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Show (Backseat Driving . Br rXANK K. BAKER-Telegrant BAKER-Telegrant Sport Editor Although the year' most dramatic golfing victory went to Byron Nelson in the National Open, Henry Picard is apt to wind up as the year's outstanding professional. pro-fessional. Nelson ranks fourth among the year's money winners, while Picard is leading the parade with $10,202. won as the stars prepare for the f 10,000 Miami open starting Thursday,,. . 1 ' If Picard can snare a substantial share of the Miami prize money, he will top the rest of the professional brigade by a wide margin. And of course he has already made an auspicious bid for the Harry Vardon trophy, which also goes to the year's foremost professional. Nelson took the National Open under th most dramatic circumstances to develop in the fixture since Salt Lake's George (Gix) Von Elm and Billy Burke tied for th crown in 1131. Like Burke, the current tltleholder had to survive sur-vive double playoff. First, he finished in a triple tie ' with Craig Weed and Denny Shut. Then he finished in a double tie with Wood after the first playoff, and finally west only after a meat trying and long drawn-out wind-up. It was not long afterward before Nelson and Picard finally found themselves lined up against each other for the National Professional championship at Flushing, N. Y. ' -This time Picard was the more enduring and he hasn't really been stopped since. In fact, he has finished in the money in every start except one since the P. G. A. tournament, tour-nament, and chalked up six major victories in doing so. It als Is significant that Balph Guldahl Is running second among th money winners although he was finally dethroned by Nelson after holding the National Open championship for two years. Sammy Snead, the confident Virginian, will bo watched with interest in the Miami event because it was he who shaved 13 strokes off par with a record 2IT in that tournament two years ago. Snead ha been out of action for three months while dentists extracted several faulty teeth which .were poisoning his system, but ow he's In fine fettle again and that is regarded as bad news for the other contenders. Here are the leading money winners as compiled by International Inter-national News: Henry Picard, Hershey, Pa. $10,202 Ralph Guldahl, Madison, N. J 9.377 Dick Metx, Chicago 8.600 Byron Nelson, Reading, Pa 8,386 . Sam Snead, Hot Springs. Va 7,212 Harold McSpaden, Winchester, Mass 3.554 E. J. Harrison, Little Rock. Ark 5,350 Denny Shute, Huntington, W. Va 5,150 Horton Smith, Oak Park, 111 5.024 Ben Hogan, White Plains, N. Y.. 4,850 Jimmy Thomson, Shawnee, Pa 4.100 Harry Cooper, New London, Conn. ' 3,250 Gene Sarazen, East Brookfield, Conn 2,775 Paul Runyan, White Plains, N. Y 2,688 Johnny RevolU, Evanston, 111. 2,520 Lloyd Mangrum, Los Angeles 2,350 Felix Serafin, Scranton, Pa. 2.331 Ed Dudley, Philadelphia 2,300 Craig Wood, Mamaroneck, N. Y. 2,140 Jimmy Hlnes, Great Neck, N. Y. 2.100 Victor Gheni, Deal. N. J 2,040 Salt Lakers will be grieved to learn of the death of Rube Wilbur, who was one of the city's foremost baseball players a decade ago. Word comes to me that Rube died recently at his father's home near Indianapolis, following an operation. The report Indicated he had left bed before having fully recovered to drive his father to town when the latter was stricken with a (CaatknaaS as ftoOoerlag Fsaa) a Backseat Driving (Contlnoes from Proe Ung Pass) paralytic stroke and that the resultant exposure led to fatal complications. In his baseball days here, Wilbur played with the Upstairs Clothes Shop, Quality Press and the Walker Bank teams which dominated the Amateur field so completely. He was a fleet outfielder and usually batted around the J50 figure. He was one of the stars who pioneered the State league, now the Industrial In-dustrial circuit, in 1930. Mrs. Wilbur is th former Ruth Soder-berg Soder-berg of Salt Lake. |