Champagne For All When Lema Wins

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30546, 15 September 1964, Page 19

Champagne For All When Lema Wins

(N.Z. Press Association-Copyright) AKRON (Ohio), September 13. Tony Lema won 50,000 dollars today when he took the World Series of Golf by five strokes from the United States Open champion, Ken Venturi, United Press International reported.

True to tradition, Lerna, the current British Open champion, promptly ordered champagne for all those in a nearby press tent. Lerna won the 36-hole tournament with a two-under-par 138 total after a 34, 34 68 round today Venturi fired 74 today for 143. Third was the P.G.A. champion, Bobby Nichols, 70, 147, and in last place, Arnold Palmer, the Masters champion, whose 74 gave a 148 total. Venturi won 15,000 dollars and Nichols and Palmer 5000 dollars. Biggest Prize Lerna’s prize-money was the biggest sum the 30-year-old Californian has ever won. Although today’s 50,000-dol-lar cheque does not count toward Lerna’s official P.G.A. earnings, it will give him a top-money-winning total of 122,555 dollars for his six tournament triumphs so far this year. Palmer is the P.GA. : s official leader with

155,743 dollars counting his winning today. Three Birdies Lema had three birdies against a single bogey during bis final round over the 7165yard, par-70 Firestone Country Club course while Venturi wTecked his chances with six bogeys. Palmer took five bogeys and Nichols three, but the P.G.A. champion evened up to them with three birdies. Lema and Venturi were all even after the first six holes, but Lema went ahead to stay when he birdied the parthree 225-yard seventh while Venturi took a bogey. Lema first asked his caddy what club to use on the hole, then selected a four wood and drew a roar from the gallery of 8746 by whistling his drive within 21 feet of the pin. Lema sank the putt for his first birdie of the day and promptly gained two strokes when Venturi’s one-iron shot off the tee struck an overhanging tree on the left and cost him a bogey.