view raw text
National OpenTourney Stai tsToday Rate Snead, Hogan Choices for Title Greatest All-Star Line-up In Golf Classics History To Match Strokes on Coast By HAL WOOD United Press Sports Writer SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., June 15.— The greatest all-star field in the history of golf was poised today for the opening of the 1955 U. S. National Open tournament — a competition in which the "old guard" once again will try to halt the onslaught of the youngsters and old man time. The field includes 137 professionals and 25 amateurs, from more than 1,500 stars who attempted to qualify for this most important of all golf events. But the men who are rated "the ones to beat" in the crack field are "oldsters" Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Dr. Cary Middle-cof f and Byron Nelson — names well known to the golfing world. The San Francisco Olympic Club, described by the shotmakers themselves as possibly the toughest course on which the National Open has ever been played, has been preened to perfection for the three-day event. It is a 6,700-yard, par 70 course where the sun seldom shines and a damp fog usually hangs low. The weather forecast for the week end , is "fog in the mornings, slightly warmer in the afternoon." While Hogan and Snead have been installed as favorites, some of the younger stars are expected to make it tough for them and defending titlist Ed Furgol, the withered arm chap from St. Louis, Mo. Littler Only 25 Among the youthful generation are Gene Littler, 25; Bobby Rosburg, 29; Mike Sou-chak, 28, and Dick Mayer, 31. Snead, Hogan and Nelson are 43, Middlecoff 34. For the first time since Johnny Goodman turned the trick way back in 1933 an amateur is given a good chance to come home in front. Hes Harvie Ward, the San Francisco car salesman who knows the long, rolling course well. Ward, 29-year-old former British Amateur champ and star of the U. S. Walker Cup team, has been playing extremely well in practice rounds. The consensus seems to be that a score around 284 — four over par for the 72 holes — will win the crown. Snead says he would like to sit back in the clubhouse with that score and let the rest of the field fire away at it. Hogan will make no prediction. "Ive seen scores predicted all the way from 280 to 290," said the quiet -man. "I wont predict. Ill just say that if I could get about six 40-foot putts down during the tourney, I would be in a pretty good position." Due to the dampness of the area, the greens here are much slower than in most places. As a result, many of the players have been allowing too much "break" in tneir putting. During the practice sessions there have been only two good sub-par rounds — a 66 by Mayer and a 68 by Snead. Most of the others have been in the 70s or above, reaching all the way to the 90s. The teeoff Thursday starts at 8 a.m. PDT. Every eight minutes until 3:04 p.m. a threesome will go out until all 162 have teed off. Daylight stays until about 8 p.m., so all should be able to finish. Adding color to the field, besides the big names, are the veteran Bobby Cruickshank, now 58, who was a real star shortly after World War I., and 17-year-old Dean Bea-man of Bethesda, Md., youngest qualifier in the field. Featured threesomes and their teeoff times for the first day include: 8:48 — Tommy Bolt, Bo Winninger and amateur Bob Sweeney; 9:04 — Chandler Harper, Walter Burkemo and Lawson Little; 9:20 — Jerry Kesselring, Bud Holscher and Marty Furgol; 9:36 — Chick Harbert, Ted Kroll and Bill Fritz; 10:00 — Jackie Burke, Mayer and Hogan; 10:32 — Souchak, Middlecoff and Harvie Ward; 12:40 — Julius Boros, Lew Worsham and Nelson; 1:36 — Ed Furgol, Littler and Claude Harmon; 2:08 — Doug Ford, Snead and Rosburg. There will be 18 holes of play Thursday and again Friday. On Saturday the field will be cut to the low 50 and ties for a grueling double-round of 36-holes.
