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WONDERFUL WORLD OF SPORT

BEST COLLEGE GOLFER OF 1958

Superiority on the links may well cost the freckle-faced young man pictured here his college degree. He missed four exams to become the second-lowest amateur in this year's Masters' tournament and may get kicked out of the University of Houston if he doesn't make them up. But, according to towheaded Phil Rodgers, 20, "it was worth it." Still in good standing on his campus, though he spends more time on the links, Phil is shown here on the beautiful pine-and birch-shaded Taconic Golf Club course at Williamstown, Mass. as he defeated 302 college golfers to become the nation's undisputed undergraduate champ. Undergraduate golf is booming these days. More than 130 colleges have their own courses, and the young men ranged against Phil at Williamstown represented the best from 79 of them.

The brash young swinger from La Jolla, Calif. who beat them all for his Texas alma mater likes to spice his play with clowning and chatter. Nevertheless, he managed with ease to lead his team in the qualifying rounds to a record low of 570 for the 61-year-old collegiate tournament, to give Houston its third straight championship and to leave his finals competitor, Purdue's John Konsek, a doctor-to-be, trailing all the way.

Victorious Texans Rodgers and Houston Coach Dave Williams pose between rounds with Southern California's manager.

Runner-up John Konsek (in white billed cap) strolls disconsolately behind Rodgers (in white straw) between holes on the afternoon round as the Houston champion builds his match play lead to 5 up.

Lapped in silverware, Champion Phil Rodgers heads for Texas and California carrying the Chick Evans trophy for match play and the Maxwell Cup for his team.

VICTORS, CONVALESCENTS AND JUBILANTS

Recovered from broken jaw, which didn't keep him from hitting .324 for Kansas City, Bob Cerv goes happily back to steak after six weeks of baby foods and liquids.

Recovering from surgery on right foreleg, Derby and Preakness Winner Tim Tarn, a good patient, gets parting pat from Ruth Kelly of U. of Penn veterinary hospital.

One kiss from Sweden's Greta Thyssen rewarded Harness Driver Jimmy Jordan, 53, for winning Messenger Stake on July 4 with pacer O'Brien Hanover. Another reward: $54,282 first-place money.

Two-step by Wimbledon Winners Althea Gibson (U.S.) and Ashley Cooper (Australia) celebrates Althea's second British singles championship and Cooper's first at ball in London's Grosvenor House.

Handshake with official, Count de Gouvion-St.-Cyr, marks victory of Russell Aitken of U.S. (right) in a live pigeon shoot at Vichy, Prance. Aitken is the third American in the meet's 37-year history to take Vichy's Grand Prix against crack European shots.

Handshake with himself is a jubilant scoreboard keeper's way of celebrating a five-run Giant rally in San Francisco's Seals Stadium. Giants defeated Cubs 6-5 but lost second game of double-header 1-6, giving scoreboarder no occasion to make like cuckoo.

WAIKIKI WATER BABY

At what age should a child start learning to swim? Not before he is 5 months old, says Mrs. Buck Buchwach, wife of the city editor of The Honolulu Advertiser, which is precisely when her son Bruce (below) took to water. "Before then," says Mrs. B., "it's too hard to find trunks to fit. And waterlogged diapers hamper swimming instructions."

Bruce, a husky 20 pounds at 5 months (here he is 9 months old and weighs 24 pounds dripping wet), takes lessons at Henry Kaiser's Waikiki hotel, the Hawaiian Village.

Says the proud but somewhat bewildered Mr. B.: "Anyway, it keeps my boy off the dangerous land."

Plowing resolutely underwater, Bruce heads for Assistant Instructor Peggy Quaintance. Before Bruce was 6 months old, he had been taught to hold his breath and propel himself with frog kicks. Bruce also kicks when he's hoisted out of the water.

Floating carefree as an upside-down flounder in the arms of Instructor Mary Ann Sears, Bruce patiently waits to be released. He splashes about an hour a day, some 15 minutes with Mrs. Sears and the remainder of the time with his mother.

Hanging on gutter with Mrs. Sears, who has 50 trophies for ocean swimming and a good deal of patience, Bruce takes a breather. Daddy insists he never imbibes any of the pool and that he learned to crawl in water before he learned to crawl on land.

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TED POLUMBAUM

TENSE MOMENT ON THE SUN-DRENCHED NINTH GREEN MARKS KONSEK'S ATTEMPT TO SINK A LONG PUTT WHICH FELL SHORT

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TED POLUMBAUM

CONFIDENT SIMILE LIGHTS FACE OF HOUSTON'S PHIL RODGERS

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TED POLUMBAUM

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GORDON MORSE