Hogan, 53, Challenging For Masters Title

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31031, 11 April 1966, Page 3

Hogan, 53, Challenging For Masters Title

(N.Z. Press Association— Copyright) T

AUGUSTA.

Defending champion Jack Nicklaus, and Tommy Jacobs were tied on 216, leading by one stroke, after 54 holes of the United States Masters golf tournament on Saturday, Associated Press reported. But the loudest cheers of the day went to a great champion of the past —Ben Hogan.

The amazing 53-year-old Hogan, in semi-retirement for 10 years, scored a one-over 73 for 218. which left him well in the running.

Hogan, partnering Arnold Palmer, drew the bulk of the gallery of close on 50,000. Palmer settled for a 74 —a strange mixture of birdies and one-overs—to tie with Hogan on 218. On 217—are two more Americans, Don January and Gay Brewer. Nicklaus, the youngest player ever to win the Masters title, at 23 in 1963, and who set the record score of 271 last year, had one-overs at

ithe last two holes, for a round of 72. He had led the field ■ through most of the calm, almost windless day. Most of the day's excitement centred on the battle between Palmer and Hogan—a contest between the new king of golf and the old. Spoiled His Round

Hogan had one-overs at the seventh and eighth holes to go three over par at the turn, but he had birdies at the tenth and eleventh, and added another at the thirteenth to be square with the card. Then one-overs at the fifteenth and seventeenth spoiled an otherwise magnificent round. The man who won four U.S. Opens, two Masters, the British Open and the P.G.A. looked like the Hogan of old in his white cap, pulled low. ,He walked with a stiff-legged I stride, never talked and hit shots as if by a machine. The South African, Gary Player, plagued by gout, turned in another disappointing round—77 for a 227 total. He had earlier rounds of 74 and 77.

I The Australian and New challengers for the title dropped well behind. ; Bruce Crampton fired a I one-under-par 71 for a 54-hole total of 220. and Bruce Devlin had a 72 for 224. Kel Nagle and R. J. Charles were eliminated after the second round on Friday, failing to survive the “cut off” figure of 153. Nagle had 155 and Charles 156. Leading scores are:— 216 J. Nicklaus, 68, 76, 72; T. Jacobs. 75. 71, 70. 217 D. January, 71, 73, 73; G. Brewer, 74, 72, 71. 21S—A. Palmer, 74, 70, 74; B. Hogan, 74, 71, 73. 219—D. Sanders, 74, 70, 75; J. Herbert, 72. 74, 73; R. Floyd, 72, 73, 74: P. Harney, 75, 68, 76.