Rugged Roydt & Ancient

Two birdies and a par on the first three holes are enough to turn any golfer's head. When that happened to Crooner Bing Crosby in the British Amateur Golf Tournament last week, he addlepatedly played toward the nearby 14th instead of the fourth green. Thereafter Bing gathered a flock of sixes and lost his first-round match.-By week's end he was joined on the sidelines by more distinguished golfing company, including Defending Champion Sam McCready of Ireland and the 1947 winner, Willie Turnesa of New York. As usual, the Royal and Ancient "Old Course" at St. Andrews, Scotland gave bruised nerves even to tournament-tough competitors.

Bunkers & Bumps. The most famous golf course in the world does not show all its hazards immediately. It stretches out like a long and gnarled shepherd's crook-so narrow that there are seven double greens with both outgoing and incoming pins--but the newcomer is often vaguely disappointed at his first view to find that it does not look particularly formidable. What the newcomer soon learns: 1) there is hardly a level lie on the course, and 2) the holes are defended by some of the most fiendish bunkers in existence.

As the tournament wore on last week, the U.S. contingent (32 in a huge starting field of 324) found that their proficiency at long driving paid off. But though their tee shots generally cleared the bunkers, they got their full share of vexation on St. Andrews' wide, hard and bumpy greens. By week's end, nonetheless, two Americans had fought their way into the 36-hole final, to give the British Amateur an all-American windup for the second time in four years. They were 28-year-old Frank Stranahan of Toledo, Ohio, 1948 British Amateur winner, who had been hammering some of the longest shots of the week, and 39-year-old Dick Chapman, of Pinehurst, N.C., a 1947 finalist.

The Wind & the Rain. On the last day, with gusts of cold rain and wind sweeping across the course at 35 m.p.h., the weather added to St. Andrews' topographical torments. "Muscle Man" Stranahan's big drives made the difference. He was consistently hitting his tee shots 30 to 50 yds. farther than Chapman, thus forcing Chapman to play first on approach shots. This gave sharp-eyed Stranahan a good chance to see what the wind was doing to his opponent's lofting second shots, calculate his own with the information in mind. Though Stranahan was six over par for the first 30 holes, Chapman found the going even worse. On the 30th (No. 12 hole) it was all over, 8 and 6.

The gallery crowd had a long; walk back to the clubhouse from the twelfth hole. Not so Champion Stranahan. With something of his usual self-confidence, he had parked his car opposite No. 15 earlier in the day. He had underestimated himself by three holes.

-Said bald-pated Golfer Crosby: "The real reason I came over was to get me a wig from the Labor government."

Tradition has it that all bunkers at St. Andrews were originally made by sheep bedding down in favorite spots. If so, St. Andrews sheep not only burrowed like gophers, but bedded with amazing consistency about 200 yds. from the present tees. The 14th or Long Hole (527 yds., par 5) has the famous Hell Bunker. Once, says tradition, a player in Hell Bunker was asked how many strokes it had cost him. The player answered: "I went in at a quarter past twelve. It is now a quarter to one. Make your own estimate."

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