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i ♦ Pros Look Over Big Springs Course as PGA Tourney Nears t I v e a y y , e t i - s e i a * 1 i t 5 0 - t 7 • 2 - i v - - ■ s 1 t f - i s : 1 r I ~r ; i ; l l | Golfer With Stoutest Legs And Best Putting Ability To Win, Veterans Agree By JOHN DIETRICH United Press Sports Writer LOUISVILLE, Ky., June 16.— The big names of the professional golfing business took their first look today at the course where theyll compete in the thirty-fourth annual PGA tournament, starting Wednes day, and liked what they saw. Most of them came in straight from last week-ends National Open Tournament at Dallas, and they seemed to have brought a Texas heat wave with them. The tem-i perature was near the 100-degree mark as they toured the Big Springs Country Club b layout in practice rounds. Among those arriving for the long grind of the pros own tournament were such well known stars as the National Open runner - up, Ed Oliver; defending champion, Sam Snead; Lloyd Mangrum, Johnny Bulla and Jimmy Demaret. On the scene eralier were PGA president, Jiorton Smith, and Argentine champion, Robert Di Vicenzo. Most of them, after viewing Big Springs, agreed that the course was a good, but not exceptionally difficult one. It is 6,620 yards s long, with large, flat, but well-trapped d greens. First Prize Money of ,500 The pros generally agreed that the ,500 ! first prize money would go to the man with the stoutest legs and hottest putter. The stout legs will be needed because of the grueling length of the tournament. After 18-hole qualifying rounds Wednesday and Thursday, the 64 qualifiers will start t playing 36 holes of match play daily from i Friday through the following Tuesday — more than 200 holes of competitive golf f in all. The hot putter should be decisive, be-t - cause the course does not seem to hold any t great terrors for these experts from tee to 3 green. For that reason, defending champion 1 Sam Snead was only a shaky favorite to repeat. His putter gave the West Virginia • walloper more than a little trouble at Dallas. Sneads strongest challenge should come B , from such putting experts as Mangrum, Jim Ferrier, Jack Burke,- Jr., and Vic ; Ghezzi. Conspicuously absent were two of the a top names in golf today — Bantam Ben Hogan, and the new open champion, Julius s Boros. Hogan has bypassed the PGA in recent t years because the long grind is too much i for his battered legs. Boros, who may come in later just to watch, is ineligible because he has not been a professional for the required - five-j»ears. Aside from the headliners, the 142-man 1 field will include many of the men who are | the backbone of the game — the club pros who stay at home to teach the dubs and I the duffers, instead of hitting the tournament " trail.
