High Wind at Riviera

A hundred of the nation's best golfers shivered and pulled on wool mittens between shots. It was hardly the weather they had expected for the $15,000 Los Angeles Open, played down the sleek Riviera Country Club course. High winds raised hob with tee shots, and one afternoon came bursts of hail and sleet--and then snow. Defending Champ Ben Hogan (TIME, Jan. 10) started off as badly as the weather, and got worse.

He wasn't his old self off the tees, and in the third day's round a gasp of disbelief went up from his gallery when he took four putts on the 15th green. Hogan did not blame the climate. He said merely, "Hell, I'm just not playing golf." In the final round, Ben finally found his touch with a one-under-par 70, but by then it was too late.

Going into the last round, four men were tied for the lead--Lloyd ("Mustache") Mangrum, Jimmy ("Smiles") Demaret, Eric Monti and Leland Gibson. The first to crack in the stretch was Monti, then Demaret. The winner (wearing pajamas under his golf slacks to keep warm): Mangrum, with an even-par 284. Tied for tenth, with 292, was Ben Hogan, 1948's golfer-of-the-year.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.