Evening star., 1953-07-07
Burkemo and Torza
Even After 9 Holes
In PGA Title Round
BY the Assoeiassd Press

"A strong wind sweeping across
the Birmingham Country Club
made the compact, 6,465-yard
course a severe test of golfing
skill as Walter Burkemo Of De-
troit and Felice Torza of st.
Charles. ILL.,, met in the 36-hole
final Of the PGA championship
today.
Three of the first four holes
had to be played directly into
the wind and the match was all
square at the end of the ninth.
The 5-foot-6 Torza won the
525-yard first with a birdie 4.
His second shot was 80 yards
short Of the green but he pitched
within IL feet and canned his
putt. Burkemo took a S after
missing a 6-footer.
They halved the second and
third holes in par figures. Then
Burkemo pulled even when he
got his par on the fourth with
a fine four-wood shot to the
green into the teeth of the wind.
Torza put his second shot into a
trap and could not sink 9-foot
putt for a half.
Torza Hits Spectator.
They kalved the next five
holes in par figures. Torza hooked
his drive on the short, dog-leg
9Th into the rough and hit a
spectator on the head. The ball
bounced into bad spot in deep
rough near some trees, but he
came out with a great shot.
Torza made a couple of fine
recovery shots after getting into
the rough on the eighth and
ninth. His tee shot on the eighth
hit a grass bunker, but he
reached the green with his third
for q par 5. His second on the
ninth dropped into the rough
just short of the gren, but his
chip from there almost went into
the cup.
The gallery numbered riore
than 1000 persons at the start
and grew rapidly during the
morning.
En- route to the finals, Burkemo
defeated Lou Barbara of Deal,
N. j., Z and S: Mike Turnesa.
White Plains, N. Y, 3 and L;
Pete Cooper, White Plains. N.
Y. 3 and 2; Dave Douglas, New
ark. DEL. / up, 81 holes. and
Harmon.
Torza defeated Gene Sarazen,
2 and /; Jim Turnesa, defending
champion. 6 and 4; Wally Ulrich,
Austin, Mimi, up, in 38 holes;
Jimmy Clark, Laguna Beach,
Calf, ! up, and 1SaacS.
Isaacs Loses on seth.
The semifinal matches pro-
duced exciting, If not brilliantly
played, matches yesterday in
which Burkemo birdied the seth
hole to beat Claude Harmon, /
up, and Torza won, 1 up, in three
extra holes over Jack Isaacs.
45-year-old Langley (Va.) AFB
professional.
Isaacs yesterday played his
poorest golf since the tourna-
ment started and lost on the
39th. He would have beaten
Torza with any Of his previous
rounds.
Isaacs, who beat Henry Ran
som with four brides in the last
six holes after being three down
with six to play. came back
again yesterday. Jack was four
down with 10 to go when he won
the 9th hole with a par and
came back In SO to square the
match.
Wild Tee Shot Fatal.
But the Virginian had been
flirting with the rough and it
finally caught up with him on
the third extra hole. a 175-yard
par 3, where Isaacs pushed his
tee shot in the adjoining fairway
and failed to reach the green
in two.
Burkemo shot 71-68 in beating
Harmon as the latter, pro st
Mamaroneck, N. Y. and a for
mer PGA semif1nalist as we'll as
Masters champion, had 69-71.
Harmon was extremely critical
of the treatment he had received
from the gallery. which booed
his poor shots, mumbled when
he was shooting. and applauded
when his bold gamble for the
green on the seth went into the
ditch to lose the match.