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" Wall Wins From Middlecoff In Fort Wayne Open Playoff Pennsylvania Pro Fires 70 To Beat Ex-Open Champion For 1st Major Golf Triumph FORT WAYNE, Ind., Aug. 17 UP. Art Wall, Jr., 25, a Pennsylvania pro without a previous major golfing triumph, won a playoff battle with experienced Cary Middlecoff by two str v.es today arid top prize in the 5,000 Fort Wayne Open Tourney. Wall, shot a two-under-par 70 on the 18-hole runoff. Middlecoff, the Memphis dentist who toured 72 holes of regulation play in 12 strokes under par to tie Wall, couldnt do better than par 72 on the round that counted most. Wall finished the tourney with a 335 for 90 holes, 25 better than par. Both shot their "worst" golf of the entire tourney during the play-off. The best Wall ever fared before in national competition was in the Greenbriar Open at Charlotte, N. C. There he was in a five-way tie for first, but lost the playoff. The black-haired Wall carried off ,400 first money with a. fine display of chip shots and accurate putting, particularly on the "front .nine when he, ran up his best lead. Middlecoff Sour in Putting Middlecoff was sour on his putting and once landed a wood .shot in a gully. For four days, both Wall and Middlecoff had tromped around the Elks Country Club course with steady nerves, chopping a stroke off par for each three holes they played. But they couldnt do it today when the chips were down. Wall carded five birdies during the day. But four bogeys nearly balanced them. Middlecoff had only two birds and bogeyed three holes. Wall shot a 34 on the par-36 layout going and led by three strokes as Middlecoff could do no better than 37. Wall led from the third hole, where he birdted after both parred the first two. Coming in, Middlecoff, former TJ. S. Open champ, rallied and sought to make a scrap of it. He birdied No. 10 and No. 11. But so did Wall. Then Wall went 4-up on the 12th with "his fourth birdie in a row. Wall bogeyed the 13th and 14th and cut his margin to two strokes. But Middlecoff s hopes soon faded. They halved the last four holes with fours, and Middlecoff took the ,800 second prize.
