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1947
DEMARET CAPTURES MASTERS TITLE WITH 281
Pacific Coast Star Repeats In Golf Event
Frank Stranahan Ties With Nelson For Second Place
By George Moore
Chronicle Sports Editor
Augusta, Ga., Monday, April 7, 1947 -- Blasting out his fourth sub-par round in as many days, Jimmy Demaret, Ojai, Calif., the pro with big smile, became the second two time winner of the Masters tournament as he registered a 281 total for the 72 holes over the Augusta National Golf club course.
A throng estimated at between 10,000 and 12,000 jam-packed the colorful course to watch the final day of play and then later see Demaret presented with first prize money of $2,500 by the famed Bobby Jones, Atlanta, club president.
Demaret, who won in 1940 with a total of 280, was in front from the start, although being deadlocked for the lead the first two days with Byron Nelson Thursday and Cary Middlecoff Friday. Saturday, however, he pulled away from the field to enter the final round with a three-stroke advantage.
TOP AMATEUR SECOND
Two strokes in back of Demaret at 283 were Nelson and Frankie Stranahan, Toledo, O., who is rated by many as the nation's top amateur today. Second-place was worth $1,500 to Nelson, who won the event in 1937 and 1942. The other two-time winner is Horton Smith, Detroit, who finished fairly well down in the pack.
Demaret put together cards of 69-71-70-71 for his winning total. Yesterday his putting was off a bit, taking 33 putts, but the other parts of his game gave him the chance to card a one-under-par 71.
Demaret tied for fourth place last year with a 289 or better.
SHOOTS SIZZLING 68
Stranahan shot a sizzling 68 to tie Nelson for the running-up shot, his four-under-par being the lowest ever recorded by a simon pure in the 11-year-history of the blue-ribbon event.
Tied for third place at 284 were Ben Hogan, Hershey, Pa., and Harold (Jug) McSpaden, Sanford, Me. A former winner, Henry Picard, Cleceland, O., was tied at 286 with Jim Ferrier, former Australian champion. Hogan had been the pre-tourney favorite. Hogan and McSpaden each received $900 for their efforts.
Following Stranahan among the amateurs was Dick Chapman, Pinehurst, N.C., with 289.
Herman Keiser, Akron, O., defending titlist, wound up in a 12th place deadlock with Ellsworth Vines, Chicago, at 294.
Nelson had 69-72-72-70 for his second-place tie and Stranahan put together rounds of 73-72-70-68 for the 283 total.
JONES RUNS BACK
For the first time in the history of the Masters, Bobby Jones took an 80 which, combined with his previous cards of 75-79-78 gave him a total of 312. Ed Dudley, host pro and president of the Professional Golfers' association, carded 72-75-73-78 - 298, while one of the most impressive comebacks was that of Bobby Locke, South African champion who arrived for only a few hours of practice on the eve of the tournament opening, had 74-74-71-70 for 289.
Although a menacing favorite from the outset, Demaret was a popular champion with his fellow golfers.
The rolling greensward, he said, was right down his alley throughout the meet. Rains made the terrain slow. A premium was placed on long-hitting, and Demaret admits that the tee shots are his strong forte.
DRIVING IS TOPS
Playing it close to the vest all the way, Demaret took a pair of bogeys on his final, one-under-par round, but offset them with a trio of birdies. His driving was tops. He required 33 putts for the round and summed up his performance with a smile:
``I simply played steady golf. I figured a 70 or a 71 would do the trick. I thought I'd just let them shoot at that.''
Beautiful, warm weather and a huge crowd turned out for the climatic day of the event which Bobby Jones founded 11 years ago on a course built to his own speculations in order to give the real golf masters their supreme test.
Nelson might have turned the trick of becoming a three-time winner, but the great star of 1945 showed the effects of eight-months retirement from competitive golf and a 69 and 70. Since the PGA last summer, Nelson has been ranching in Texas.
Demaret's final-round card:
Par-out454 343 454 - 36
Demaret out444 353 454 - 36
Par in 443 545 344 - 36-72
Demaret in 443 444 444 - 35-71
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