so feet Snead's ball laio
Charley dead stymie. They were
accidental. Of course, as nobody
lis accurate enough to stymie his
opponent on purpose.
When it happened the thirc
time, it shook Charley's morale
He was playing good golf against
one of the great players of al
time, and was getting beat by bet.
ter golf, and luck besides.
Ninety per cent of the gallery