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Stranahan, Campbell, Strafaci Win Lesser-Lights Lose In British Amateur Bitter Cold, Wind Prevail In Opening-Round Matches; Carr Triumphs; McHale Outv By ROBERT MUSEL Wilted Press Sports Writer GULLANE, Scotland, May 24.— Frank Stranahan, Bill Campbell and Frank Strafaci, Americas three top contenders for the British Amateur Golf Championship, won their opening matches on cold, windswept Muirfield Course today, but U. S. lesser-lights generally fared poorly. "While defending champion Joe Carr of Ireland raised British hopes of keeping the amateur trophy in Britain once again, the weakest U. S. delegation in several years produced more losers than winners today in the mixed program of first- and second-round matches. Of the 24 Americans who played in the bitterly cold and windy conditions, only 11 were victorious. Seven members of the original 39-man U. S. entry list, including Jimmy McHale of Philadelphia, withdrew from the tournament. A few more American withdrawals are expected to be made known Tuesday. Stranahan, the muscular Toledo, Ohio, sparkplug heir who won the British Amateur crown in 1948 and 1950, and Campbell, 1 from Huntington, W. Va., scored second-round triumphs, each having drawn a first-round bye. Strafaci, who comes from. Garden City, N. Y., won a first-round match. Stranahans game was far from his best today, but he wound up with a 4 and 3 victory over Andrew Forrest, a Scottish club player. The handsome American shot a double bogey and two bogeys on the first nine holes, but still managed to reach the turn three up. He forged his winning margin j on the next six holes when Forrests game disintegrated. Twice Shoots Into Bunkers Campbell also played erratically as he three-putted three times and twice shot into bunkers, but, like Stranahan, was confronted with weak opposition in Denton Guest, an English pathologist, and won, 3 and 2. Strafaci was so chilled he played around in a blanket to keep warm. The swirling winds hampered his game for the first nine holes, but he steadied on the incoming nine and also won, 3 and 2, over Dr. Duncan Leeds of Scotland. They reached the turn all even. Carr, the 32-year-old Irishman from Dublin, putted all the way with a No. 3 iron, but defeated John McNeilly of Lynn, Mass., who is stationed at Weisbaden, Germany, 4 and 3. Carr lost the first two holes by three-putting, then rallied to go one up at the turn and never lost his lead. The other Americans who won in the second round were Frank Woodward of; Palm Beach, Fla.; Joe Walter Case of Hen- dersonville, N. C; Clarke Hardwicke of Beverly Hills, Calif.; and W. G. Wallace, Jr. of Pomona, Calif. Marton J. Bridgeford of San Francisco won a second-round forfeit when George Coleman of Tulsa, Okla., withdrew. U. S. winners in first-round matches were Capt. Malcolm Stokes of Tulsa," Okla.; Harold Ridgley, who comes from Haver-town, Pa., but now lives in England; Jack Penrose of Miami, Fla.. and Larry Carpenter of Springfield, N. J. Woodward advanced to the third round with a 2 and 1 triumph over Ray Graham of Westbury, N. Y., in an ail-American match; Case edged C. F. Windrow of England on the 20th hole; Hardwicke beat R. B. Cadzow of Scotland, 2 and 1, and Wallace trimmed A. Gibbs of New Zealand, 7 and 5. Capt. Stokes, one of several American entries stationed with the armed forces in Europe, eliminated Thomas Cochrane of Scotland, 8 and 7, in the first round; Ridgley won, 4 and 3, over Sir John Hartopp of Scotland; Penrose defeated Cullen Johnston of Memphis, Tenn., 2 and 1, in another all-American contest, and Carpenter beat Ronnie MacKenzie of Scotland, 4 and 3. Other U. S. entries beaten in the first round were John S. Breckinridge, Jr., of Larchmont, N. Y.; Major James F. Seals of New Haven, Conn.; John M. Schumacher of Nebraska City, Nebr.; Major John Anderson of Louisville; Chris Dunphy of Palm Beach, Fla.; Hugh Mullin, Jr., of Brookline, Mass.; Phil Neary of the TJ. S. Army; and Sean Meany of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. George Guy of Virginia Beach, Va., and Ted Bassett of Rye, N.Y., lost second-round matches. Besides McHale and Coleman, the. Americans to withdraw were John Hendrickson of Philadelphia; George Linklater of Detroit; Richard Eichler of San Francisco; Tom Draper of Birmingham, Mich., and John Foley, Jr., of Trenton, Mich.
