The Masters' Touch

In the absence of Jimmy Demaret, professional golfing's flashy fashionplate, Lloyd Mangrum stepped bravely forward to spruce up the Masters golf tournament. His blue cap, pink shirt and lavender slacks howled like an off-key calliope along the green fairways of Georgia's Augusta National course. "They need a little color around here," said Mangrum, "since the frost ruined all the azaleas."

Ever since the first Masters in 1934, the old masters have been whacking out more colorful golf than any tournament has a right to expect. Sometimes a newcomer startles the crowd with a spectacular round (last year Amateur Billy Joe Patton almost broke up the party with a fine 144 for the first 36 holes), but always the old guard takes over. Last year it was Samuel Jackson Snead who slammed through a playoff with two-time Winner Ben Hogan to pick up the marbles.

Last week Gary Middlecoff, 34, the Memphis dentist who traded his drill for a driver, found the masters' touch. He took off with a perfectly practical par 72. Out in front, Jack Burke, a transplanted Texan working out of Kiamesha Lake, N.Y., exploded with a five-under-par 67. With such sharpshooters as Snead, Hogan and Middlecoff sniping at his heels, Burke promptly blew up. Next day he scored a 76. Middlecoff shot past him with an astonishing 65--six birdies and an 82-ft. putt for an eagle on the treacherous 13th.

The old pro who puts together a round like that can take almost any tournament if he finishes with the par golf he ought to be able to play anywhere. On the third day Middlecoff got his second par. But over his shoulder he could see the limping figure of Ben Hogan, his left leg still acting up from his 1949 auto accident, stumping steadily along. Overshadowed by Middlecoff's 65, Ben had scored a solid 68. Now he matched Middlecoff's par and he was only four strokes back.

Light rain dampened the course and slowed the greens for the final round, but Middlecoff stayed on top of his game. He turned into the back nine, two strokes under par. Hogan, his short putts stubbornly shunning the cup, was shooting par golf--not good enough. Just for a moment, on the loth hole, Middlecoff faltered, shanked his second shot and scored a double bogey six. Then Dr. Gary Middlecoff picked up the pace again, finished with a stylish 70 for a four-round total of 279, a solid seven strokes ahead of Hogan.

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