Merion 1971, Nicklaus v. Trevino

[Mac Plumart]

I love the commentary relative to today's.  Less and more thoughtful comments.  Among today's broadcasters, I'd say their style is most akin to Judy Rankin's...who I think is the best of the modern day commentators.

[C. Squier]

Nicklaus was BRUTALLY slow. I have a hard time not believing he didn't have a huge impact on the game slowing down after watching that.

Also like to thank whoever cut the trees down around the quarry holes.

[Sam Morrow]

Jack was really slow and looked tall and that shirt was much worse than the 99 Ryder Cup. I've always said I wanted one of those shirts.

[Gene Greco]

   I remember watching this on my 18 inch or so black and white tv in my bedroom.  It wasn't quite Ali - Frazier which had occurred a few months prior but I recall the excitement I felt watching these two go at it.

However, after watching this telecast I feel my friend Dave Schmidt has contributed the word I will now associate with this playoff: Glacial.

[Kevin Lynch]

Nicklaus was BRUTALLY slow. I have a hard time not believing he didn't have a huge impact on the game slowing down after watching that.

I really had forgotten how brutal he was. Just pulled out stopwatch for his par attempt on 17 in the playoff.

From the time Trevino marked his ball (mind you, Nicklaus had even started lining up his putt before Trevino marked):

32 seconds before Nicklaus replaced his ball
52 seconds before even stepping near his ball
20 seconds aside ball before addressing
27 seconds to pull the trigger
2:11 total

Absolutely disgraceful. You have to think 1 or 2 of his majors were "lost" by someone else who just lost their patience. However, I do find it interesting that it was a faster player like Trevino who fared well in head-to-head battles.

[Jim Nugent]

Anyone know how long the round took? 

Also a question about the rules.  In a playoff like that, can the golfer(s) get penalized for slow play? 

[Chris Cupit]

Anyone know how long the round took? 

Also a question about the rules.  In a playoff like that, can the golfer(s) get penalized for slow play? 

Not sure what the pace was but a player can certainly be penalized for undue delay in a play-off.  Not that it would ever happen

[William_G]

Faster players can get the slower players out of their routine.

[Bill Shamleffer]

I was they would show this again, but the next time have Dan Jenkins and David Feherty making comments during the show.  There sense of humor would make a 2nd viewing very funny.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

As good as a clutch putter Nicklaus was during the final round by making many par saving putts, his miss of the the the birdie putt on 18 from 10' resulted in the playoff. He played 18 beautifully except for the putt.

I believe he lost the playoff because of his ugly shirt. 

One fact that I learned from the telecast: Attendance was limited to 14,000.

[astavrides]

As good as a clutch putter Nicklaus was during the final round by making many par saving putts, his miss of the the the birdie putt on 18 from 10' resulted in the playoff. He played 18 beautifully except for the putt.

I thought it was a good putt--just didn't go in.

[astavrides]

Nicklaus was BRUTALLY slow. I have a hard time not believing he didn't have a huge impact on the game slowing down after watching that.

I really had forgotten how brutal he was. Just pulled out stopwatch for his par attempt on 17 in the playoff.

From the time Trevino marked his ball (mind you, Nicklaus had even started lining up his putt before Trevino marked):

32 seconds before Nicklaus replaced his ball
52 seconds before even stepping near his ball
20 seconds aside ball before addressing
27 seconds to pull the trigger
2:11 total

It seems like Nicklaus wasn't the only one who stood over the ball much longer than players do today.  Jim Simons, for example, on a short putt, looked up at the hole 8 times with his putter behind the ball before knocking it in.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

I was told that Nicklaus missed a 2' putt in the first round.

[Joe Bausch]

I was told that Nicklaus missed a 2' putt in the first round.

Not true.  He's still standing over it.   

[Patrick_Mucci]

Steve,

The putts Nicklaus made on the 69th, 70th and 71st hole were incredible.

I think the reason we didn't realize how slow he was is that there were commercials in between the time he approached his putts and when he actually hit them.

On one of the putts that he ran by the hole, he must have surveyed the next one from all 360 degrees.

I'll guarantee you, that the following week, every duffer in the country adopted his style.

The problem was that no official dared approach him about pace of play.

Trevino mentioned that his pace of play probably cost him a chance to win the Senior Open at Ridgewood when Trevino had finished his round and was in the booth commentating on Nicklaus who had two holes open, in front of him.

Everybody complains about slow play, but few are willing to do anything about it, despite the obvious solutions.

Jim Simons was terrific.

[David Federman]

Few random thoughts on watching this great replay last night:

Loved the look - rough around the edges, fast and firm conditions, speed of putts on 15 - both Lee and Jack blew their birdie putts 8 feet past the hole and both made tough come backers for par; no on-course commentators walking with groups - but it looked like Jack was using 3 wood - but no one commented;

Laughed hard when Lee, after bogeying 18, was asked about the distraction when he was about to putt for par on 18, backed away, and then missed it - he admitted the distraction, but then stated he hit a bad drive, bad second shot and deserved a bogey! Also said that no one had ever birdied the last to win the Open and he sure hoped that Jack would not be the first! Loved that.

