Evening star., 1953-06-07
0akmont Challenges
Field Of $50 in PLAY
Starting Thursday
BY the Asseeiofed Press

PITTSBURGH, June 6.-Ben
Hogan, the favorite for the 53rd
National Open golf champion
ship next week at Oakmont,
warned today the title would
very likely go to a rank out
slider who can't break par.
II don't believe anybody is
going to whip this course for
four rounds" Hogan, a three
time winner, said. II figure a
score Of 292 will be good enough
to take it.
"Who do I think has the best
chance? Well, maybe Sam
Parks again. Who knows? I'm
not kidding. It'll be somebody
who can play these tricky
greens. It could be Parks or
any outsider"
Sam Parks, jr., a 200-1 shot
at the time but now a steel
executive in Pittsburgh, won
the National Open in 1895, the
last time the event was played
at Oakmont. His score was 299
Ill over par.
Armour Won With SO1
The tournament was held at
Oakmont also in 1927 and that
time Tommy Armour won with
30l. the great Bobby Jones
finishing 18th with a score of
312.
The steady Hogan and the
killing course at Oakmont-a
par u layout measuring 6,916
yardS-are the twin perils for
299 golfers who begin two days
Of qualifying for the big cham
pionShip Tuesday.
Oakmont's 37-35-72 par, bull
warked by blind holes, saw
teeth traps and lightning green's,
has never been humbled in COM
pet1tlve medal play, although
numerous tournaments have
been staged here. The record is
294, set by Willie MacFarlane in
the Pennsylvania Open in 1884.
There is some hope for the
par-breakers, however. Sand
traps will be furrowed but not
to the extent they were at pre-
viouS open Journeys.
Joint Statement Issued.
The Oakmont club and the
United States Golf Association
issued a joint statement today
saying they are ''in complete
agreement on all details, includ-
ing putting green's, common
roughs and sand bunkers."
Oakmont proposed to use deep
f1ve-inch burrows in the traps
such as those which plagued
golfers in the 1927 and 1885
Open tournaments. Oakmont
officials were understood to be
insisting on these burrows over
the protest of the golfers and
the USGA.
The statement said the club
will continue providing such fur
rows but "in a somewhat modi-
fled form" There will be slight
burrows on traps next to the
greens and more moderate fur
rows on those adjacent to the
fairways.
Oakmont will carry only half
the load in the 36-hole qualifying
Tuesday and Wednesday. Play
ers will go 18 at Oakmont and
18 at the nearby Pittsburgh Field
Club, a 6.712-yard, par II course
with tight fairways and energy
taxing hills.
BOros Already Qualified.
The low 149 shooters in these
two rounds will qualify to join
Julius Boros. defending cham
pion, in the 72-hole champion
ship proper Thursday through
Saturday. AS titlist. Boros alone
didn't have to qualify.
The mild-mannered champion
from Mid Pines, N. c., is almost
the forgotten man in the strong
field headed by Hogan and in
cluding eight other champions.
The past champions in the
list are Billy Burke, Gene Sara
zen, Sam Parks, Lawson Little,
Craig Wood, Lloyd Mangrum,
Lew Worsham and Cary Middle
coff.
Chick Evans, jr., of Chicago,
1916 champion, and Harold >(Jug)
McSpaden of New York with
drew today.
Last of Mid Atlantic Groun