Lloyd Wadkins
Lopez And Wadkins Tie In Florida Open
Miami Herald
August 27, 1951
A four-foot putt by Joe Lopez, Sr. hung on the lip of the 18th cup at Miami Shores Sunday to force the Key West pro into a 295 tie with Lloyd Wadkins. Miami CC pro, in the Florida Open golf championship.
One more turn and the ball would have plopped in for a birdie-four, and a winning 294. Instead, the rivals must tee off this morning at 9 in an 18-hole scuffle to see who gets the $400 top prize, or $225 worth of consolation.
Two strokes down and six holes to play, Wadkins got back into business with a par four on the 13th, and a par five on the 16th, but there wasn’t anything that Lloyd could do to help himself at the finish.
Wadkins had misses his try for a birdie via a 10-foot putt, and it was strictly up to Lopez. It was a straight-in putt with only four inches of smooth, green grass between Joe and the championship. The ball rimmed the right side of the cup, curled back to the left and rested partially over the hole.
There were several minutes of suspense as the golfers and the 1,500 spectators waited to see if the ball would fall in. This was the most dramatic episode of a drab finish. Lopez and Wadkins had blown repeated chances after starting out tied with 218s.
Each slumped to a 37-40-77, and the leaders barely escaped being beaten by Earl Clark, Shores star, who stormed home with a par 72 for a 296 total. That gave him a leg on the Perry Willitts trophy for the low amateur.
Steve Warga, local pro, started the final round only three strokes behind, but faltered to a 78 and finished in a tie with Bill Leigh, Lakeland amateur, at 299. Two strokes back were pros Buddy Godwin, Miami Country club, and Denny Champagne, Orlando, and Bob Kurz, Biltmore amateur, with 301s.
The real champion in this tournament was the 6,607 tough Shores course. It resisted the best efforts of the par-wreckers, and the lowest scores were 70s by Henry Russell, Riviera amateur, and Champagne. The co-leaders for the 72 holes were seven over par for that distance.
Wadkins gained a stroke with a par four on the second hole, but he lost it to Lopez’ par four on the ninth.
The Florida Open championship golf trophy is now on display at the Miami Country Club because of Lloyd Wadkins scoring a pair of 37s for a 74 Monday to defeat Joe Lopez, Key West pro, by two strokes in the playoff at Miami Shores.
Pos. |
Name |
Rd. 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
T1 |
Lloyd Wadkins, Miami |
74 |
72 |
72 |
77 |
295 |
T1 |
Joe Lopez, Sr., Key West |
71 |
73 |
74 |
77 |
295 |
3 |
Earl Clark, Miami Shores |
72 |
78 |
73 |
73 |
296 |
T4 |
Steve Warga, Miami |
76 |
73 |
72 |
78 |
299 |
T4 |
W. B. Leigh, Lakeland |
71 |
76 |
77 |
75 |
