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Demaret Clinches Masters; 10,000 Follow Final Round
Nervy Texan Shoots One-Under-Par 71 on Last Lap To Finish With 280, Four-Stroke Advantage; Atlanta's Charlie Yates Tops Amateurs
By Tom Wall
Augusta, Ga., Monday, April 8, 1940 -- Nervy Jimmy Demaret, the Houston hurricane, walked off with the Masters Golf championship yesterday with a 72-hole total of 280 to make good a boast he uttered recently at Asheville, N.C.
The casual Texan turned in a one-under-par 71 on the final day to complete his conquest of the $5,000 Augusta fixture eight strokes under par for the four days, and as an answer to the good-natured ``ribbing'' his brother professional gave him at Asheville when Demaret picked up after getting off to a bad start in the opening rounds.
RECORD CROWD
A record crowd of 10,000 spectators saw Demaret, the leader by one stroke at the end of Saturday's third round, continue to stroke smoothly, and coolly, while outdistancing another Texas-born golf hunter, slender Lloyd Mangrum of Oak Park. Ills., who finished second with 284. Mangrum needed a two-over 74 on the final day.
The stranglehold applied on the seventh renewal of the classic tournament by a trio of Texas shot-makers was climaxed when Byron Nelson, who went from Texas to Reading, Pa., and followed up his 1938 Masters' victory by winning the national open last year, came in third at 285. He picked up a 70 yesterday.
Demaret collected $1,500 for his feat of succeeding Rough Ralph Guldahl of Chicago, who won here a year ago with a record-shattering 279 for 72 holes.
Mangrum took down $800 in prize money, Nelson $600.
Atlanta's Charlie Yates, British amateur champion in 1938 and co-holder of the Masters Bourne trophy with Chick Herbert of Battle Creek, Mich., after the 1939 Augusta event, was the low scoring simon-pure this year with a 293 total. Two shots behind Yates came Marvin (Bud) Ward of Spokane, Wash., the present American champion.
Behind the ``big three'' - Demaret, Mangrum and Nelson - cam ``Light Horse'' Harry Cooper of Chicago. Club Pro Ed Dudley of Augusta and Willie Goggin of San Francisco, who were tied for fourth place at 287.
Three players also tied for fifth as Henry Picard of Hershey, Pa., the 1938 Masters winner, Craig Wood of Mamaroneck, N.Y., and Slammin' Sam Snead of Shawnee-on-Delaware, Pa., finished at 288.
Ben Hogan, the White Plains pro who came to Augusta with three straight tournament wins, pulled up in a tie for sixth place with Tony Penna of Dayton, Ohio. They each had 290.
The veterans Paul Runyan of White Plains and Frank Walsh of Rumson, N.J., barely shot themselves a slice of the tournament money cake. Each had a total of 291.
OUT OF MONEY
Way down the list and out of the money were many favored shot-makers. In their midst was Guldahl, who needed a 74 yesterday and finished at 292, tied there with Sam Byrd of Philadelphia, and Johnny Farrell of New York.
In contrast to other Masters winners, and therefore in utter disregard of tradition as known to the blue-ribbon tournament, Demaret did nothing sensational on the concluding 18 unless it was that he had 17 pars to go with one birdie. In short, he clicked off the final round in machine-like precision despite tremendous pressure, never once appearing concerned about how it all might end.
At least half of the biggest crowd in the history of the closing day here traipsed behind the Houston hurricane and his Hershey companion, willowy Henry Picard, who had to scramble to get home with a 75 for a 288 total.
The sun never once peeped through the low hanging clouds and the tournament weather chart once again had a rain pin tacked into it when with only a trio of twosomes still out and thousands jammed at the home green, the rain came down in torrents.
JONES MAKES AWARDS
Bobby Jones, whose bad shoulder forced him from the competition at the halfway point Friday, went out between showers and, standing on the putting green, turned over checks to Demaret and Mangrum. Applause for the winners came from the thousands who braved the elements for a last-minute glimpse of the new champion and the runnerup.
The president of the luxurious Augusta National club expressed gratification at what he termed ``the finest and best behaved golf gallery in the world.''
The winners echoed these remarks, said they'll be back again next year.
