European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 13, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                August 1977 the stars and stripes Page 2 Iron Man by Bob Green Pebble a Tom forced to play with unfamiliar Irons after two sets of his clubs were declared tired a four underpay 68 that put him within one stroke of leading Gene Uttler in thursdays first round of the pea National the outstanding player in the game this year and the Central figure in the club controversy that has marked this 59th had to borrow a set of Irons from Roger set with which he never had played before Only 30 minutes before his Tec said one Man in the gallery when Watson holed out for a Birdie on his final i guess  have to Lake the Ball away from him taking clubs away Doest slow him Down a my Putter made up for a Watson any anxiety or tension 1 May have Felt about the new clubs was dispelled on the first i hit a six Iron a very Good 12 feet from the Hole and made the putt for the clubs with which Watson won the British the three other american titles and More than this were declared illegal wednes Day after he voluntarily presented them for inspection to pea they were found to exceed Golf association specifications involving the Width of grooves on the club he had another set of Irons flown to him from Kansas a set with which he won the 1975 British these were inspected Early they also were found to be his tee time was approaching and he had to scramble to find some clubs in a another tour had a spare set in his a set of old Silver Scot Irons More than 25 years old he had purchased a year Watson never had seen 1 Felt More confident with g set another player had More confident taking them out of the trunk of his car than 1 would have been to go rummaging around in the pro shop and trying to find some thing in a he almost overlooked in the continuing controversy of the illegal club More than a Hal dozen other players also had clubs declared illegal was the round forged by the ailing a 67 that set the Pace for the first round of the last of the years big four events that also includes the Mas the and British Watson shoots 68 with borrowed clubs to Trail Littler by one stroke in pea opener who beat Jack Nicklaus in both the masters and British was tied for one stroke also at 68 were Jerry a recent Winner o the Philadelphia and Mark who set the British open single round Scon ing record and won the prestigious tournament players championship earlier this j called by Watson the master of the game and seeking a record match ing fifth pea National was another Gene Uttler ponders question in press room after grabbing Lead in pea with a 67 pea tourney 1 Stroud scores Pebble the pea Chamion thib o Beach course Gene Lull Ltd Tom Jerry Mark Jack Lanny Johnny Putty in army John Roger George Burnt Lee Trevino Lou Bill h Sun Booby Griir Leonard Thompson Arnold Palmer Bob Lon he nolo Tim Bob Mike up first round Koran in i it Mot Yard Pebble 3334u n 1541 353570 353570 35347i 313611 373577 a 3772 14347 171571 1473 34 3773 Many tour players cant dig the can of Worms in pea by Wil Grimsley Pebble a Treyve really opened up a can of former titleholder Bob Rosburg said thursday of the illegal club Contro Versy that swept the 59th professional golfers association any guv who tees off without having his bag officially checked is an added Gary player of South a two time Winner of the player was one of close to a dozen Lead ing tour players who had from one club to the full Range of Irons thrown out because the most prominent of those affected was Tom Winner of the masters and British open this year with a set of Irons that helped propel him to the top of the Money winning list with a California paper created some heat among the pros with a headline that asked an asterisk for Watsons wins its a shame that Watson is being singled out and that some taint is being applied to his masters and British open insisted the grooving actually is so insignificant that theres no Way they could have affected his Tine Well known san Francisco pea Winner in 1959 and now a broadcaster for is a longtime representative of the ram corporation in manufacturer of most of the clubs that were declared illegal this if All the clubs were 75 per cent of the bags in the Miman Field would have an illegal club or two in Ros Burg you will find that most of the violations Are the result of Long use and continued on Page is Julius Jotin de Jirry Tom Billy Dava John Wally Gorga Bob 343174 Woody Hay Bruce Jim Bob Tommy Craham Gary Hubert Gil 74 Larry Andy Butch Bui pw1 75 Mac Bruch Dava Don Lyn boo Jim Paul Dow Somis Kan Oanna Karrat Bob Urry Bobby Tom Miller 3ms77 Pat buddy Gary 374077 Elk Bill Mike Larry Larry David 374077 Jim Ferryall Andy Jim dimes Jay Snody Rusty Tom Brym continued m Page 25 stroke 3 was tied at 69 with Lanny Wadkins and George the group at 70 included Johnny who hinted lie May be ready to break his Charles fury Zoeller and George who on putted 10 of the first 12 holes he played in the dewy Damp that covered the Pebble Beach Golf Lee Trevino was in a group another shot Back at Arnold Palmer had a open Champion Hubert Green shot a so did Hale Tom Weiskopf went to a troubled Ben Crenshaw he took a horrendous nine on the Parthree fifth made bogey six on the next and triple bogey seven on the he was nine Over Par at that Point and did not com plete the the 47yearold who scored one of the great comebacks in sports in his Triumph Over cancer that threatened to end his career and his life in the Early has been troubled by an ailing Back most of this he has played Little since scoring the 29th Victory of his career in the Houston and had not played in the last six for 4ft weeks i  even swing a the Veteran the last i weeks its been a lot i had no Trou ble As Littler he played this picturesque which has lost much of its Beauty to the drought that has stricken Northern with a great Deal of it was illustrated on the final a Par five that curves along the Rocky Cliffs of Carmel i think i could have gotten there in Littler but 1 had a Good round going and i didst want to put one in the Ocean and ruin so he played laying tip with an then pitching to five he made the putt that put him in front Uttler didst make a bogey in his slow trek Over the baked fairways that showed cracks and crevasses from the dry heat that had held so Long but dissipated for this he birdied the first with an eight Iron to three and needed Only two shots to reach the Par five it was another a five Iron shot set up a four foot Birdie putt on the ninth Hole and Uttler took com Mand with subpar efforts on the 16th and an eight footer dropped on the 16th and the careful Birdie on the 18th wrapped up his Watson was not alone in his difficulties with the Hale Gary Ray Floyd and others All had Irons declared due to his spectacular successes this particularly in his Vic tories Over Nicklaus in the masters and Bitiah the Central officials were Quick to Point out that and All voluntarily presented their dubs for applauded the play ers integrity and said they were victims of observed he had won two British opens with clubs that since have been called i kind of imag he said with his Boyish they might Check me next although he had to play with unfamiliar Irons i Only managed to hit about eight practice shots with he the Putter was Watsons old and it was the key to his my putting was he it helped bail him out of the one erratic stretch he on the ninth and he got his approach in a Bunker on the blew it out some 35 feet from the Hole and dropped the Par saving a drive into the Ocean on the next Hole Cost him his Only bogey of the he scored three times from the 1215 foot on the Lith and final and scored a Deuce on the fifth after rifling shot six feet from the Flag with his Bor rowed