Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-04
Hogan Replaces Par
As Standard 10 Beat
In Masters This Week
By the Associated Press


AUGUSTA, Ca, April 8. -
Ben Hogan, current king of golf.
will replace par as a standard
for measuring the success of
champions competing in the 18th
Masters tournament next week.
Par for the rolling. 6.900-yard
Augusta national course with
its tremendous, cloSe-cropped
green's is a routine 36-36-72.
But par golf never has been
and probably never will be -
good enough to win a Masters.
Last year par came out a poor
second when the painstaking
stylist from Palm Springs, Calf.
shot the best four consecutive
rounds" of his championship
studded career. Hogan won with
a 274. which is IA strokes under
par and five strokes under the
previous course record set by
Ralph Guldahl in 1899 and tied
by Claude Harmon in 1913.
Hogan Big Question.
Play starts Thursday and the
big question is, can Hogan do
it again? Nobody knows. Like
Ben said. "You never can tell
about golf; some of the darndest
things can happen" But q lot
of folks think he can. and will.
If he. does, it will be the first
successful defense of a Masters
title since the tournament was
launched in 1884. Some of the
games greatest have tried and
failed.
Jimmy Demaret. Sam Snead.
Byron Nelson, Horton Smith.
Craig Wood. Gene Sarazen,
Henry Picard. Herman Keiser,
Harmon. Guldahl-and Hogan.
too-have been unable to put
victories back to-back although
Demaret has won three Masters
and Hogan, Smith, Snead and
Nelson two each.
Ed Dudley. club professional,
said today that barring bad
weather, the sprawling. beautiful
course will be in the best condi-
ton ever for a Masters. And all
the flowers and shrubs for which
it is famous are expected to be
at their peak.
New Grass Growing.
cit ought to be in tip-top
shape" Dudley said. "Of course.
if we get a lot of rain it will play
slower, but right now it looks
fine. The early spring like
weather is bringing up lot OF
new grass in the fairways.
II think the scoring will be
low again this year. but I doubt
that the winning score will
match Ben's 274."
A record 1T invitations have
gone out and a record field
about 80-is expected.
The classy field will be seek
ing not only the prestige that
goes with a Masters victory. but
also a hefty hunk of prize
money. Awards totaled about
SIG, 900 last year, with $4,000 to
the winner. All contestants get
to play all four rounds; the field
Is not reduced as in some tour.
naments.
Other StandOuts to Play.
In addition to most of the
previous winners, the field will
include such standouts as Cary
Middlecoff, Lew Worsham, Dave
Douglas, Ted Knoll, Lloyd Man
grum, Doug Ford. Frank Stran-
ahan, Chandler Harper. Harvie
Ward, Skee Riegel. Gene Littler
and many others.
Ed (Porky) Oliver. whose run
nerup score of 279 last year
would have won all but two pre-
vious masters, also will be back.
Just as last year, the 41-year-
old Hogan was the first contest
ant on the scene and he has been
working steadily on his game
since his arrival March Is.
I'm feeling fine" said the
mechanical man who added the
National and British Opens to
his Masters victory last year. Il
had a touch of flu a few weeks
ago but I'm in good shape now.
My legs? They're okay. My
game? It's all right, too"