Change From Routine Wood and Nelson Tie With Not a Success Scores of 68; Spectator Knocked Unconscious Philadelphia, June 11
In one of the most dramatic rounds of golf ever played, Byron Nelson, a touch fired turkey-necked Texan, rolled in a 6-foot downhill putt for a birdie four on the final green today for a 68 and a tie with Craig Wood in the play-off for the National open championship.
Denny Shute, the third man in the play-off, went seven over par with a 76 and was eliminated from tomorrow's second play-off round of 18 holes.
The 18th hole, score of Sammy Snead's sudden collapse, yesterday when the tournament was within his grasp, was the setting today for a double tragedy.
Wood's second shot on the green, a screaming Brassie hit a spectator on the head and felled him with severe lacerations of the scalp. The ball was heading for the rough when it struck the spectator. It ricocheted and bounded on the fairway, later needing a five foot putt for a birdie and the title.
Wood missed the cup by a fraction of an inch and took another putt to tie Nelson, Skippers decided to depart from their usual practice of spending Saturday night at the Pipe Line by holding two Ordinary Races on Sunday only, thus leaving themselves free to explore the "High Lights" of Shanghai on Saturday night.
Breaking away from the routine evidently had disastrous effects, as both races had to be abandoned owing to a complete absence of wind, no yacht completing even a shortened course and there was not sufficient tide even for a drift. Rover, Ella and Mignon gave up quite early on, and anchored near Powder Pier.
Goo Goo, out for the first time this season, seemed to streak ahead. The reason for this however was soon made apparent, when a thick blue haze was seen coming from her stern, which could not be attributed to tobacco smoke. Valerie, Viking and Ingomar managed to crawl as far as Gough Island and then also gave up the unequal struggle. This manoeuvre however cut off Ingomar from her supplies.
As no one got as far as the Pipe Line to start for the race home, this race was also abandoned.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.