Evening star., 1952-06-15
oliver Noses Out
Ben for Second
On 45-Foot Puff
North Curolinu Pro
| Goes Ahead With SO,
Then Hangs on GrimIy
| a., kA.,>lI ASL:xsl>.~
By MerreII Whittlesey
Sfor Stoff Covrespondent

DALLAS, June 14.-Julius Boros,
big guy the pros call Moose"
suddenly became inspired today
and won the National Open Golf
championship with a 281 score,
five strokes better than a tired
Texan named Ben Hogan, who
finished third.
BoroS. 32-year-old, 300
FOUNDER of Hungarian descent,
said this was the first time in his
life he ever became keyed up over
a round of golf. He whisked the
lead away from Hogan with a
two-under-par 68 this morning
and was in front all the way this
afternoon. The poker-faced Boros
finished with II over the North
wood Club course for a one-over-
par effort for the 72 holes.
To the man on the street, this
is the most startling result in the
Open since Tony Manero won in
1896, but to the golfers on the
pro circuit, it is not too much of
a surprise. Boros has been with
them since he turned pro three
years ago. and his $4,000 prize
money today moved him up from
thirteenth place to third with q
total of $3.50.
WOrSham Calls Turn.
Hogan. as Lew Worsham pre-
dicted at the halfway mark, once
again became human, just as he
did in the last round of the Mas
ters. Ben was over par on all four
mines today as he paired 74s for
286. and on the very last hole he
lost second place to his playing
partner. Ed (Porky) Oliver.
Oliver, who must have dropped
20 pounds today under a broiling
Texas sun that sent the tempera-
ture to SO, sank an approach putt
of As feet on the I'D green for a
birdie 3 and a second-place total
of 285. worth $2,500. That shot
was worth $3.50. as If he had
missed. he and Hogan would have
tied for second. Ben, seeking his
fourth title, won $1,000.
Boros, a native of Fairfield.
Conn.,. and now pro at Mid-Pines.
N. c., played the last round like
a man without nerves. He was
the only player in the field who
didn't wear a cap or eyeshade.
Neither the sun nor anything
else appeared to bother him.
More than half of the gallery of
$4,000 followed Boros and Wor-
sham this afternoon. With the
exception of a few scattered hun
dreds, the rest were with Hogan
and Oliver. The most dramatic
moment of the final round brought
the two sun-baked galleries side
by side on the parallel sixth and
18th holes.
Puts Ball In Trap.
Boros was even par playing the
18th, a par 3 hole of 200 yards.
He dumped his tee shot into a
sand trap. and the crowd moaned
as he struck lightly at the ball
in the sand and left it there. He
hit it again, barely made the
green, and then two-putted for
tWo-over par five.
Many thought the pressure was
beginning to tell on the muscled.
shaggy haired fellow and that
Hogan would catch him for sure.
But almost at that very moment.
Hogan sliced a second shot out of
bounds on the sixth hole and he
also came up with a double bogey.
a six.
On the 18th hole. a relatively
easy par 4. Boros duck-hooked a
drive, played a second shot too
soft. and was trapped again. But
he patty-caked the ball within
feet of the cup and dropped the
putt for a par.
He came out Of a trap for one
putt and a birdie on the 14th, to
get back within a stroke of par.
On the 18th he was trapped again
and softly played a trap shot 20
feet from the cup. His putt hit
the cup. spun around, momentar-
lily hesitated on the lip of the cup
and dropped in as his gallery
which now must have neared
10000 persons, most Of whom
couldn't even see a shot-roared
and Boros broke into his biggest
smile of the day.
On the 10Th he flubbed an ap-
proach, but putted into the cup
from off the green for a par. On
the 17th bis drive hit a tree. but
it was his day and the ball bounded
into play. He pared that hole
Continued on Col. 2, Page B-2.)