Evening star., 1953-07-06


Jack West Feliee Torza.
land, At. owning the National
Amateur title. the youngsters
would take back seat.
If Torza wins both days. he
would be the smallest PGA
champ in history. That certainly
would take an edge off the power
hitters. If either wins. it will be
the biggest dark-horse triumph
in PGA history.
Harmon Meets BurkemO.
In the other semifinal to-day
and the winner of this match
will be the favorite in tomor-
rows 36-hole finale - Claude
Harmon of Mamaroneck. N. Y,
meets Walter Burkemo, from
nearby Franklin Hills Club.
Burkemo is the heavy favorite
of the Detroit golf fans. This
marks the second time that the
Motor City area has been host
to the PGA championship and
has had one of its stars meet
with success. In 1947 when the
first two match-play rounds pro-
duced almost as many upsets as
last Friday, Chick Harbert went
to the final, saving the event
from becoming a financial flop.
Isaacs has been the most over
looked of the PGA semifinalists,
but the scoreboard shows the
blond Virginian to be seven un-
der par for the four matches he
has played, after qualifying with
74-72-146, four over par.
Isaacs Scores Mild Upset.
1saacs' 1-up victory over
Henry Ransom of Pontiac,
Mich, yesterday after being
three down with six to play, was
mild surprise. His first tri-
umphs over Chandler Harper and
Fred Haas were upsets. and his
third victory over Labron Harris
was more or less expected.
Dave Douglas. upset king of
the first three rounds, made a
great try for fourth extra hole
match Yesterday. But his bid for
an eagle three on the seth hole
missed by a fraction of an inch
and Burkemo beat him, up,
after Douglas was three. down
with three holes to play. Burke
mos great second shot was only
212 feet from the cup on the seth
and he still would have had a
chance to win if Douglas had
made his.
Harmon used an out-nine OF 80
in the afternoon as the big wedge
in a Sands triumph over Bill
Nary. who was l up after 18.
But he had no answer to Har-
mons 33. The pro at fashion,
able Winged Foot in the summer
and Seminole in Palm Beach in
the winter. Harmon has gone as
far as the PGA semifinals before,
and is a former Masters cham
pion.
TOrza Defeats Clark.
Torza played a great second
wood shot and a magnificent
wedge to the green on the 36th
to beat Jimmy Clark, / up, in
the other match. Thus, three
of the four quarter final matches
went all the way to thrill an
unexpected turnout of nearly
$4,000 in 100-degree heat.
Whoever wins. the Ryder Cup
team that meets the British in
September will have a new and
unexpected face, since the PGA
champion is an automatic selec-
ton under a new ruling.
Isaacs won his match with
Ransom with a birdie on the
36th after Ransom missed a
4-footer that would have sent
the match into extra holes. 1t
was the fifth hole in the last
six of the match that Isaacs
won.
ISaacS Rallies to Win.
In Isaacs' rally, after he won
the 31st with a par, he holed
45-footer for a birdie 3 at the
32d and Clipped in from about
Is feet for a deuce on the 33d.
That squared the match. On
the 34th he put a second shot
10 inches from the pin for a
third straight birdie.
The Virginian played the 35th
via the rough and lost to Ran
SONS par. On the last hole
Isaacs was on the back edge of
the putting surface in and
Clipped close for his birdie.
TorZa, who beat Gene Sarazen
in the first round, credits the
latter with his success. He
taught me to play my own shots
and forget my opponent" Torza
said.