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National Open Starts Play Today Hogan CoFavorite With Slammin Sam SamQualifying Qualifying Rounds Precede Four 18Hole Sessions Over Tough Oakmont C C Course CourseBy By OSCAR FRALEY FRALEYUnited United Press Sports Editor EditorOAKMONT OAKMONT Pa June 8 Bantam Ben Hogan and sweetswinging Sammy Snead were installed tonight as cochoices to win the toughest U S Open of em all allSnead Snead despite the fact that he never has been able to capture the big one was rated cofavorite with the thrice victorious Hogan because of a long game tailormade for mankilling Oakmont Country Club where play gets underway tomorrow tomorrowThird Third choice was lithe Lloyd Mangrum who came marching home from the wars to win this one in 1946 while ranked right behind were former winner Gary Middle coff and handsome Jackie Burke BurkeDefending Defending champion Julius Boros de ¬ spite his chilledsteel performance in win ¬ ning over Hogan at Dallas last year was quoted next along with former champion Lew Worsham British Open king Bobby Locke and Tommy Bolt while Claude Har ¬ mon the former Masters champion also was in line for some favoritism From there on through the rest of the field of 300 who will tee off tomorrow in the first of two qualifying rounds it was win a bundle bundleFor For despite the hot rounds being carded in practice most of the pros estimated that when the low 150 survivors begin shooting in earnest Thursday at the start of the four official rounds the winner wouldnt wind up much lower than even par 288 288Toughest Toughest One of AH AHThis This will be the toughest one of them all insisted Burke the rugged young Texan who is one of the top choices They used this system of play two qualifying rounds and then four official rounds for the championship in the early days But there are a lot more golfers now and theyre a lot better on the whole too tooAlthough Although Oakmont has an awesome reputation because of its lightning greens and clutching traps there were a number of hot rounds shot in practice practiceBurly Burly Bill Collins a 24yearold former Marine from Baltimore now a pro at Great Neck N Y created a sensation during to ¬ days final practice rounds when he tore apart the front nine with an eight under par 29 Collins had six birdies and an eagle as he fired the best score ever recorded on the outgoing nine holes holesHe He cooled off spraying his irons coming back for a four over par 39 which still gave him a four under par 68 68Previously Previously Johnny Bulla had scored a 67 Middlecoff had a 68 Hogan a 69 and Harmon a 6869 Itll be different though when they start spotting the pins tomorrow grinned veteran Toney Penna Remember too theres no pressure on out there today The fellow who hangs up four par rounds for himself will be mighty tough to beat beatNone None of the pros seemed particularly concerned over the two qualifying rounds which will narrow the field from 300 to the low 149 and Boros who will go into single rounds Thursday and Friday and two rounds Saturday SaturdayHalf Half of the field will play its first round at Oakmont tomorrow while the other half plays at tight and hilly Pittsburgh Field Club just across the nearby Allegheny River They then will shift to the other course for their second qualifying round
