Merion 1971, Nicklaus v. Trevino

[Tim_Cronin]

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

The USGA, like the Masters and Western Open, didn't allow "professional" caddies in its championship back then.

[Rick Shefchik]

We must have had longer attention spans back in the '60s and '70s to endure watching Jack Nicklaus prepare to hit a greenside chip shot.

[Tim_Cronin]

Sports Illustrated zeroed in on Nicklaus' sloth in its coverage of the 1966 U.S. Open. Here's the story, by Pat Ryan, from the SI Vault: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1078760/index.htm

[Joe Bausch]

Sports Illustrated zeroed in on Nicklaus' sloth in its coverage of the 1966 U.S. Open. Here's the story, by Pat Ryan, from the SI Vault: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1078760/index.htm

Thanks for finding that Tim.  A very fun read, especially this paragraph:

Until the mid-'50s the touring pros averaged well under four hours a round—compared with 4:47 and 4:52 in the 1964 and 1965 U.S. Opens—and the few slow players on the tour stood out. The king of the crawlers was Cary Middlecoff, who could make Nicklaus look like a hare. Once during a filming of All-Star Golf the camera crews found that Middlecoff was sure to waggle his club at least 14 times over the ball. To save on-camera time, the director would wait until Cary got to waggle No. 11, then whisper, "Roll 'em." Middlecoff never knew. Later he saw the show. He watched it intently, and when it was over he announced, "Now I see what's wrong with my game. I've been playing too fast."

[Tom ORourke]

1971 caddies being college kids
Kind of. Back then the USGA did not allow players to bring their own caddies. They would take some of the caddies from the local club but supplement those numbers with outside caddies. A friend of mine was a high school student back in 1974. His father was Kathy Whitworth's caddy. His dad was put into the caddy pool and so was my friend as he caddied for Kathy when his dad was away. So, at the 1974 open at Winged Foot my friend got Johnny Miller, the defending champ. His dad got Forrest Fezzler, who finished second. I am not sure when that practice went away, but I would love to see it come back. But I think things between the USGA and PGA Tour are strained enough as it is. I was at the last USAM at Merion and I was stunned to see how no one took Merion caddies. They all used friends or teammates. With the angles on that course, plus the trickiness of the greens, I would have only used a local guy.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Tom,

There's too much money at stake to want to take an amateur caddy, especially one not intimately familiar with the player's game.

In a sense, for the US AM, wouldn't a good Merion caddy give the player getting him an advantage over the field, or those not getting a good local caddy ?

[Tom ORourke]

I agree that a pro would take his own caddy. I was just amazed that the amateurs did not take a local guy, and by local guy I mean a Merion caddy. I was sitting with the maintenance guys at the fifth green during the stroke play. The pin was in a spot on the right side of the green where the best way to make the putt without 3 putting was to lag it up past the hole on the right and let it come back down into the hole. We actually heard one player telling his caddy that he felt that was the line, and missing it low would lead to a 6 to 10 footer, but they were not sure. He 3 putted. A Merion caddy would have known that line. The maintenance guys knew that was the line, that was why they were sitting there. I am planning on spending some time at that green in 2 weeks. Hardest hole I have ever played. And that was at 420. not 500. Do you think a pro would bring a Merion caddy out during a practice round to show him and his usual caddy some of the trickier lines?

[Patrick_Mucci]

Tom,

No, the PGA Tour Pros and their caddies have a pretty steep learning curve

As to "Merion" caddies, qualifiers have a choice.

A caddy they know, who they can relate to, versus an unknown.

What would you choose ?

[David Ober]

Tom,

No, the PGA Tour Pros and their caddies have a pretty steep learning curve

As to "Merion" caddies, qualifiers have a choice.

A caddy they know, who they can relate to, versus an unknown.

What would you choose ?

I'd take two caddies: My own and a Merion caddie!! LOL!!

[Robert Kimball]

• Persimmon woods
• long-collared golf shirts
• white belts
• white golf shoes (with tassels!)
• the pre-reconstructed white faces of Merion
• Henry Longhurst
• Claymation hole graphics (complete with pointer)
• Byron Nelson with a funny hat on in the studio
• Trevino's homemade golf swing (which might be one the best at impact there ever was)
• Jack standing over a putt for 20 minutes
• actually working the golf ball
• 8802 blade putters
• 1-irons

Guys, I think I was born in the wrong generation! What an enjoyable telecast. I loved every minute of it.

[Rick Shefchik]

1971 caddies being college kids
Kind of. Back then the USGA did not allow players to bring their own caddies. They would take some of the caddies from the local club but supplement those numbers with outside caddies. A friend of mine was a high school student back in 1974. His father was Kathy Whitworth's caddy. His dad was put into the caddy pool and so was my friend as he caddied for Kathy when his dad was away. So, at the 1974 open at Winged Foot my friend got Johnny Miller, the defending champ. His dad got Forrest Fezzler, who finished second. I am not sure when that practice went away, but I would love to see it come back. But I think things between the USGA and PGA Tour are strained enough as it is. I was at the last USAM at Merion and I was stunned to see how no one took Merion caddies. They all used friends or teammates. With the angles on that course, plus the trickiness of the greens, I would have only used a local guy.

Players were required to take local caddies through the 1975 U.S. Open at Medinah. The next year, at the 1976 Open at the Atlanta Athletic Club, players were allowed to use their own caddies.

