Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-13
BY MERRELL wHITTLEsEY


Billy Thornton. 23-year- old
Florida State College golfer. and
Truman Connell. q soldier-of-
fortune type from Tequesta. Fla.
won the ninth annual Belle
Haven 4-Ball tournament, but
the gallery favorite and out
standing individual was Phila-
delphia's william Hyndman III.
Hyndman, who saw the course
for the first time Friday. made
one Of his few mistakes in some
90 holes of golf on the 18th late
yesterday. and because Of that
Thornton and Connell defeated
Hyndman and Wally Sezna Of
Wilmington. Del. / up.
Because Of Jack Kurtz and
Sezna, both non resident men,
bers Of the Alexandria Club. it
probably was the best Of the nine
tournaments. Kurtz now is a res
ident Of Tequesta and Thornton
is the son-in-law of his business
partner. Kurtz persuaded Thorn
ton and Connell to team UP.
Hyndman Persuaded
Sezna persuaded Hyndman,
one of the East's top amateurs.
to be his partner. and Hyndman
stole the show. Sezna is a me-
dium-handicap golfer who gave
Hyndman occasional help in the
early rounds. but Wally tired in
the final and Hypdman carried
on alone.
Conceding q putt here and
there. Hyndman was about .l8
under par for five rounds over
the par 70 layout. and if he had
been playing in an individual
tournament. he might have been
better.
But Hyndman apparently
didn't realize how much he was
firing in the final holes. He un-
derclubbed on the 18th but
scrambled to a halve in par
threes. But again on the 18th he
underclubbed with his second.
Clipped poorly. and missed a
5-foot putt that would have
meant extra holes.
Wedge Shot Decides
One Of the Districts top golf
ers was in the gallery of several
hundred watching the final and
he said Il could have screamed
when saw Bill pull a wedge for
his second shot on the 18th. /
knew he couldn't get there" It
wasn't enough club, and that
was the match.
Thornton hopes to make golf
o career. He's q good amateur
0olfer. Connell. former speed
skater and minor league ball
player. is a 40-year-old. deeply
tanned Floridian Of the past 20
years who likes all sports. He
was an excellent partner for
Thornton. and albeit slow. O.
good pressure putter. Connell
rolled in q tough 7-footer on the
18th that kept Hyndman and
partner from going l UP.
The winners were about %
under par for the five rounds.
Just slightly below the sub-par
pace Bobby Brownell and Ralph
Bogart set in the best Of their
four winning efforts. Inciden-
tally. Brownell and Bogart A.
nally lost to Kurtz and Wynsol
Spencer. the four-time Virginia
Amateur champion. but it was
in the consolation semif1nals.
They've been opponents for
years.
Still . Bridesmaid
The defeat viii not aid Hynd-
mans bridesmaid reputation.
He was runnerup In the Ma
tional Amateur in 1855, has been
four times semifinalist and once
runnerup in the North and
South Amateur at Pinehurst,
and last year was runnerup in
the Sunnehanna Invitation, the
East's top medal play tourna-
ment for amateurs.
Both teams had to work over
time to make the finals. Hynd-
mans birdie three on the goth
overcame Ashby Briggs and
Bert Brown of Hampton, Va, Il
up. after both teams had best
ball scores Of SO for ID holes.
Thornton and Connell had to 60
the same distance to win over
the service combination Of Mai.
Joe Worthington Of Andrews
ALB and 1t. Col. Walt Dawson.
the Army Navy club champion.
The winners had q best ball |