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New Record set as Hogan takes Masters crown
Score of 274, 14 under par, is lowest ever
By Randy Russell
Chronicle Sports Editor
Augusta, Ga., Monday, April 13, 1953 -- Ben Hogan knocked the Masters Tournament scoring record to smithereens yesterday, finishing with a 36-33-69 hole classic at the Augusta National Golf Club. The score, 14-strokes under par, is five strokes better than the old record, 279, set by Ralph Guldahl in 1939 and tied by Claude Harmon in 1948.
"Will stand forever"
``Hogans record will stand forever,'' declared ex-Masters champion Henry Picard. The second-placer, Ed (Porky) Oliver, finished with a fine 70 to wind up with the third 279 in the 17 tournaments. But even in matching the old record, Oliver was no match for the smooth-swinging Hogan. Hogan's five-stroke winning margin tied another record. Harmon, having finished that far ahead of runner-up Cary Middlecoff in '48. Hogan shot his final round on one of the wettest days the Masters Tournament has had in recent years. Heavy rain, accompanied by wind, soaked the course thoroughly during the morning hours and cut the attendance to an estimated 10,000.
Rain hurts early birds
The weather worked against some of the early starters. Bob Hamilton, played the first nine in a downpour and emerged with a 73 for 283 to place fourth. Sam Snead, who soared to a 75 and finished far down the list at 292, was another player who had to face the rough weather. But the rain did not bother Hogan. The 40-year-old Texas bantam - now grown up to a hale and hearty 168 pounds - was one of the last to leave the first tee and he played most of his round in brilliant sunshine.
By the time Hogan had birdied the second and fourth holes to go two strokes under par for the round and five strokes ahead of the hard-working Oliver, the championship was to all intents and purposes, determined. Hogan needed only to play safe and hit the greens to come out in front. Oliver, playing about five holes ahead of Hogan, made a game fight of it. He went for the pin continually for the first dozen holes, willing to take chances for the dazzling round that would have been needed to catch Hogan. But the 220-pounder who, like Hogan, registers from Palm Springs, Calif., did not have either the shots or the breaks to make a real threat.
Putts don't fall
On the holes where Porky played well from the tee, his putts refused to fall. Where Oliver was wild, with his driver and his irons, he chipped and putted well enough to match par on every hold but the ninth and 11th. He three-putted the ninth and was far off the green with his iron shot on No. 11. Oliver's playing partner, Lloyd Mangrum, gave the back nine the best going over it has had during the tournament. he came in with 37-32-69 to tie Hogan for the best round of the day and edge a stroke ahead of Hamilton for third position in the finish at 282.
Chick Harbert, who was also in contention at the start of the day, shot a 74 and tied for fifth place with Tommy Bolt with 285. Ted Kroll, Jack Burke Jr., and Al Besselink were next in line with 286, 287 and 288 respectively. Everybody else was above par for the course which, in general, preserved its reputation for toughness.
Harvie Ward Jr., of Atlanta, and Frank Stranahan, who were the leading amateurs at the end of the three rounds, were sent out together in the rain yesterday. Both came in with soggy 75's, leaving the amateur honors still in a deadlock. At that, their 291's were nearly eclipsed by Charlie Coe, who came in late in the day with a 71 that put him at the 292 mark. This was Hogan's second victory at the Masters in 11 tries. He tied for first place in 1942, only to lose to Byron Nelson, and was regarded as a ``hard-luck'' player here until he finally crashed through with a Masters Championship in 1951.
Yesterday he scored five birdies and two bogeys. He got his 33 on the back none by shaving a stroke from the par on the two par fives and then caning a ten-footer for a birdie on No. 18. This last birdie was anything but necessary, all other contenders having already finisher, but it gave the big gallery a thrill.
Mangrum hot
Mangrum, who was installed as the favorite after shooting a 63 in a practice round Wednesday, picked up four birdies on the back nine. He had a short putt for an eagle on No. 13, and could have turned in an even better score with a little luck on No. 15, another par five where the hot shots count on getting birdies. Mangrum had a five here, but he did it the hard way, knocking his second shot into the pond in front of the green and dropping a new ball in back of the pond.
Oliver also was close to an eagle on 13. His putt hung on the lip of the cup. By that time, this sort of thing was nothing more than Oliver expected. Porky also had a birdie on 18, when he knocked his iron up three feet from the pin and canned a tricky little downhill putt. These were holes that Oliver played well. He also played some poorly and emerged with little damage. On No. 8, for example, he was off to the left in a patch of woods seldom explored and managed to come out of the jungle and on the edge of the green in one shot. His approach putt, a 50-foot winder, was up to the pin and Porky got his par ``Ooooh,'' he remarked, doing a jig to the ninth tee.
Chip Shots
Mangrum almost had a birdie on 14, although he had no business getting one there. He had a 40-foot putt across two mounds with a valley in between. Luckily he didn't let any of the fans read the green for him, for he stroked the ball in an entirely unexpected direction and much slower than everyone thought proper. It almost went into the hole. Al Besselink shot a 7 on No. 2 and Chick Harbert had a 7 on No. 5. Jim Ferrier putted past the cup on No. 6, but the ball obligingly did an about face and fell in for him.
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