Show Littles Little's Drives Clinch Open Title Fine Shots In n Playoff Win Crown By LA TON LAWTON CARVER INS Sports Editor W WARRENSVILLE Ohio June 10 1 One One of the longest hitters in the history of golf and the man who generally Is credited with having been the second best amateur this country ever ver produced today was the national open champion In winning this title for the first time here yesterday Lawson Little also proved that his many attributes attributes attributes includes a large dash o of gameness under fire the kind of courage that enabled him hint to shoot 73 72 73 72 for the 72 holes then a 70 in m the hole 18 play-off play with Gene to clinch it by three st strokes okes Cant Can't Match Dm Drives es As for the latter he was the gallery gallery gallery gal gal- lery favorite from the moment he made his game and brilliant dash down the stretch at Canterbury Saturday with a 34 to bring about the deadlock But on a course made to order for a long hitter of the Little type the year old holder of this open crown in 1922 and 1932 and the British open title in m the latter year besides simply found the going too difficult Heavy overnight rains rams had left the layout soggy with the result that was further handicapped by the lack of roll on his ballAt ball At any ra rate e he was pretty well and rather convincingly stopped by the big broad-beamed broad fellow Little was was rated as our best amateur of time tim next to Bobby Jones ones until he turned professional in m 1936 after winning the U U. Sand S S. and British amateur titles twice each in a row in m 1934 and 1935 Ne Nev Never er r in Front was never in front In Inthe Inthe Inthe the battle for the 1000 first prize He took tooka a 5 4 on the first two holes against Littles Little's 4 3 a and d went on from there to ultimate defeat missing his big chance to stop the tide on the fifth Two down at this point he split the fairway with his drive after Little had hooked his into a trap and it looked as though surey must pickup pickup pick pickup up a couple of strokes Instead he lost two more Little came out of the trap to the gr green n yards away and holed out a foot 15 putt for a birdie three thre-e while hile was short shott with his second and took two putts for a a bog bogie bogre e five On the par five sixth five sixth got two of pf the strokes back when he banged home an eagle three but be he rounded the turn three strokes behind Although he never did get in m fr front nt he manag managed d to square it it at the eleventh Little ittle quickly pulled ahead again on the twelfth and did no not l let t come up even For competing in m his first twenty straight open since his debut at the age of 17 it was a bitter blow to be deprived of what may be his last chance to win the coveted old classic He isn isn't t gett getting getting get get- t ting ng any any younger younger He was very confident starting out that he could take the year old Little He might have but for the latter's latter s power He can belt them and on ona ona ona a course such as Canterbury this is an advantage It is a long long ways around the layout Wasn't Given Chance Besides his victory in the amateurs amateurs ama ama- ama abroad and in m this country Little also has won the Canadian open and is serving as as a pro at Breton Woods N. N H H. but he wont won't get a chance to win the national pro title later in m the summer He hasn't been a professional long enough to qualify y for the P P. P G A A. event Little wasn't given much of a chance to take the open when the tournament started and all the talk was was was' as' as of Sammy Snead Ben Hogan and a few others What everybody everybody everybody every every- body ov overlooked was that Little had shot a 65 and 69 at Olympia fields Chicago in m qualifying That should should have have bee been the tip off |