Ward Spoils Stranahans Bid for Third British Golf Title: Defending Champion Gains Thrilling One Up Victory over Winner in 1948-1949, Daily Racing Form, 1953-05-28

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Ward Spoils Stranaharis Bid For Third British Golf Title Defending Champion Gains Thrilling One Up Victory Over Winner in 19481 949 By HENRY THCRNBERRY United Press Sports Writer HOYLAKE, England, May 27.— Defending champion Harvie Ward of Atlanta shattered Frank Stranahans bid for his third British Amateur Golf championship for the second straight year today when he eliminated the Toledo, Ohio, star, 1 up, in the fourth round. Ward scored a 6 and 5 victory over Stranahan, the winner in 1948 and 1950, in last years final at Prestwick. The slender champion drove to a 3 up lead at the turn with one of the finest outgoing rounds in the 80-year his tory of the 7,058-yard Royal Liverpool course. The downpour that hampered the morning round gave way to brilliant sunshine as Ward put Stranahan in the hole with a three-under-par 33 on the first nine holes. Stranahan rallied on the back nine but couldnt quite make it. Wards triumph made him a heavy favorite to represent the bottom half of the draw in Saturdays 36-hole final. He climaxed a day in which the players completed the third and fourth rounds to reduce the field to 32. Stranahan finished so strongly that he actually took a 1 up lead by winning the sixteenth, but Ward then proved his fighting qualities by bouncing back to sweep the last two holes and the match. Seven Yanks Reach Fifth Round Only seven of the 20 Americans who began play today reached the fifth round. Maj. J. F. Seals of Bradenton, Fla., completed the U. S. advance as he ousted F. Gordon Dewar of Scotland on the twentieth hole after Ward and Stranahan finished. Bill Campbell, a Walker Cupper from Huntington, W. Va., swept into the fifth round with a 6 and 5 triumps over Bruce Thompson of England. But Jimmy McHale of Philadelphia, the other member of the U. S. "big four," joined Stranahan on the sidelines. McHale was upset, 1 up, on the nineteenth hole of his third round match with Robert Abrahams of Addison, HI. Abrahams surprise triumph was shortlived. He was ousted in the fourth round by Ernest Arend, Jr., of Deal, N. J., 5 and 3. Sgt. Dale Buettner of Toledo; Robert Sweeny, the 1937 champion from Palm Beach, Fla., and Harold Ridgley of Philadelphia, also entered the fifth round. Buettner, the only American to make the fourth round yesterday, became the first Yank in the fifth when he whipped R. F. Cottingham of England, 4 and 3, this morning. Sweeny defeated Jackson Taggart of Ireland, 2 up, and Ridgley beat Thomas White of England, 3 and 2. In other fourth round matches involving Americans, Joe Walter Case of Hen-dersonville, N. C, lost to squadron leader D. G. OBrien of England on the twentieth hole, and Dr. R. J. Henderson of Worcester, Mass., was eliminated by L. R. H. Gracey of England, 3 and 2. To set up their match, Ward beat John Howard of England, 4 and 2, and Stranahan eliminated Scotlands Frank Deighton, 1 up, in third round tests. * i t j . t j j t j y j * • j , • | : ,


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1953052801/drf1953052801_2_6
Local Identifier: drf1953052801_2_6
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800