Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-06-12
|Down|1i|I Puts
Promise Trouble
|InNationa|0 Open
Course Features
Fust Greens and
Marrow Fuirwuys
BY MERRELL WHITTLESEY
Star stan Correspondent

TOLEDO. June 12.-One Of
Sam Snead's favorite gags is
that the only three things he is
afraid of are lightning, Ben
Hogan and a downhill putt.
1t rained here yesterday. but
there was no lightning. Hogan
is here, but he doesn't appear to
be the Hogan of old. But there
are going to be hundreds Of
downhill puts before the Ma
tional Open champion is decided
late Saturday afternoon, so
Snead is going to have plenty
to worry about here at Inverness.
The golf course is not as scary
as people have been led to be-
lieve. The fairways are narrow,
and the old gag that players and
caddies have to walk single file
has been revived. The 18th hole,
only par five on the course. is a
bit of q monstrosity. Permitting
100 yards Of fairway to grow into
rough only means most Of them
will par the hole, instead Of
birdie it.
The big difference between
Inverness and other courses that
have been host to the Open is
the fast green's. There isn't a
level green on the golf course.
They're all hilly. and slick. Lew
Worsham. pro at famed Oak
mont. which is supposed to be the
epitomy Of fast greens. claims
these are the fastest he's ever
putted.
Hours Of Putting Practice
So it's not the man who gets
on the green's in regulation fig
ures. but it's the fellow who gets
down in regulation puts, who
will be crowned National Open
champion ~ holes after the start
tomorrow morning.
Hour after hour the contest
ants practiced on the putting
green yesterday. On downhill
puts Of from 20 to 40 feet,
they'd barely tap the ball, and
it would roll to the hole.
Cary Middlecoff. the defend
ing champion. said the winner
would. have to have a watch
makers touch"
Inverness is 6.919 yards long
and has a par of 70. Two of the
standard par flves for members
have been made par fours for
the championship.
/ Middlecof was complaining
that there isn't birdie hole on
the course. There are only four
par fours. under 400 yards. On
one Of them. the 18th, making a
birdie would be tantamount to
sinking q putt on the side Of
the Washington Monument.
But everybody here is hopeful
the touring pros and the
home pros-of qualifying for the
final 80 holes on Saturday. Only
the low so and ties make the
grade for the last two rounds OF
the only major medal play
championship in the country
that requires 36 holes on the
final day.
After First Open Title
Practice rounds mean alb
solutely nothing here. Every
body gets a fresh start when the
bell rings tomorrow morning
Snead will be after his first Open
title. Hogan after an unprece-
denied fifth and Middleton after
his second straight and third in
all.
And there will be Frank
Stranahan. an outside threat
because he has played this
course more than any contest
ant: Harvie Ward. who would
be the first non-pro. non-ama-
teur ever to win: or Doug Ford,
who could join Hogan. Byron
Nelson and Gene Sarazen in a
very select group that held the
Masters. PGA and National
Open titles during their careers
NOTES - Woodmont's Clar-
ence Doser proved the course
could be had yesterday when he
knocked in three consecutive
brides on l0-1l-l2 Doser
and Clare Emery Of Washington
G&CC played nine holes with
Snead Monday. Snead reached
the green on the controversial
18th hole with a drive and a
one-iron. Doser said the 100