Evening star., 1952-04-04
Both Favorites
Shoot 70s, but
Methods Differ
Stunning Sam Spotty.
Ben Letter Perfect;
z Leaders Hove 6os
By MerreII WhittIesey
Stor Sfoff Correspondent

ment is one day old. and yet one
might say it is no closer to a deci-
sion than before it started.
Because, going into the second
round today. Ben Hogan and Sam
Snead still are all square after
their opening 70's and are just one
shot behind Texan Ray Gatford
and Tar Heel Johnny Palmer, the
rather unexpected opening day
co-leaders who had three-under-
par Cos.
The majority opinion here is
If Hogan doesn't repeat as Masters
champion. Snead will succeed him
with his second Masters title.
Both seemed content with their
first-day scores. although they
arrived at the totals from oppo-
site directions.
Their Methods Differ.
Reluctant to mention leg
cramps and with no reference to
his arthritis or severe headaches,
Hogan played an almost perfect
tee-to-green round. He missed
only two green's in regulation fig
ures. one of them by only a yard.
But on Is of the 18 holes Ben
required the regulation two puts
On the other hand. Snead had
what was an odd round for him.
On the not too difficult par-5
holes, which he figured to birdie
with the greatest long game in
golf, Sam had to be content with
even f1ves. But he came within
Ia fraction of an inch of playing
the par-3 holes in even twos. He
|blrdied the first three, and on the
18th his five-foot putt for a deuce
clrcled the cup but stayed on the
Ilip.
EvIn a horrible 2-over-par 6
on the first hole didn't disturb
Siamming Sam. Instead of sulk-
ing and fretting after such a
nlghtmarish start, Sam appeared
completely nerveless as he birdied
f1ve OF the next IL holes. He re-
marked that if he had allowed
that 6 to get under his skin he
would have been in no mood to
make the brides that followed.
Sam Has Other Troubles.
Snead had troubles other than
that 6. He played a shot out
OF the water on the 18th, not a
smart one, as he remarked later,
and took 6 there. He hooked his
second shot on the last hole onto
the ninth green and had to wait
for a ruling as to where to drop
the ball. Then he fused with a
photographer before he finally fin
ished with a for his 20.
We've never had it so good
here" Hogan remarked after his
round, and his opinion was voiced
by most of the low scorers. The
pins. which were switched to
tr1ckier positions for the second
round today, were placed in the
most favorable positions in Mas
ters history. The tee-markers
were not all the way back, and
the veteran Byron Nelson, a par
u shooter yesterday, said. ION
some of those holes we were play
ing from the ladies' tees"
Yet despite the inviting course
which included soft green's due to
recent rains and the most perfect
weather imaginable, nobody took
the course apart. Most of the
golfers in the big field were play
ing the waiting game, waiting for
brides and waiting for the other
contestants to come apart.
More Ideal Weather.
Another day of ideal weather
greeted the field today, but the
increasing pressure figured to
separate some of the early leaders
There were 13 under par and 10
par-shooters the first round.
Gafford, playing in his second
Masters. is a 38-year-old pro from
Dallas where the National Open
will be played in June. He added
proof that putting is the game
here by taking only 20 for the
round.
Palmer, veteran of many sea.
sons on the pro tour at 80. has
not been outstanding for the past
two seasons, but he claims he is
playing as well as he ever did
Putting is the secret, he said
and he putted well for his SO.
The only 70-shooter in addition
to Snead and Hogan was AL Bes.
selink. big. handsome, curly.
haired blond. He was the frs,
player of the tee and if he doesn't
win the title, it will come as 8
surprise to him, for he seems tt
be more than moderately cocky
Worsham Has Spotty Round.
Ex-Washingtonian Lew Wor.
sham. now the Oakmont pro ii
Pittsburgh. and George Fazio, ex.
Woodmont pro who now is an
automobile dealer in Cambridge
Md. are very much in the RUNNING
with II and 70. respectively
IWorsham, favoring a stiff neck
played feast-or-famine golf with
SIX brides and five bogies. Three
OF his brides were made by hittine
the par S holes in two shots and
getting down in two puts. All his
bogies were due to missing the
green by a blanket-length margin
Lew could have been III the COS.
Fazio. first-round leader last
year with 68. was "a under pal
going to the 445-yard par-4 11tt
hole. but tried to get cute with
his drive there and almost
ishanked it.
He finally struggled to a 2-oyer.
par 6 on the hole. but was vel,
satisfied with the rest of the
Ir0llnd AS Ea1so eo;S ssr,-. -,