IV - . - I Fit It-rilk3i - Tuesday, June 24, 1975 inc IVIILMIksAIN LJAILT Tuesday, June 24, 1975 Graham captures Open ... .. .as Mahaffey's putter fails By The Associated Press MEDINAH, Ill. - Lou Graham, a 12-year tour veteran, wore down ambitious John Ma- haffey and ended a career of golfing obscurity with a two-stroke victory yesterday in the 18-, hole playoff for the U. S. Open crown. "It's the dream of a lifetime," the 37-year-old Graham said in his soft, Tennessee drawl. "Every kid, when he starts playing golf, dreams of winning the U. S. Open. I did. I'd line up a putt and tell myself, 'This is for the U. S. Open."' He won it with a 71, even par on the 7,152 yards of gently rolling, heavily wood- ed countryside that makes up the Medinah Country Club course. Graham went trudging deep into the woods on the left side ^f the 18th fairway, he heard a television commentator busily describing the situation. "I heard Bob Rosburg say if it hadn't hit a spectator, it would have gone out of bounds," Graham said. "Well, I said to myself, 'If that's what hap- pened-if it hit a spectator to keep from going OB, this golf tournament belongs to Lou Gr- ham."' It did. The bitterly disappointed Mahaffey, now a AP Photo runner-up seven times since taking his one tour title, didn't make a birdie in the hot and humid Steady Lou wins a big one playoff and had a score of 73, two over. Mahaffey's voice became hard and his face took on a stern, determined look when he an- swered the questions. "Eight times. "I've finished second eight times." "But I WILL win. "I've won once, but that's not what I mean. "I think I've got a good chance to win some major championships. "I think I might win the PGA." "I didn't care about the money," he said. 'That's not important. I just wanted to win this golf tournament so much. I don't have the words to tell you how much I wanted to win it." The money was impressive: $40,000 to Gra- ham, $20,000 to Mahaffey. It was only Graham's third victory as a touring pro. He won the 1967 Minnesota Classic and took the L&M Open in 1972. Both events have since disappeared from the tour schedule. With the check he pulled down here, he has won almost one-half million dollars in that time. "The main thing was that John didn't get any putts down," Graham summarized. "I putted awful," Mahaffey said. "I didn't get the ball to the hole. You can't win any golf tournament, particularly one of this sta- ture, if you don't get the ball to the hole. "I threw away the golf tournament on the greens." ST. LOUIS WINS TWICE Bench bumps Braves by booming By The Associated Press ond inning when Mike Lum hit the first game of a twi-night In the second game, John Two Chicago runs scored in ATLANTA - Johnny Bench his third home run of the sea- doubleheader sweep. Denny's five-hitter extended the fourth inning - one on a drove in four runs - three with son, a towering solo drive into Brock walked, stole second New York's scoreless string to wild pitch by Expos starter his 15th home run - and Bill the right-field seats. But that and third, then cruised home 35 innings and pinch-hitter Ted Fred Scherman, 0-2, and one Plummer hit a two-run homer, lead was short-lived, for Cesar on Fairly's single off Hank Simmons' eighth - inning grand on a passed ball by catcher pacing the powerful Cincinnati Geronimo led off the third with Webb, 1-5, to hand the ,Mets slam delivered the runs that Barry Foote. Reds to an 8-4 victory over the a single and rolled home in their sixth consecutive loss. gave the Cardinals a 4-0 victory The Cubs made it 4-0 in the Atlanta Braves yesterday. front of Plummer's blast. The steals were Brock's 12th and a double-dip over the seventh when Rob Sperring Plummer hit a two-run Double-dined and 13th successful attempts Mets, slapped a two-out single. Man- shot, his first homer of the pp in a row and his 24th and ny Trillo followed with a base year, in a four-run third inn- NEW YORK --, Ron Fairly's 25th of the season. Chicago clubs hit and when Exps center ing which was enough to back first - inning single scored Lou MONTREAL - Ray Burns fielder Pete M cal let the ball Jack Billingham's eighth vic- Brock and Ron Reed's seven- Reed, 8-6, struck out seven held the Expos to seven hits get past him, Snerring scored. tory of the year. Bench hit his hitter extended New York's batters and walked one to beat and the Chicago Cubs took ad- After Steve Swisher wslked, homer in the seventh to put scoreless string to 26 innings, Webb, who allowed only four gantgeCof Cubsttookms deAfBeritedSwsheg r talked the game away. giving the St. Louis-Cardinals hits in the eight innings he a 6-0 victory over the Expos. Trillo home. Atlanta had scored in the sec- a 1-0 victory over the Mets in pitched. f i uI iMajor Leoque StandinqS AMERICAN LEAGUE East w L Pet. GB Boston 37 27 .578 - New York 38 29 .567 x/ Milwaukee 34 32 .515 4 Baltimore 30 35 .461 7r, Detroit 26 37 .413 10'/, Cleveland 26 39 .40011 west Oakland 42 26 .618 -- Kansas City 38 31 .551 4> Texas 33 34 .493 8' California 34 36 .486 9 v Minnesota 31 33 .484 9 Chicago 28 38 .424 13 Yesterday's Results Milwaukee 8, Detroit 4 Cleveland 11, Boston 3 New York 6, Baltimore 1 Texas at California, inc. Minnesota at Dakland, inc. NATIONAL LEAGUE East W L Pet. Gi Pittsburgh 39 25 .609 - Phiadelphia 37 21 .544 4 Chicago 34 33 .507 6' New York 32 32 .500 ' 7 St. Louis 32 33 .476 7?' Montreal 28 34 .459 11 West Cincinnati 43 27 .614 - Los Angeles 41 31 .569 3!, San Francisco 33 35 .485 81> San Diego 31 37 .456 10, Atlanta 29 40 .420 13!r Houston 26 47 .356 18f Yesterday's Results St. Louis 1-0, New York 0-0 Cincinnati 8, Atlanta 4 Philadelphia 6, Pittsburgh 5 Chicago 6, Montreal 0 Houston 6, Los Angeles 3 San Francisco at San Diego, inc. The Michigan Daily . W - -^