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* «* Pdtton Paces Yanks in British Golf Comes From Behind Twice to Triumph Sinks 75-Foot Birdie Putt; Ten Other Americans Gain Victories in Third Round By PETER UEBERSAX United Press Sports Writer ST. ANNES, England, June 1.— Colorful Billy Joe Patton floundered on the outgoing nine holes of both his matches in the British Amateur Golf Tournament today, but rallied spectacularly on the back nine to lead 11 Americans into the fourth round. In a pair of game, come-from "behind finishes that thrilled the British galleries on the sun-baked Royal Lytham and St. Annes course, Patton holed out a 75-foot birdieputt on the 18th hole to beat Edward Bromley-Davenport of Scotland in- the morning, and then rallied with the help of an eagle three on the 11th hole to edge Ken Venturi of San Francisco, by the same-1 up score in the afternon. It was the second eagle of his match against Venturi. Pattons four U. S. Walker Cup teammates were among the 32 survivors who will resume play in the week-long tournament Thursday. Lt. Joe Conrad of San Antonio, Texas, and Jim Jackson of Glen-dale, Mo., each won two matches, while Bruce Cudd of Portland, Ore., and Dale Morey of Indianapolis each scored a third round triumph. 71 Par for Course Other Yanks who won two matches each on the 6,657-yard, par 71 links by the Irish Sea were 65 -year-old Barton Bridgeford of San Francisco;. Bert Weaver of Beaumont, Texas, and George Coleman of Miami, Okla. In addition to Morey and Cudd, the Americans who played only one match were Jim McHale of Wynnewood, Pa.; Don Bisplinghoff of Orlando, Fla., and Cpl. James Bernard of Westbury, Mass. Three Americans were eliminated in the second round today and eight in the afternoon third round, two in all-American matches. Thus, 11 Yanks remain of the 46-man delegation that started play on Monday. "Fourth and fifth rounds will be played Thursday. Patton, by his own admission, thought he was a "goner" in both his matches. In the morning, he trailed all the way from the eighth to the 17th hole against the 46-year-old Bromley-Davenport, a member of the British Walker Cup selection committee this year., On the 17th, when the Scotsman hit into the rough, Billy Joe chipped neatly out of a bunker and sank a 14-foot putt to even the match. His second shot on the spacious i8th green left him 75 feet from the cup, but he holed out the difficult putt to clinch the match to a tremendous cheer from the .gallery. The 33-year-old Morganton, N. C, lumber dealer resumed his meanderings through the rough and bunkers on the afternoon round against Venturi, a member of-the 1953 Walker. Cup team who now is an Army corporal stationed in Austria. His drives boomed for great distance but often strayed off the fairways. Eagle Two on Fourth Patton holed out a wedge shot for an eagle two on the fourth hole, but although he twice gained a 1 up advantage on the outgoing nine, he trailed, by a hole at the turn. Then came the long 11th hole where Patton fired his eagle that evened the match and took the heart out" of Venturi. Billy Joes tremendous second shot landed just eight feet from the cup and he holed out the putt. They then matched cards until the 16th, where Patton sank a 25-foot putt for a birdie three to go ahead. Venturi missed a chance to tie the match on the 17th when Patton again shot into trouble. But the Calif ornian three-putted and could only halve the hole. "Ive been down in three straight matches," Patton said as he nervously smoked a cigarette after the match. "It looked very bad indeed as I started the home nine, but I told/ myself, you won two coming from behind before, so keep working, boy, and see what happens. I was very lucky." Conrad had an easy time in the morning round .when he walloped J. C. Cowley of England, 8 and 6, but was given a tougher battle in the afternoon before eliminating Ed Lowery of San Francisco, an official in the U. S. Golf Association, 2 and 1. Jackson scored a second round victory over W- Mather of England, 3 and 2, and then beat L. G. Randall of England in the afternoon, 4 and 3. Morey, taking a 3 up lead on the first nine holes, had little difficulty in beating Bob Church of England, 5 and 4, while 21-year-old Cudd, the youngest member of the U. S. Walker Cup team, beat Harley Roberts of England, 3 and 2. Bridgeford, showing remarkable stamina for a man of his advanced years, edged Ken Frazlier of England, 1 up, in the morning and followed with a 5 and 4 triumph over Melville MacRobert of South Africa. Bisplinghoff, who was miffed at the U. S. selectors for leaving him off the Walker Cup team, beat Ian Caldwell, a British Walker Cupper, 5 and 3. Among the days most prominent casual- ties were Frank Strafaci of Mineola, N. Y., seven-time Metropolitan New York Amateur champion, and 64-year-old Chick Evans, who won both the U. S. Amateur and Open crowns in 1916. Strafaci, after beating Leslie McClue of Scotland, 3 and 2 in the second round, succumbed in the afternoon to George Duncan of Wales, 2 and 1. Evans first trounced J. T. Lambie of Scotland 6 and 5, and then lost 7 and 6 to Derek Gardner of England.
