Green Pastures

When golf's self-styled experts made early book on the P.G.A. Championships at Akron, Ohio last week, the man most everyone overlooked was Junius Joseph Hebert (pronounced: Eh-bear), 37, brother of 1957 P.G.A. winner Lionel Hebert. A handsome, black-haired playboy, he had a record as a perennial also-ran with only a scattering of victories in his 12-year career.

Arnold Palmer, U.S. Open and Masters champion, was a heavy 3-1 choice to win: aging Ben Hogan and ageless Sam Snead were the sentimental favorites. The oddsmakers failed to figure the crushing impact of the course--or that Jay Hebert was overdue.

Until famed Golf Architect Robert Trent Jones finished his pernicious labors, the Firestone Country Club, private pasture of U.S. rubber barons, had offered nothing more complicated than a pleasant social sojourn on a workday afternoon.

For last week's P.G.A., its fairways were trimmed to 30-yd. widths, its undulating greens were tucked behind yawning lakes; deep bunkers dotted its entire 7,165-yd length. Groaned Canadian Open Winner Art Wall after a bogeyman second round: "It's beyond me. I'm just not good enough for this course." Neither were Palmer, Snead and Hogan --at least last week. Ben Hogan was unable to earn a single birdie in the first 54 holes, did not survive the final cut. Palmer took a horrendous triple-bogey 8 on the 625-yd. 16th on the third day, finished with a six-over-par 286, retired to the sidelines as a TV commentator. Snead cashed out with bogeys on the last two holes. But for graceful Jay Hebert, the grueling Firestone course was tailor-made.

Firing a remarkably steady 72-67-72-70 for a one-over-par 281, Hebert laid a five iron 8 ft. from the pin on the 71st hole, sank his putt for a birdie, and coasted to the clubhouse, victor by a stroke over 45-year-old Jim Ferrier. His prize: a record $11,000, wrested from the nation's best pressure golfers.

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