Sport: Ben's Finest Round

Even before the National Open tournament got under way last week, the nation's top golfers—and some of the best from abroad—were grousing about the rugged rough, the grainy greens and the cannily placed traps on the 6,927-yd. Oakland Hills course at Birmingham, Mich. The gripes took on added weight when Defending Champion Ben Hogan himself took a six-over-par 76 on the first round, for a dismal 19-way tie for 41st place.

But machine-like Ben Hogan was never one to let a tough course bother him for long. On the second round he cut his score to 73, moved up to 16th place...