Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-06-16
Midd|ecoff Ties
Mayer at 2S2
For Open Title

IW VPcI IIIIc
Continued from Page CT
taking less time than Demaret
or Middleton to play his shots
He appeared completely calm
and composed, although later he
was getting shaky.
He came to the 18th. and aft
erward he admitted his thoughts
flashed back to Baltusrol, where
he took seven on the 18th just
three years ago today. The clos
ing hole Is q 330-yard par -four
where everybody used q spoon OF
four-wood on the tee. His toe
shot was perfect. and he lofted
q beautiful approach over the
yawning trap to nine feet back
Of the cup.
Unknown to Gallery
There was polite applause
when Mayer walked UP the APP
proach to the 18th but nothing
like the chummy 'Come on
Jimmy" pleas that greeter Dem
aret. The crowd didn't know
much about this fellow.
But Mayer walked up to the
putt. looked at it q reasonable
time. and made 1t.
Now the scoreboard showed
that Roberto de Vicenzo was
taking Q bundle on the back nine
and was out Of 1t. End the only
man with q chance was Middle.
con, champion in 1852 and SO,
q fellow who was eight strokes
back at the halfway mark.
Middleton had appeared re.
Taxed and confident after his
morning SO that closed ground
on everybody. and left him three
strokes back Of Demaret and two
back Of Mayer with 10 to 60.
He passed UP lunch. taking only
iced teas loaded with sugar.
In the afternoon Middleton
put together hack-to-back bird
les on four and five. and as he
said later, that's like making two
eagles In a row. At that poins
he thought he was home II he
could par in. but he was trapped
on eight. shor ton nine. boeied
both. and knew he had work
to do.
Early on the back nine he
heard Of Demaret's 2e3. and a
few minutes later Of Mayors
262. and that changed his think
ing. He was fidgety and took
more than the usual wiggles
from that crouched stance on
the late holes. but he belted the
brides on is and Is. He said
1t was good for him that he
took so much time on his tying
putt. because the longer he
looked at 1t. the more break he
saw. and he finally played az
8-inch break.
FOrd's Score Scars
There's no sports event where
fame is as fleeting as in the
National Open. Billy Joe Patton,
the colorful amateur who tied
Mayer for the halfway lead, had
a pair Of scrambling 76s and
finished In q five-way tie for
eighth. with Sam Snead. among
others. And Doug Ford. the &C.
tual favorite after 80 holes, bal
looned to q morning 30. an un-
believable score, and was way
back at 292. Fred Hawkins,
Ford's playing partner, said he
didn't believe 1t was possible
for the Masters champion To-
play so poorly.
Top money is $1,000 and Sec
ond $4,000. plus q possible share
OF the playod gate. And Of
course there's untold wealth for
the Open champion II he's the
colorful type who can make the
most Of endorsements.
Mayer is a delicately hand
some fellow. 81 years old, who's
been a pro eight years. In fact,
the last time he played in the
National Amateur championship
he lost in the second round in
Memphis to Washington's Bob
by Brownell.
Dick has been a circuit rider
for all Of his pro career, with
his biggest victories in the Kan
sas City. Philadelphia and Bal
timore's Eastern Open. all $20.-
600 tournaments. He has a 4
year-old son ard an ll-year-old
step-daughtei. He was born In
Stamford, Conn.,, lived in the
metropolitan New York area
through school days and now
registers from La Jolla. Cali
fornia.
Mayors final Is holes included
two wildly played, scrambled
holes. the first where he had a
penalty stroke in q ditch and
made an lS-footer for a DOGGY
f1ve. He said at the time he
thought that was the longest
putt Of his life. He made q is.
footer from the fringe OF the
green on the ninth. He birdied
10 and IL. three-putted the 18th.
and pared In until the birdie
on 10.
Snead's Birdie Helps
Middleton said Wednesday he
thought he had found his game,
which had been OF TO the extent
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