At the 1970 U.S. Open at Hazeltine, my high school friend and classmate Rich Hill drew Dave Hill (no relation) in the caddie lottery. We were from Duluth; I don't think Rich had ever seen Hazeltine, much less played or caddied there, but he was a good player and did an excellent job for Dave Hill, even in the midst of all the controversy over Hill's comments about the course. Tony Jacklin's caddie Tom Murphy was a high school kid from Rochester, Minn., who sent a buddy to the caddie draw to pose as him, while he played in a tournament. The ruse wasn't discovered (though Tom Weiskopf said Murphy didn't resemble his pre-tournament newspaper picture that was taken at the caddie draw.) Jacklin and Murphy are friends to this day. 

[D_Malley]

My brother caddied in the 1981 open at merion for the low am Joe Rassett. 
There were only about 8-10 merion caddies used that year.

A friend of mine, who is a merion caddy had Rickie Fowler's bag in the 09 Walker Cup.
Several players used Merion caddies in the WC from both teams.

[Gene Greco]

1971 caddies being college kids
 So, at the 1974 open at Winged Foot my friend got Johnny Miller, the defending champ. 

Tom:

I was 16 when I was at the final round of The US Open in 1974.

After Johnny Miller he finished his round I asked for his towel. He motioned over to his caddie to give it to me.

That must have been your friend who handed it to me.

My late Mom washed and bleached it for me and it read "Winged Foot 74" in blue plain lettering across the middle of it.

I took it to the beach once and then had her wash it again and I put it away in a drawer for 35 years.

Then I gave it to the current Winged Foot historian who happily accepted it!

        Gene

[Tom ORourke]

I was also there for the last day. Miller was out of it, and was playing with Jerry Heard, a friend of his for many years. They played a longest drive contest, $50 per hole, to stay interested. Jeff told me that Miller paid him at least double what he expected, gave him golf shoes and balls, and was giving him lessons during the practice rounds. He was thrilled. My other  point was, if I was a tour player, I might go to Merion with my regular tour caddy but take a Merion caddy along for a practice round  as well to tell me what we are missing,  where not to hit it, etc. I see Tiger played while Buddy Marucci walked with him. I wonder of any tips were exchanged?

[Dan Herrmann]

Did anyone but me notice that Simon's ball moved slightly when he addressed it in toe rough ne'er 18 green?    Fortunately the USGA didn't accept rules phone calls back then!

[BHoover]

Did anyone but me notice that Simon's ball moved slightly when he addressed it in toe rough ne'er 18 green?    Fortunately the USGA didn't accept rules phone calls back then!

I saw that and thought the same thing!

[Bill_McBride]

Did anyone but me notice that Simon's ball moved slightly when he addressed it in toe rough ne'er 18 green?    Fortunately the USGA didn't accept rules phone calls back then!

Did it oscillate in place or move?   Tough to tell from TV or a video from 1971. 

[Dan Herrmann]

I think moved vertically

[Bill_McBride]

I think moved vertically

Is that a penalty if it settles back to its original position?  I'm never sure about this stuff. 

[Patrick_Mucci]

I think moved vertically

Is that a penalty if it settles back to its original position?  I'm never sure about this stuff. 

Bill,

If  the ball returned to it's original position, there is no penalty

[Rick Shefchik]

Did anyone but me notice that Simon's ball moved slightly when he addressed it in toe rough ne'er 18 green?    Fortunately the USGA didn't accept rules phone calls back then!

Same thing happened in 1991 when Scott Simpson was addressing his ball in the heavy fringe at the 18th hole of the final round of the Open. TV showed his ball bobbing up and down in the grass, but it was just oscillating, not changing position.

[David Lott]

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.

Jim Simons was terrific.

It was worse than that. The official with them was joking around with Nicklaus on a couple of holes. The official was right on the green with them, kneeling down like he was helping to read putts.

Some aspects of golf have improved.

The putts he made were great though.

[astavrides]

Did anyone but me notice that Simon's ball moved slightly when he addressed it in toe rough ne'er 18 green?    Fortunately the USGA didn't accept rules phone calls back then!

Same thing happened in 1991 when Scott Simpson was addressing his ball in the heavy fringe at the 18th hole of the final round of the Open. TV showed his ball bobbing up and down in the grass, but it was just oscillating, not changing position.

It seems to me to happen quite a bit ever since I can remember when they have a closeup of address in the rough.  For that reason, I've always been kind to myself when I wasn't sure whether the ball moved or not.  After all, who really knows if the ball/grass bobs up to the exact height that it was previously?  If they don't get penalized for this, why should I?

[Chris_Hufnagel]

• Persimmon woods
• long-collared golf shirts
• white belts
• white golf shoes (with tassels!)
• the pre-reconstructed white faces of Merion
• Henry Longhurst
• Claymation hole graphics (complete with pointer)
• Byron Nelson with a funny hat on in the studio
• Trevino's homemade golf swing (which might be one the best at impact there ever was)
• Jack standing over a putt for 20 minutes
• actually working the golf ball
• 8802 blade putters
• 1-irons

Guys, I think I was born in the wrong generation! What an enjoyable telecast. I loved every minute of it.

+1 - everything except standing over a putt for 20 minutes...

[William_G]

would love to see the video/show in question, is it available on DVD, when is a re-broadcast, thank you!