299 |
T6 |
Buddy Godwin, Miami |
79 |
71 |
73 |
78 |
301 |
T6 |
Denny Champagne, Orlando |
75 |
70 |
79 |
77 |
301 |
T6 |
Robert L. Kurs, Miami |
75 |
74 |
79 |
73 |
301 |
T9 |
Bonny Graham, Sarasota |
73 |
74 |
78 |
76 |
302 |
T9 |
Dick Montney, Tampa |
73 |
78 |
71 |
79 |
302 |
T9 |
Broyles Plemmons, Gainesville |
72 |
78 |
75 |
77 |
302 |
T12 |
Guy Chancey, Miami |
76 |
77 |
75 |
75 |
303 |
T12 |
Henry Russell, Miami |
70 |
79 |
78 |
76 |
303 |
T12 |
Andrew Mocsary, St. Pete |
78 |
73 |
75 |
77 |
303 |
15 |
Fred Hyatt, Miami Beach |
79 |
78 |
73 |
74 |
304 |
T16 |
Burl Bolesta, Tampa |
79 |
76 |
77 |
73 |
305 |
T16 |
Clyde Usina, West Palm |
77 |
76 |
77 |
75 |
305 |
T16 |
Jack Payton, Tampa |
76 |
74 |
76 |
79 |
305 |
T19 |
Tommy Sullivan, Miami |
76 |
74 |
79 |
77 |
306 |
T19 |
Bill Stembler, Miami |
72 |
77 |
78 |
79 |
306 |
T21 |
James McCoy, Hollywood |
75 |
74 |
78 |
80 |
307 |
T21 |
Don Bisplinghoff, Orlando |
77 |
78 |
77 |
75 |
307 |
T23 |
Bill Dettmer, Miami |
76 |
72 |
77 |
83 |
308 |
T23 |
Russell DeCarteret, Miami |
74 |
80 |
76 |
78 |
308 |
T23 |
B. C. Nabers, St. Pete |
71 |
81 |
75 |
81 |
308 |
T23 |
Ben Owen, St. Pete |
76 |
79 |
78 |
75 |
308 |
T27 |
Bill Tinder, Miami |
77 |
79 |
71 |
82 |
309 |
T27 |
Jimmy Lentz, Bradenton |
75 |
77 |
78 |
79 |
309 |
29 |
Lou Bateman, Ocala |
75 |
77 |
78 |
71 |
311 |
T30 |
James Lee, Tallahassee |
78 |
75 |
81 |
78 |
312 |
T30 |
Harvey Breaux, Miami |
78 |
81 |
72 |
81 |
312 |
T30 |
David Davis, Miami |
74 |
76 |
84 |
78 |
312 |
T33 |
B. B. Lotspetch, Miami |
80 |
80 |
78 |
75 |
313 |
T33 |
Vic Bass, Sr., Key West |
80 |
84 |
77 |
72 |
313 |
T35 |
Paul Tarnow, Tampa |
79 |
76 |
80 |
79 |
314 |
T35 |
Kit Carson, Miami |
78 |
75 |
81 |
80 |
314 |
T37 |
Robert Harwood, Tampa |
75 |
82 |
70 |
88 |
315 |
T37 |
Lou Sabo, Miami Beach |
74 |
81 |
79 |
81 |
315 |
T39 |
Gene Witzell, Key West |
76 |
78 |
82 |
80 |
316 |
T39 |
Charles Derditsch, Miami |
75 |
77 |
80 |
84 |
316 |
T41 |
John Cusano, Jr., Miami |
79 |
74 |
83 |
81 |
317 |
T41 |
Lloyd Sparrow, Tampa |
80 |
80 |
79 |
78 |
317 |
T41 |
Clint Ambrose, Miami |
78 |
81 |
77 |
81 |
317 |
T41 |
Duke Warren, Ft. Pierce |
80 |
77 |
82 |
78 |
317 |
T41 |
W. R. Merry, West Palm |
77 |
83 |
79 |
78 |
317 |
T46 |
Bill Watts, Ft. Lauderdale |
78 |
80 |
78 |
82 |
318 |
T46 |
Joel Cohen, Miami Beach |
78 |
80 |
80 |
80 |
318 |
T46 |
W. F. Davey, West Palm |
81 |
77 |
78 |
82 |
318 |
T49 |
Vic Bass, Jr., Lake Worth |
77 |
81 |
80 |
81 |
319 |
T49 |
Frank Brown, Bartow |
82 |
79 |
80 |
78 |
319 |
T49 |
H. A. Sorenson, Ft. Lauderdale |
82 |
83 |
77 |
77 |
319 |
52 |
Jerry Thompson, Ft. Lauderdale |
82 |
80 |
78 |
80 |
320 |
53 |
Joe Eubank, Daytona |
81 |
77 |
85 |
78 |
321 |
54 |
Mac MacLaughlin, Homestead |
