VENGEANCE AND REWARD

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 163, 12 July 1941, Page 4 (Supplement)

VENGEANCE AND REWARD

No Play-off This Time For Craig Wood

FORT WORTH, Texas, June 7. The gods of golf, so unkind to Craig Wood in the past, are now killing him with kindness. Rebuffed more times than almost any other player in the game's history, losing both the British and American Opens in play-offs and the P.G.A. in extra holes, the big, affable, 39-year-old Blonde Bomber from the Winged Foot Club to-day had his vengeance as well as his just reward. In a blistering drive down the [final stretches of the still soggy fairways of the Colonial Club, trailed by a large portion of the 10,000 spectators who wilted in the sweltering heat, Wood won the coveted national open championship cup to bid farewell to the -always a bridesmaid, but never a bride- adage that has been tagged on him. Coming down the last mile of the long, hard, tortuous journey—one that crushes hopes and kills aspirations—with his goal in sight unless evil luck happened to overtake him as it has so often in the past. Wood hewed straight and true to the line to finish with a par 70 that made his 72-hole total 284. , Only One Man to Beat Wood had only one man to beat as he came closer and closer to the finish of his round, and it happened 1 to be the man who defeated him in the play-off of the 1933 BrltJish Open—modest Denny Shute who, like Wood, began as an amateur. ,&?„ w ._ as alre ady in with a score of 287, best up to that point. By overcoming a few moments of shakiness that hit him on the first nine of the last round, Wood virtually had the championship won when he teed off to play the last hole. Even a 6 there would have given him a tie, but after placing his drive in the middle of the fairway Craig pitched his second shot 20ft or so from the pin, practically hole high, and then, with a tremendous crowd looking on, thrilled the gallery with a champion's finish, rolling the putt into the cup for a birdie 3 that won ui2 title by three strokes. Big Johnny Bulla, North Carolina product who wings his way around the country promoting golf ball S?J?? fo r a big drug store chain, had 289 to tie for third with Ben Hogan. Bulla was one of the "bad" boys of last year's championship—one of those who had the wrath of the United States Golf Association brought down on them for "beating the starter's gun" in the last round.

Runynn and Barron Tie Two strokes behind them came two more Westchester district pros, Paul Runyan, clever little Metropolis Club artist who violates manv of the game's tenets and yet gets there In the end, and sturdy Herman Barron of Fenway.

They, in turn, were trailed by a trio consisting of Gene Sarazen, E. J. (Dutch) Harrison and Harold (Jug) McSpaden. Their count was 294. Then came Dick Metz, one of Wood's playing partners; Ed Dudley and Lloyd Mangrum, with 295; Horton Smith, Henry Ransom, a local pro., Sam Snead, and Harry Todd, Dallas amateur, bracketed at 296-' Lawson Little, the dethroned champion, and Byron Nelson, his predecessor, with 297; Vic Ghezzi, Deal (N.J.) ace, with 298, and Gene Kunes, one-time Canadian Open champion, with 299.

Ball In Ant Hill A feature of the contest was the challenge of the veteran Sarazen, who was three strokes behind the leaders (Wood, Shute, Nelson and Heafner 144) at halfway. In the third round he was playing with Jug McSpaden and Heafner and he had an experience which obviously ruffled him. McSpaden landed his ball in an ant hih when playing the eleventh hole. Jug didn't care about the feelings of the ants, but he didn't want to play a ball from sand if he could help it. Wishing an official ruling and unable to get it on the spot, McSpaden held up the parade to go look for a field telephone. By the time that threesome moved again Sarazen and Heafner were fit to be tied.

Venting some of his displeasure at the delay by hitting irascibly at his second shot, Sarazen hooked and landed in a water hazard about the size of a small putting green. Gene had a 6 and still another at the twelfth which is a par 4. Sarazen then came down to earth and finished with six pars. That ant hill had cost Sarazen three strokes Heafner played the eleventh and twelfth in par. He was only one over par going to the thirteenth, but on the last five holes the mountaineer lost no less than seven strokes to par. He also broke two clubs. At the short sixteenth the

Carolinan wrapped a club around a tree after dumping a shot into a bunker. That was a strange party that broke up on the eighteenth. Every one of the three was talking about ants but all from a different angle.

THE LEADING SCOBES CrtUe Wood 144. 70, 70—284 Ocmiy Shute 144, 72. 71—287 Johnny Bulla 146, 72. 71—289 Ben Hogan 151, 68, 70—289 Paul Runyan 145, 71, 75—291 H. Barron 148, 74, 71—291 H. L. McSpaden 146, 74, 74 —394 Gene Saraicn 147, 72, 75 294 E. J. Harrison 152. 71. 71—294 Dick Metz 145. 76. 74—395 Lloyd Mangrum 147. 72. 76—295 Ed Dudley 148. 74. 73 —295 H. Todd 14!). 76. 71 — 296 II. B. Hansom 146. 75. 75—296 H. Smith 148. 73, 75—298 Sam Snead 146. 77. 73 296 Lawaon Little 144.' 79.' 74—397 Byron Nelson 146. 74 77—297 V. Ghezzl Deal 149 77 72—•'OS Cicne Kunes 150, 74, 75—299 Clayton Hcafner 144. 7R 78-300 R. Ouldahl 155. 72. 73—300 J. Palmer 150. 76. 74—300 Jim Hmcs 149. 76. 76-301 Joseph Zarhardt 150, 77, 75—302 H Reiser 151. 76. 79—JOS Johnny MorrU 145. 81. 77—303 Sam Byrd 154. 75. 74—303 H. G. Plcard 156. 72. 76—303 Jim Ferrler 1*8, 81. 75—304