Triple Tie

Last week, for the first time since 1913, when 20-year-old Francis Ouimet startled the golf world by finishing in the same number of strokes as the barnstorming British Professionals Harry Vardon & Ted Ray, the U. S. Open Golf Championship ended in a three-way tie. Identical scores of 284, after three days of nerve-racking play over the sun-baked Spring Mill course of the Philadelphia Country Club, were hung up by Craig Wood, Denny Shute and Byron Nelson.

Next day, in an 18-hole playoff, while the gallery was still talking about Sam Snead's heart-breaking blowup that snatched the championship from him on the very last of the 72 holes, Craig Wood furnished the 5,000 spectators with a golf round even more dramatic. On that same 18th hole where an 8 brought tragedy to Snead, Wood, leading Nelson by one stroke, hooked his second shot. The ball struck a spectator flush on the temple, knocked him unconscious. Completely unnerved as State troopers carried the stricken man off to the clubhouse, Wood flubbed an eight-foot putt while Nelson dropped his for a birdie 4. Wood and Nelson were tied again--with sub-par 68s (Shute shot 76).

Following day, in a second playoff, Wood posted 73, Nelson 70.

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