Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-15
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAV BY FRANCIS STANN
Grill Room live

Grill Room live
ST PETERSBURG, FLA. Mar, 15-In his Parthian shot
the National Open last June Ben Hogan made it
thing and following his incredible payo defeat by the
unknown Jack Fek he announced his retirement from all
future Opens You may have believed him. The big golfers
don't.
At the of the links brethren chasing the
dollar in the ST. Pete Open Hogan, with Sam Snead, is
chasing more restricted buck exhibitions at Nassau,
of the pros figure Cary Mddeco is the
beat here But the National Open and they'll
wager Hogan will show up seeking his fifth title.
He almost has to play of the boys was saying in
the Lakewood Country Club grill Ben did foolish
thing He put his own money to back those clubs ne
marketed under name Unfortunately his middle Iron
and bad Ben had to call back the first
100 sets that sold.
Now he needs money and for golfer the Open is the
answer He's 43 and they say the odds are against him. Don't
underestimate the His bones creak but when you
put money in front of Hogan you've got rassle to get
piece of it"
WITH REFERENCE TO FLICK who prevented from
becoming the first to win five Opens ironically using
the Hogan clubs he is shooting at St Pete and the first
day the champs name may as well have been WELL JACK
Fleck. His caddy, at least, followed him all the
Frank Strafac of the Nations fine amateurs for at
least two decades, put it this way:
Flick good golfer, but there so guys out that
who start Jack 1up and beat him. Yet Fleck
beat Hogan who 1-to-5 favorite, at least"
strafaci short almost plump styist not yet 40 years
old, said
Flick over Hogan last June is what makes golf would
take the underdog those odds almost every time but Hogan
is different I'll tell you story dealing with the first time
Ben 1t might point the mpausbty OF Fecks
victory in San Francisco"
STRAFACI AS ONE of the top amateurs, invited
to the Masters 1940 "One night Augusta there
poker game in the locker kbized and Hogan in
action time Remember he then just another
guy I'd stories about how he lived off in order
to and stay the tournament circuit
They playing for table stakes and against Ben in
this 5card stud showing pair of kings
and another pair of jacks. Hogan had an ace and
showing
entire stake into the middle of the table
about 81 800-and said, Deal the cards.
I'm sure that every dime Hogan had to his name
Anyway the with his king pair foded-remember there
several hundreds dollars the table areadyand
the with the jacks also turned
ITO this day l don't know if Hogan had ace in the
hole He raked the money from that point knew
I'd guy who going to be tough in any kind OF
competition"
NO AMATEUR, sTRAFACI firmly believes, will be win
ming of the big Journeys in the future THE days
when amateur could match strokes with top
gone," Frank said There Bobby Jones and
if there Were it wouldn't do any good
think continued the erudite New Yorker that Jones
the greatest of all golfers Hogan per shot, have
been greater But nobody going to duplicate what Jones
ddwn the United States and British Amateurs and Ma
tional and British Opens"
strafaci was reminded Frank sanahan the spark
plug pro long after winning recogni
ton the most gamorous of the amateurs.
Its matter of pride with Frank Strafaci said For
tnlng, ne nad Deen PAD boy ana was oHe
Walker Cup team He afraid would happen again
getting left off, But the main thing he explained
to me- losing to amateurs"
"STRANAHAN YOU SEE has been playing with pros so
long that he considers amateur tournament asWe he
like big league ball player must feel when he's sent to
the minors.
He's right guess The pros today As cent better
than the amateurs Stranahan being rich guy, can afford
play with the pros all the time He can't beat en- perhaps
gives good account of himself Then when he plays
amateurs and doesn't win Frank feels Inundated"
Logically, the question to Srafaci was why don't you
turn PROF."
Il can't afford it, he said 1T costs minimum of $500
week for expenses to play tournament golf Take this
ST. Openyouve got shoot 272 which four rounds
of &c. have chance of winning Most who match par
scrambng for hot cakes in the morning.
I'm in the insurance business, do pretty we'll That
shape for five months of tournament golf.
rs it worth $4,000? Well yes Golf is healthy providing
there's bread butter In my case
golf insurance contacts. If told you how much I've
spent in my 20 years amateurthis not counting
four years in the Armyyoud have to realize what kind OF
investment it is"
Would your figure hard to believer" Strafaci was
asked.
Not necessarily he replied Anyway this is the mini
mum I've SPENT One quarter of million dollars!"