Evening star., 1953-07-05
Carnoustie Jammed
As Scots Await Bid
By Wee Ice Mon
By the Assoeiosed Press

Hogan to their hearts and quietly
wished him well in the British
Open golf championship begin
ming here Monday.
Tight-lipped, determined Ben
Is their idea of a golfer-a stern
man for stern old game.
They call him the "wee ice
mon" and have begun openly to
compare him with an old hero
of theirs-Atlanta's S Bobby Jones.
But in their usual canny way.
most Scots intend to withhold
Judgment on which Of the two
Americans is the greater until
they see how Hogan handles the
treeless. 7,200-yard Carnoustie
links.
Everyone is deeply conscious
of what the 41-year-old Hogan
has on the line this time. The
current United States Open and
Masters champion needs only to
take the British Open to COM
plete the greatest year recorded
by any golfer since 1880. That
was when Jones won the Open
and Amateur championships of
the United States and Britain.
Interest Rises Sharply.
Hogan's presence here has
made the British Open once
again a major international
event. Interest in the tourna-
ment had trailed of since World
War II.
British and American radio
commentators have set up
broadcasting equipment at the
scene. Golf writers have flocked
to the course from all parts of
British and Western Europe.
Every hotel in a radius of 20
miles is booked solid for the
coming week. In the town itself,
school children stop every SUM-
tanned man they see and ask
for his autograph on the chance
he might be a famous golfer.
Hogan's autograph is the hard
est of all to get. He has been
too busy concentrating on prac-
tice rounds.
In some ways. Hogan faces a
more rugged task at Carnoustie
than Jones did in his grand
slam year. This is Hogan's first
British Open, and his first look
at one of these Scottish courses
that date back to the birth of
the game.
Jones Needed Time.
Jones won the British Open in
1926 and 1927, as we'll as in 1880.
but it took him a little time to
accustom himself to playing con-
ditions over here. For instance,
in the 1921 British Open. Jones
ran into so much trouble he
dropped out in the third round.
In his practice rounds Hogan
has not had chance yet to see
how this course plays when the
wind is really blowing. He has
hit his tee shots low, however,
to prepare himself for that
eventuality.
James r. Hosie, former Scot
tish internationalist who played
an exhibition match with Jones
at CarnouStie in 1880, made this
comparison of the two men:
"Hogan's play is very similar.
and he gives me the impression
he has always got that little in
reserve. Jones was the very same.
Il would say Hogan is better
from the tee, but otherwise his
iron shots and puts are Of the
Jones mould
A field af about 180-including
Defending Champion Bobby
Locke of South Africa-will be-
gin the chase for the title Mon
day.
Two Days of Qualifying.
Qualifying rounds will be play
ed Monday and Tuesday over the
championship course and the
nearby, shorter Burnside course.
The 100 low scores will partici-
pate in the championship proper.
Only so will fight it out in the
last SO holes Friday.
Besides Locke, five former
holders of the title have entered
the field. They are Max Faulk-
ner, winner in 1851; Fred DAILY,
1947; Dick Burton. 1899; A. H.
Padgham, 1896, and Arthur
Havers, 1923. DAILY is Irish. The
others are English.
Two former titleholderS have
scratched their entries. They
are Gene Sarazen, the American
who won in 1882, and Britain's
Henry Cotton. winner in 1894,
1887 and 1948.
Snead Last q. S. Winner.
Sam Snead, not in the present
field, was the last American win
ner in 1916.
Until this year, most of the top
American pros by-paSSed the
British open. because of the trav-
cling expense and the fact they
would miss competitions for big
prize money in the United States.
Total prize money this time
has been increased from $4.760
to $1,000. First prize is 81 400.
an increase of $840 over the old
figure.
While Hogan has commanded
the spotlight in the IL days he
has been here. some shrewd OBJ
servers think Ben will have his
hands full with another Ameri-
can-the debonair Lloyd Man
grum.
Mangrum. Texan now living
In Los Angeles. swings with much
the same rhythm and style as
Hogan. He won the United States
Open in 1916 and was the top
money winner in America in
1948 and 1851.
>:E ell nAGA~GAl