A good six hours earlier many of those who stood at the putting green to hear and see Bobby Jones triumph in a new role, had set out in company with the ding-dong Demaret and Picard.
To them went the happy reward of having followed the winner, and none in the gallery could say that Demaret never played like a champion from the start.
He started with a fine par at the first green after having a putt for a birdie three. From that stage through the difficult 14th Demaret played the card like it hadn't been played in the tournament just ended. Fourteen consecutive pars and then a birdie and two more pars represented the Texan's excellent work.
The carefree Demaret launched his title-winning fourth round by smacking his tee shot down the straight and narrow. His second was only eight feet away, but he needed two putts after missing an eight-footer.
A straying second after his drive had come to rest at a dangerous place caused Jimmy to use up five strokes at the long par-five second.
PICARD PLUCKS BIRDIE
Picard, on the other hand, plucked a birdie at the second but was to go one-over on each of the next three holes.
Demaret's booming tee shot to the third was in the rough but he contributed a beaut with his second and got down in two putts for his par four.
He barely missed a birdie at the short fourth, went on to collect his par at the fifth while Picard was going one over for the third straight time.
They each reached the green at the short sixth, Picard getting down a long putt for his birdie deuce as Demaret rolled up dead for his par.
The were on the seventh green in two and were down in two putts to equal the card here.
Both had to play excellent chip shots at the long eighth to pave the way for their par fives.
STEADY STYLE
Demaret came on home in the same monotonous style, making the turn in par 36.
His second iron to the 10th green was beyond the green, but he was back dead to the pin and sank the putt for par four.
A five-foot putt was downed at the 11th and Jimmy was well on the way to the coveted championship.
His spade to the short and dangerous 12th was to the left of the pin, but he was par after needing no more than two putts.
He was on the green in two at 13, but required three putts.
He got his par at the 14th, and bagged his first birdie of the day at the stretching 15th, barely missing an eagle as his ball stopped inches short of the cup.
It was par, par, par the rest of the way with casual Jimmy the ultimate winner.
Mangrum, who voiced surprise that he could finish so high in the class competition, never had much chance to overhaul Demaret after they reached the turn yesterday. Already one stroke down at the start, Mangrum was two strokes off the pace as he turned in 37 and finished the same was for a 74.
REAR GUARD
Joining Byrd, Guldahl and Farrell in bringing up the rear-guard were Harold (jug) McSpaden of Winchester, Mass., and Amateur Charlie Yates of Atlanta, who were deadlocked at 293.
At 294 were Ed Oliver of Hornell, N.Y., and W. Lawson Little Jr. of Bretton Woods, N.J.
The veteran Gene Sarazen of Brookfield Center, Conn., headed a gathering at 295. Others with him were Johnny Bulla of Chicago, Dick Met of Oak Park, Ill., Al Watrous of Detroit and Bud Ward of Spokane, Wah.
James Ferrier, the Australian open and amateur champion from Sydney, was alone at 296.
Johnny Revolta of Evanston, Ill., and Jimmie Hines of Great Neck, L.I., made up a twosome at 297, one stroke out in front of Tony Manero of Peabody, Mass., and James Foulis of Chicago.
E.J. Jarrison of Little Rock, Ark., and Frank Moore of New York and Augusta kept each other company at 299.
IN 299 BRACKET
Four players were bunched at 301. They were Wilford Wehrle of Racine, Wis., Jimmy Thomson of Chicopee, Mass., Jules Hout of Canada and Chick Harbert of Battle Creek, Mich.
Martine Pose, the South American, was 302, to place just in front of Tommy Armour of Chicago.
Robert Sweeny, the Britisher, and three others were in a dead heat at 305. With Sweeny here were Rod Munday of White Plains, N.Y., Tommy Tailer of New York and Bill Holt of Syracuse, N.Y.
Others and their scores: Victor Ghezzi, Deal, N.J., 306; Church Kocsis, Detroit, 306; Art Doering, Chicago, 307; Felic Serafin, Scranton, Pa., 308; Horton Smith, Augusta and New York, 309; Ray Billows, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., 310; Enrique Bertolino, Argentina, 313; George Dawson, Chicago, 312; Chick Evans, Chicago, 331.
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