The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 38

I t4-Palm Beach Post, Wednesday, August 2, 1972 Sanders Hungry for a Major Championship Win BIRMINGHAM. Mich. (API Doug Sanders, fired by a rekindled, brightly flaming desire, has a single-minded drive almost a fixation go-ing into this week's PGA National Championship: Win. "Second means nothing to me." the graying. still-dapper veteran said before a practice round for the last of this year's four major golf onships.

"I'll do anything that's legal, take any chance, make any gamble, to win. "I've gone as far in golf as I can go without winning a major title, "Vou just can't imagine what that would mean, what winning one of the major champion ships, would mean to me. And I don't mean monetarily." Sanders, now 39 and obviously in the twilight of a spectacular, flamboyant career, has achieved almost everything else the game can offer. He's won 19 tour titles, ranking fifth among the active players. He twice was a $100,000 winner.

He's 10th on the all-time money-winning list. He's been on a victorious Ryder Cup team. He won five tournaments in 1961. He's a frequent golfing companion of Vice President Ag-new. and is much sought after by show-business celebrities.

But the man with the rainbow wardrobe hasn't won a big event. He's won such prestigious titles as the Colonial National Invitation, the Ca nadian Open, the American Golf Classic, the Bob Hope Desert Classic. But the Big Four titles have eluded him. He's come close at least five times. Sanders was second to Bob Rosburg in the 1959 PGA.

He was second to Gene Littler in the 1961 U.S. Open. He tied with Arnold Palmer two strokes back of playoff winner Jack Nicklaus in the 1966 Masters. He was second to Nicklaus In the 1966 British Open, and in 1970 lost a playoff to Nicklaus in the British Open, missing a four-foot putt on the 18th playoff hole. And, rebounding from a lertpthy Slump this season with a performance reminiscent of his glory davs of the he made a major challenge in the British Open.

He had the lead until he took a triple-bogey seven on the 36th hole. He rallied to get back into contention, but a double bogey knocked him out in the final round and he finished fourth. Still, it's been one of his better seasons in a long time. He broke a lengthy victory famine with a triumph at the Kemper in Charlotte, N.C. He was second at Houston, finished seventh or better two other times and has won almost $80,000.

Last season he had lost his status as an exempt player because he failed to make the list of the top 60 money-winners and had been written off as a contender by many observers. "I had tendonitis in both wrists earlier this year." Sanders said, "and the doctor told me the only thing I could do was to take a break, get some rest. So I took a month off. That's the first time I've had that much of a vacation in I don't know when. I think that did it.

I came back feeling stronger and better and playing better than I have in years." He used the same program following the British Open, taking a two-week break before coming to Oakland Hills for the PGA that starts Thursday. He ranks among the favorites, for the first time in years. His position was heightened with the ailment of Nicklaus and some less-than-spec-tacular play by Lee Trevino last week in the National Team championship. Other major contenders include Gary Player of South Africa, Australian Bruce Crampton, Arnold Palmer, Jerry Heard, George Archer, Dave Hill and Frank Beard, Mr. Inconsistency One Bad Round Plagues Wadkins Chicago's Van Lier Arrested MIDLAND.

Pa. (APt- Police said professional basketball player Norm Van Lier of the Chicago Bulls was arrested yesterday after allegedly leading a group of young blacks in a bare-fisted assault on two policemen inside the local station house. Van Lier. 25, a native of Midland, was taken into custody, according to police, and charged with surety of tit peace, assault and battery on a police officer, inciting to riot and obstruction of a police officer. After being treated at nearby Rochester Hospital for a head laceration, Van Lier was arraigned before a district magistrate and released on $2,500 bond to await a hearing.

He was unavailable for comment. Vincent Ditri, police chief of this Ohio border community, said the disturbance stemmed from a dispute between Van Lier and a local policeman. Charles Sallis. Ditri said Van Lier. who attended St.

Francis College in Loretto. came to the police station late Monday night and confronted Sallis when he reported for duty. "Van Lier was very nasty and boisterous and he accused Officer Sallis of spreading stories aroung that he (Van Lier) had been selling dope." Ditri said. "They were talking privately in a little office room and Van Lier got so carried away he smacked Officer Sallis in the face," Ditri added, Van Lier was arrested after he allegedly struck the officer, according to police. BIRMINGHAM, Mich.

(UPIi Lanny Wadkins hopes he can make this week's PGA Championship his first victory as a pro but he still has one problem he must overcome. It is his inconsistency. Unlike the allergies that annoyed Wad-kins two months ago. he can't get rid of this one with a shot in the arm. Wadkins.

the brash youngster from Wake Forest University has come close to winning' several tournaments this year. But he managed to fall short each time, generally because he had a habit of following a round of 64 with a 77. as he did two weeks ago in the American Golf Classic. Although his money winnings for the year have reached $71,949. hardly a piddling sum for a 22-year-old in his first year on the tour, it is tournament victories that ultimately separate the top players from the rest.