Wondering who today could stand up to Tiger at his best the way the Lee and Tom Watson held their own against Jack. Also, saw remarkable similarity between Jack and Tiger - especially the grinding over tough big par putts in crucial situations.

Also, noted the commentators talking about how people were wondering if Merion could hold its own back then  - and that it had held up quite well. Discussion has not changed in 40 years!

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Jim Simons died in 2005.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Simons_(golfer)


It looked like the real woods they used are the size of hybrids today. I wish I had my old 4wood (real) today.

[Mark Smolens]

Nicklaus was BRUTALLY slow. I have a hard time not believing he didn't have a huge impact on the game slowing down after watching that.

I really had forgotten how brutal he was. Just pulled out stopwatch for his par attempt on 17 in the playoff.

From the time Trevino marked his ball (mind you, Nicklaus had even started lining up his putt before Trevino marked):

32 seconds before Nicklaus replaced his ball
52 seconds before even stepping near his ball
20 seconds aside ball before addressing
27 seconds to pull the trigger
2:11 total

Absolutely disgraceful. You have to think 1 or 2 of his majors were "lost" by someone else who just lost their patience. However, I do find it interesting that it was a faster player like Trevino who fared well in head-to-head battles.

Agree with you completely. I had 2:46 to hit his putt on either 15 or 16 from the time it was his turn. I had pulled out the iphone after counting in my head on the previous holes because it was so obviously slow.

No wonder JN was upset with the penalty given to the youngster at the Masters. He's always talked about being patient in majors and letting others fall by the wayside. Perhaps they just fell asleep 

[Kevin_D]

That was just fantastic to watch.  A few observations, many of which echo others' comments:

- How great was Lee Trevino?  A superb player, fierce competitor, yet all the time joking around and enjoying himself.  I'm sure this was in part his mechanism to stay loose, but it was just a delight to see.  I want to go back in time and root for that guy.
- Nicklaus must have been downright scary to play against.  He just looked so determined, and seemed to expect to win.  I haven't seen that look on any other golfer except for Tiger.
- Also agree that Nicklaus was brutally slow - that term sums it up perfectly.  I was astonished, really, since I had heard that today's players are in fact slower than he was; watching that program, I don't see how that is possible
- Love how rugged the course looked, and it did seem to play F&F.  Back then, Merion seemed to have more of the look/feel of parkland courses in Britain.  Today everything is a little too "perfect" at most US Open venues.  Some tree removal was clearly needed by then, though.
- I wonder how today's players would fare if they had to use early 70s clubs/balls?  Some would do just fine, but I bet a bunch might lose their games completely.  I doubt many would be substantially longer than Jack.
- Love the uniforms worn by the forecaddies - would be so fantastic if they used those again
- WHAT A GOLF COURSE!!!  I am like a kid counting down to Christmas for this year's tournament to start.

[Bryan Lewis]

I also found it fascinating to watch.  My observations:

- Round 4, 17th green, while Nicklaus putts, USGA President (and I presume, referee) standing in the middle of the green!  Won't find that at this year's Open.  We walk the rope line.
- Round 4, 18th fairway, after Nicklaus' approach shot, USGA President comes up to Jack, puts his hand on his shoulder and comments are exchanged.  Again, you aren't likely to see this, which is a good thing.
- Trees around 17th tee as others mentioned.
- Maybe it's the equipment, but the quality of play didn't seem anywhere near what we see today on tour or even at the US Amateur.  The swings don't seem as "in control".
- TV sure has come a long way!  I loved the manual picture-in-picture and manually turned scores scroll at the bottom of the screen.  These were probably state of the art for the time!

[Tom Bagley]

What about the separation of the 14th and 15th holes from the adjoining roadway?  The announcers mentioned the OB left in their overview of the hole, but there was clearly much more room than what is apparent today in viewing the USGA 2013 flyovers.  And the 14th green was bunkered left.  Was that bunker added post 1930 and why was the green subsequently modified?  The green is similarly bunkered left in Robert Trent Jones' drawing for Herbert Warren Wind's The Complete Golfer (circa 1951).

[jeffwarne]

Nicklaus was indeed glacially slow.

It is also somewhat refreshing to see pins in the middle of the greens, rather than tucked 3-5 paces from the edge of the greens as they often are in modern tournament golf. 

+1

[David Ober]

Nicklaus was indeed glacially slow.

It is also somewhat refreshing to see pins in the middle of the greens, rather than tucked 3-5 paces from the edge of the greens as they often are in modern tournament golf. 

+1

Tucking pins on firm, fast greens makes golf courses play so, so much tougher. There's just something about the pin that mesmerizes us -- even when we know we shouldn't shoot directly at it!!

[Mark Steffey]

thought it was interesting to see marshalls (??) run onto the green after the player approach shots to repair the pitch marks.

[Tim Leahy]

I just caught the end of the playoff, but they mentioned something about the caddies being college kids that were drawn by lottery. Was that just for the playoff or the whole Open? What happened to the regular player's caddies? On strike?