Evening star., 1955-06-18
Hogan One Stroke off Pace
AsOpenEnters LastRounds
Four-Time King
Agoin Big Threat
To Bolt Ward

SAN FRANC1SCO, Juue 10
tP.-The shadow Of "the Hawk"
lay over the National Open Golf
tournament again today.
Ben Hogan, the limping four
time champion dubbed "the
Hawk" by his rivals, was one
stroke off the pace as the field
of So squared away for the
grueling 36-hole finals Of the
55th annual tournament.
Holding the lead. but looking
over their shoulders at the man
seeking an unprecedented fifth
Open title, were Amateur Harvie
Ward, jr., of San Francisco and
tempestuous Tommy Bolt, each
with 144.
(The National Open will be
on WRC-TV, channel 4. be-
ginning at 8 p.m.)
Hogan himself was bracketed
with three others-two of them
virtual unknowns on the golf
circuit-with las. Walker Inman.
jr.. of Augusta. Ga. and Jack
Fleck of Davenport, Iowa,
equaled Hogan's 36-hole total.
So did Julius Boros, the 1852
open titlist.
Hogan Has Little to Say
/ The 42-year-old Hogan. OBJ
viously dreading the long double
tour over the hilly. rough
strewn, 6,700-yard Lake course
of the Olympic Country Club
today, brooded late yesterday as
he finished his round. He studied
his card intently but had little
to say.
Such was not the case, how
ever. with Bolt. The quick
tempered Texan, who chopped
three strokes off par with a 81
On his opening round, sky
rocketed to a n yesterday and
stalked angrily from the club
house when newsmen sought to
question him.
Il have nothing to say to
newspapermen," he stormed, in
contrast to his affable attitude
of "a hours earlier. Later he
made a token appearance in the
press room.
FurgOl Just Makes Finale
The heavily roughed course,
which only Bolt clipped for a
subpar round on opening day,
continued to plague the 159
golfers who teed off yesterday.
1t took 155 to qualify for to-
days windup-and Ed Furgol,
the defending champion, just
made it with that total after
sweating it out in front of the
Scoreboard for two hours after
completing his round of 70.
Sam Snead, the Slugger from
White Sulphur Springs, w. Va,
was one who conquered his awe
of the course. The slammer
coined a slick SO, 10 strokes bet
ter than his horrible first-day
score, for 148, and professed no
further fears.
"It looks to me like a man
with a 70 on his card can win
this tournament" Snead said.
"and that's what I've got on
mine"
DR.. Cary Middleton. the Mas
ters' champion, made 1t. too,
with 154.
WOrsham Fails
Those WIN didn't included Lew
Worsham, former Open cham
plon. who scored 1856; Dick Mayer,
third place finisher last year,
1853: Ted Kroll and Claude Har-
mon, former Masters champion.
l59 each; Ed (Porky) Oliver, 160;
Lawson Little. former champion,
l61, and Walter Burkemo, former
PGA champion, 166.
The 29-year-old Ward, who
flew straight home from Scotland
after helping America win the
Walker Cup this year, fired a par
70 to reach the halfway mark
with a share of the lead. Now
an automobile salesman here.
Ward passed up a chance to play
in the British Amateur which
he won in 1852 to return for
practice rounds over the Lake
course. He was rewarded for his
work.
Il definitely have the edge 60
ing into the last round" the
baby-faced former University of
North Carolina athlete said
confidently.
Inman' Surprised
! Young Inman. only 10 months
out of the Air Force, explained
after checking in with his las
that II didn't look at the score
board until I finished" so didn't
know he was near the top. He
would have had the lead except
for five bogeys on the backside
after an niifpninp mar lnnO
putt which stopped only a quar-
ter-inch from the cup kept him
from gaining a tie with Bolt
and Ward.
I've never won any money
before to speak Of" he drawled
shyly. Sure would be nice to
win this one"
/ The purse for the tournament
is $4,000, with the winner
lpocketing $4,000. Endorsements
:. a 1,l tHareAnal ny1,Ann~o-nae hn,,,