"I'm just playing as well as I can," Wad-kins insisted. "When I started. I didn't have any idea how long it would be until I won one. il always think there's a chance." In the U.S. Open in June.

Wadkins was tied for the lead midway through the third rpund when he pulled a drive into a forest. He took a double bogey on the hole and. unnerv-Jed. finished with a 79. shot an 81 the following jday and dropped into a 25th place tie.

1 1 Doug Sanders, a guy who has been around lor awhile, thought he had an explanation for Isiich behavior. "He's too immature to win a major tournament yet." Sanders explained, meaning that Wadkins must learn to forget the bad wholes before he plays the next one. "I've been down this route before." he says. Indeed. Wadkins did win the U.S.

Amateur title in 1970. making it all the more difficult to explain his last-round problems as a pro. Besides the Open and the American Golf Classic, Wadkins shot a 74 in the final round four weeks ago at Cleveland to cost him a possible victory and drop him to a fourth-place tie. Last weekend he and partner Gibby Gilbert faded in the stretch of the National Team Championship. The Oakland Hills Country Club course, site of the PGA starting Thursday, is a rolling, par-70 that measures 7,054 yards, the type of course on which a consistent Wadkins conceivably could make the breakthrough to his first tournament victory.

Oakland Hills puts a premium on accuracy, which is one of Wadkins' assets. It is also a strong part of Gary Player's game, which is why Player is being mentioned as a strong contender to win his second PGA title. One thing Wadkins does not worry about anymore are the allergies which he blamed for hampering him in May and June when he went three straight weeks without winning even a small tournament paycheck. Now, he gets a weekly shot and he says that has cured him. "You can't play too well when you can't see for five or six holes at a time." he said.

Tony Jacklin, former U.S. and British Open champion who appears headed for his best money winning year, withdrew from the tournament yesterday and Babe Hiskey was named to replace him in the field. PGA officials said Jacklin told them he was "tired" and wanted to take the week off. Hiskey teamed with Kermit Zarley to win the team championship Sunday at Ligonier. Pa.

i AP Wlrtphctg Lanny Wadkins: He'd Like To Make PGA His First Victory Wadkins disagrees that is the problem. Strong Field Opens Olympic Swim Trials The women's 200 individual medley entry includes Lynn Vidali, 20. San Francisco, 1968 Olympic silver medalist in the 400 individual medley, and another Olympian, versatile Susie Atwood, Long Beach, world record holder in the 200 meter backstroke. Today's prelims, qualifying eight finalists in each event, will be completed by mid-afternoon, with the finals. starting at 8 p.m.

EDT. spective fields of 49 and 41 from which only three Olympic contenders can emerge in each. In the 100 free style, top contenders include a trio of kid stars Jennifer Kemp, 17, Norwood. Ohio; Shirley Barbashoff. 15, Fountain Valley, Calif, high schooler; and Kim Peyton, also 15, Portland, the Pan-Am 200 free style champ.

GENERALTIRE CHICAGO (Af'i Mark Spitz and Gary Hall, a pair of world record holders, are expected to try to qualify for four events each as the opening session of the U.S. Olympic swim trials begins today. More than 450 entries, many multiple-event aspirants, will be striving for 61 Munich berths 32 men and 29 women in sizzling competition expected to boil the waters of, Portage Park pool through Sunday. Spitz, 22, the wonder merman from Car-michael. who holds three world records, and 21-year-old Hall.

Garden Grove. current 400-meter individual medley world record holder, have amends to make for their somewhat disappointing performances in the last Olympics at Mexico Citv in 1968. Individually, the best each did at Mexico City was Spitz' silver medal in the 100-meter butterfly and Hall's silver in the 400 individual medley. In today's opening round of prelims and finals in five of the total 24 men's and women's individual events. Spitz and Hall will go as 1-2 favorites in the men's 200 meter "OUR BEST4-PLY NYLON CORD TIRE" f' jfil 11 i vrJf- Size 6.50-13 tubeleu blackwall, plus $1.75 Fed.

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squad which took 23 of 33 possible aquatic gold medals at Mexico City are included in the four other opening events. One is the men's 100-meter backstroke, with a 31-man entry including defending Olympic champion Don McKenzie, Woodland Hills, and Stanford's Brian Job. 1968 bronze medalist in the 200 breaststroke. The day's third men's event is the 100 backstroke with a 36-man entry including Olympian Larry Barbiere. Medford Lakes.

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