88 |
77 |
78 |
79 |
322 |
T55 |
Bill Cuomo, West Palm |
78 |
84 |
80 |
81 |
323 |
T55 |
Tim Moore, Miami |
81 |
76 |
86 |
80 |
323 |
T55 |
William Graves, Miami |
84 |
75 |
81 |
83 |
323 |
T55 |
Art Gleason, Miami |
78 |
79 |
86 |
80 |
323 |
T59 |
Ted Tanner, Miami |
84 |
79 |
80 |
81 |
324 |
T59 |
John Burt, Miami |
80 |
78 |
82 |
84 |
324 |
61 |
Bob Elian, Miami |
79 |
81 |
83 |
82 |
325 |
T62 |
Nick Dinardo, Miami |
84 |
76 |
83 |
83 |
326 |
T62 |
Ed Sharp, Miami Shores |
71 |
78 |
90 |
87 |
326 |
T62 |
Denny Felton, Miami |
82 |
78 |
95 |
81 |
326 |
T65 |
Art Tracy, Homestead |
82 |
85 |
83 |
77 |
327 |
T65 |
Bob Goodman, Hollywood |
84 |
81 |
78 |
84 |
327 |
T65 |
Viekko Johalla, Tampa |
84 |
80 |
78 |
85 |
327 |
68 |
Bill Kofoed, Miami Shores |
82 |
82 |
82 |
82 |
328 |
T69 |
Joe Langner, Miami Beach |
78 |
84 |
86 |
82 |
330 |
T69 |
Bill Carpenter, Miami |
84 |
82 |
81 |
83 |
330 |
T71 |
Al Ponsot, Miami |
82 |
81 |
84 |
84 |
331 |
T71 |
Dion Taylor, Miami Shores |
81 |
84 |
84 |
82 |
331 |
73 |
Tom Cochrane, West Palm |
84 |
85 |
81 |
82 |
332 |
T74 |
Larry Kilbride, Coral Gables |
82 |
81 |
86 |
84 |
333 |
T74 |
Don Knight, Lakeland |
81 |
81 |
90 |
81 |
333 |
T74 |
Artie Clark, Miami |
81 |
85 |
85 |
82 |
333 |
T77 |
Art Woods, Miami |
81 |
81 |
87 |
85 |
334 |
T77 |
William R. Center, Ft. Pierce |
85 |
82 |
82 |
85 |
334 |
T77 |
John Wall, Miami Shores |
83 |
79 |
86 |
86 |
334 |
80 |
Delmar Woods, Homestead |
81 |
88 |
84 |
82 |
335 |
81 |
Bo Johnson, Ft. Pierce |
86 |
81 |
81 |
88 |
336 |
82 |
Robert Lafferty, Miami |
77 |
84 |
91 |
87 |
339 |
83 |
Robert Alderman, Delray |
85 |
82 |
85 |
90 |
342 |
T84 |
Sherrill Teague, Miami |
78 |
85 |
91 |
89 |
343 |
T84 |
Skip Lafferty, Jacksonville |
82 |
84 |
89 |
88 |
343 |
T86 |
L. M. Hamilton, Miami |
84 |
94 |
82 |
84 |
344 |
T86 |
Daniel Danton, Miami |
84 |
82 |
94 |
84 |
344 |
88 |
Bob Cochrane, West Palm |
87 |
90 |
80 |
88 |
345 |
89 |
Jim Voorhies, Miami |
87 |
84 |
91 |
84 |
346 |
90 |
Emmett Caraker, Bartow |
83 |
85 |
90 |
89 |
347 |
T91 |
John M. Henderson, Delray |
89 |
85 |
85 |
90 |
349 |
T91 |
Ed Register, Ft. Pierce |
86 |
91 |
89 |
83 |
349 |
T93 |
Robert Patrick, Miami |
86 |
90 |
84 |
90 |
350 |
T93 |
Ben Terry, Miami Beach |
83 |
93 |
84 |
90 |
350 |
95 |
Jack Schneider, Miami |
87 |
86 |
94 |
88 |
355 |
96 |
Bill Luce, Miami Shores |
86 |
94 |
96 |
88 |
364 |
97 |
Jack Cornelius, Homestead |
87 |
93 |
98 |
91 |
369 |
98 |
Robert S. Severson, Stuart |
92 |
91 |
91 |
101 |
375 |
99 |
W. H. DeCamara, Delray |
102 |
87 |
100 |
90 |
379 |
100 |
Robert Florio, Tampa |
100 |
93 |
95 |
97 |
385 |
101 |
David Irons, Stuart |
91 |
93 |
104 |
102 |
390 |
102 |
Ted Shoemaker, Pensacola |
113 |
104 |
90 |
93 |
400 |