Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-04-06
Snead> Palmer Lead in Masters
With 68-211; Midd|ecoff at 212
Ventura Slips.
To214 as II
Stoy in Race
By MERRELL WHITTLESEY
star stan Writer

star stan Writer
AUGUSTA, Ca. April S.
Ken Ventura lost the touch to-
day after leading the Masters
for two rounds. and seven con.
tenders passed him In q par
busting third round that ended
with Sam Snead and Arnold
Palmer tied for the lead at All.
There are IL players under
par, all within four strokes. Nos
body can remember setup
like this with the big round TO
be played tomorrow over the
6,980-yard Augusta National
Course. -.
(The finish Of the tourna.
ment will be televised by
CHS. including Washington's
WTOP-9, from 4::30 to 8
o'clock today.)
Snead faltered near the m.
ish but still whipped out q four
under-par SO for 211. and the
28-year-old Palmer tied both
scores about a half-hour later,
thanks to a bold 25-foot birdie
putt on No. 10. At the same
stage last year Snead led Pal
mer and Harvie Ward by a shot.
but Doug Ford slipped in with
q Sc and later won by three.
MiddlecoR Moves Up
Cary Middlecoff birdied three
Of the last four holes for o 50
and 2l2. one stroke back, and
there's enough for a Sunday
afternoon foursome at 213-
three touring pros and Al
Mengert. The circuit riders are
Billy Maxwell, with u today,
30 Wininger with II and Art
Wall with 70. Mengert, runner
up to Representative Jack,
Westland in the 1852 National
Amateur. had a SO. Mengert Is
a club pro at Westfield, N. j.
Venturi's troubles included Q
double-bogey six on the 18th,
where he found the water In
two and three puts on the slick
18th green. He had "A for 2ll
and company in Fred Hawkins,
who had the days third SO, and
Billy Joe Patton. the irnpetu-
Gus amateur who ran out Of
miracles and had 70.
Ford, still q contender after
a 10 today, is at 215 with Cam
ada's Stan Leonard, who was
closer to the top after three
rounds last year. Leonard had
70.
10000 Fans Out
The course eased UP on q day
when you carried your raincoat
but never used it, and Is Of the
43 survivors broke par.
The threatening skies didn't
keep anybody home. A record
third-round turnout Of 10000
fitted from leader to leader as
the scoreboards reported their
progress.
1t almost was Snead's day.
Never in his As years has the
three-time Masters champion
swung sweeter. At one point
Sam needed two puts on the
18th and pars on the next three
for a Sc, but he three-putted
Is, bogied Is and was fortunate
to par the last two for his SO.
Snead and Maxwell were the
first Of the leading scorers on
the course and Sam put a par
birdie-birdie start on the score
boards to warn Ventura and
the other youngsters that the
old master had some kicks.
Snead Determined
Sam had his tongue sticking
from the lefthand corner Of his
lips - like he does when he
means business. He was on the
lookout for the disturbing pho
tographers. and was attired IN
his favorite outfit - yellow
sweater, dark Stacks and the
ever-present straw hat.
They were playing fast. and
at one point on the back nine
were three holes ahead Of the
following twosome, Palmer and
the suddenly serious and
strangely slow Patton.
Snead almost made an eagle
two on the 400-yard first. His
second shot hit the bottom Of
Continued on Page d., Col. 5