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Show John Cards 138 in Open 5- ' f I '' J " ' f ' I 1 John Geertsen . . This Utahn helps lead parade In qualifying qualify-ing play for Los Angeles open, finishing two under par with 138. to share lead with Dennis Lavender of Dallas. Geertsen Qualifies In L. A. Golf Meet LOS ANGELES, Jan. 4 (AP) John Geertsen, lanky Bonneville Bonne-ville pro from Salt Lake City, Wednesday blazed over the tricky Country club course in a sub par 138 to pace qualifiers for the annual $5000 Los Angeles open golf tournament. The field ot 128, hailing from more than a score of states and two foreign, will tee off Friday in the opening Aiin4 nf nlail -----''-V over the par 70 North course, one of the stiff- est golfing tests in Southern Cali-i Cali-i fornia. I Forty-four . leading professionals profes-sionals and a handful of crack amateurs were , exempt from yesterday's yes-terday's qualifying qualify-ing rounds, when 1 mnre than 200 it 4, 'yi Beach, who had 139 on the two Griffith park courses. Contestants played one course In the morning, the other in the afternoon round. Defending champion of the meet, first of California's winter series, is Jimmy Demaret. Houston, Texas. He had a 72-hole score last year of 274 over the Griffith park Harding Hard-ing course, which isn't as difficult as the Los Angeles course. National Open King Byron Nelson. Nel-son. Toledo, Ohio; MacDonald Smith, Clendale, Cat., four-time winner of the local tournament, and a host of others were among those exempt from yesterdays qualifying. Another. Clayton Heaf-ner. Heaf-ner. Charlotte, N. C, tried out the Los Angeles Country club and posted a 64, tying the course record set by Olin Dutra recently. Among those who qualified were John Montague, Los Angeles, with 72-70142; Art Bell. California pro champion. 72-68- 140; I-onard Dodson, Joplin, Mo., 73-77-150: battled for 84 places In the Byron Nelson starting field. Low scorers were John Geertsen, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Dennis Lavender, Dallas, with 138, turned in on the two courses of Sunset fields, and Harry Bassler, Long Jack Gage. Santa Barbara amateur. ama-teur. 73-72-145, and Ellsworth Vines, tennis star, 73-72145. |