Evening star., 1953-06-09
Early .Finishers Fail
To Get Under IS in
Open Qualifying Play
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the rough close to the fairways
was so deep and thick that it
was almost impossible to get out
well after an errant shot.
The Field Club was hard hit
by the storm and temporary
under repair" markers were put
up in several places. Contest
ants were allowed to clean golf
balls on the green's and to lift
them without penalty when they
became imbedded in the soft
putting surfaces.
Something New Added.
The United States Golf Asso-
ciation is presenting something
new in these pre-tournament
qualifying rounds, which mean
that only half the players here
for the Open actually will play
in the championship itself.
Julius Boros, the defending
champion, and the 149 low scor-
erS and ties for 149th place from
the 36-hole preliminary rounds
will start play Thursday morn
ing in the Open championship.
Half the 800 contestants are
playing the Field Club today, and
the other half are at Oakmont,
scene of the championship. They
will reverse courses tomorrow.
Washington'S Lew Worsham,
the Oakmont pro, believes a
score as high as a pair of 80s
will survive the preliminary quail
flying, and that should mean
most of the big names have lit
tie to worry about.
Oakmont. one of the worlds
great golf courses, has been
toughened somewhat, but there
were few. if any, complaints
about unfairness. Much has been
written about the traps that have
been taken out of Oakmont since
the Open last was played here
In 1885. But many of them were
meaningless hazards. The ones
that cost strokes still are there.
Rough Not Knee High.
Some of the fairways are mar
rover and the rough is not to be
taken lightly, but it is not knee
high. as had bene reported.
The most popular prediction
IS that something like a pair of
72s and TBS will win the title,
which would be a 72-hole score
of 290. That's high score for
run-of-the-mine pro tourna-
ments, but is not extraordinarily
high for the Open, where the
tremendous pressure offers
threat to match any man
altered golf course.
Oakmont members who long
have Dragged that their golf
course is unbeatable must have
WINGED yesterday when Billy
Collins. former assistant pro in
Baltimore. played the front nine
In a 20, seven under par.
Eagle on First Hole.
Collins, winner of the Middle
Atlantic assistant pro champion
ship. as we'll as a pro sweep
stakes at Kenwood last year,
eagled the first hole-probably
the easiest on the course-and
added five brides, including a
chip shot into the cup on the
eighth. Billy, now an assistant
at Great Neck, Long Island,
played the last nine holes in
four over par 80 for 68.
NOTES.-The late Withdrawals
included two former champions,
Chick Evans and Craig Wood,
plus Harold (Jug) McSpaden.
The requirements include Royal
Hogan, brother of Ben, the
tournament favorite, and Bobby
Cruickshank of the nearby
CHARTERS Club. That gives the
veteran Cruickshank a record of
having played in five National
championships at Oakmont.
WorSham hasn't played his
home course, or any other, for
four days. After taking look
at the Field Club, Ben Hogan
said be was cutting something
out every year. and next year it
was going to be hilly courses.