[Pete_Pittock]

George Douglas Sanders, the peacock of the fairways, passed today at the age of 86. Never a major winner (but 4x runner-up), but 20 PGA victories, including the Canadian Open as an amateur. Dead Solid Perfect pro probably based on him.


Also Formula 1 driver Stirling Moss, age 90.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I followed his career when I was a kid and loved watching him get the ball in the hole in his own peculiar way. He played at a time when there were a lot of homemade swings. Twenty PGA TOUR wins is a great career. May you rest in God's embrace.

[archie_struthers]

 




Classy dresser, great player, swing in a telephone booth. A man for all seasons!  RIP




Many remember him for that putting stroke that resembled a man swatting at flies, but one look at that and you know how much talent was in those hands. A virtuoso with a golf club.


A footnote for all us South Jersey Boys is that he is on the wall of Atlantic City Country Club with all the winners of the James "Sonny"
Fraser tournament that was held every year at ACCC til they sold to the casino. Hope it returns as it was a hoot.


Some other past winners were Julius Boros, Jay Sigel, Bill Hyndman and a slew of greats from the locals to legends of golf. Amazing the field this tournament drew thru the years. It had future tour pros' to 15 handicappers all playing together for the weekend. A tribute to the legacy of "Sonny" and the power of Leo his brother and Hall of Famer!

[Steve_ Shaffer]

1970 Open


https://youtu.be/grg392F2_P8




Re: Stirling Moss






I became a Formula1 fan in high school  and always liked the Monte Carlo Gran Prix when it was on Wide World of Sports. I bought the Monday NYT to catch results and had a subscription to Road& Track to get Henry Manney's articles.


http://www.joesherlock.com/Henry-Manney.html

[Jon Wiggett]

Steve,


you beat me to it. Sad to lose both a golfing legend in Saunders and a sporting legend in Moss in the same day 

[David_Tepper]

https://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2020/4/12/rip-doug-sanders

[Joe Bausch]

I think I'm remembering this correctly from an interview of Sanders in Golf Digest (maybe 15 years ago), where he was asked about the greatest shot he ever saw.  It came in a money game at his club back in the Midwest, where a fellow was stymied by a tree on an approach.  He played his shot off a moving train onto the green!

[Michael Wolf]

I caddied for Doug Sanders once, and that was enough for me. He wanted me to set up his ball for him on all of the tees, and mark his ball on the greens. He explained that it was very expensive to have his outfits dye'd all the same color. So he needed to avoid having to reach in and out of his pockets, because doing so would cause his pants to wear out faster than his shoes or sweaters. Several times after I'd already tee'd the ball he issued instructions to raise or lower it.


And for good measure, he sent me over to the gallery ropes to deliver notes to female spectators aged (generously) 18-60.


I was 14 years old. I did not ask for an autograph when we were done for the day.

[MClutterbuck]

1970 Open


https://youtu.be/grg392F2_P8




Re: Stirling Moss






I became a Formula1 fan in high school  and always liked the Monte Carlo Gran Prix when it was on Wide World of Sports. I bought the Monday NYT to catch results and had a subscription to Road& Track to get Henry Manney's articles.


http://www.joesherlock.com/Henry-Manney.html

Interesting you mention Stirling Moss. A great gentleman as was his rival and friend Juan Manuel Fangio.

F1 was a true global sport before most global sports existed. A fantastic sport, for track spectating and  on TV. As a kid i got up at any time at night to watch European, Australian, events as well as daytime US, Mexico and South American races. F1 today is a shadow of its past even as more and more money pours into it.

Some of the great classic circuits are no longer used. Safety issues and money taking races to more remote and less attractive venues. Technology eliminating talent. Safety issues eliminating certain features and need for talent. A lot of parallels to golf or same risks faced by golf.

[Thomas Dai]

Re: Stirling Moss



Interesting you mention Stirling Moss. A great gentleman as was his rival and friend Juan Manuel Fangio.

F1 was a true global sport before most global sports existed. A fantastic sport, for track spectating and  on TV. As a kid i got up at any time at night to watch European, Australian, events as well as daytime US, Mexico and South American races. F1 today is a shadow of its past even as more and more money pours into it.

Some of the great classic circuits are no longer used. Safety issues and money taking races to more remote and less attractive venues. Technology eliminating talent. Safety issues eliminating certain features and need for talent. A lot of parallels to golf or same risks faced by golf.

Stirling in 1955 with some glimpses of Juan Manuel as well.


Mille Miglia - 1,000 miles around Italian roads in less than 10 hrs (with navigator Denis Jenkinson) - [size=78%]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gmV0Y50a1UI[/size]
.. and ...
Targa Florio - several circuits of Sicily (with co-driver Peter Collins) - [size=78%]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru1f7lZQQBk[/size]


And here’s Doug Sanders in an episode of Shells Wonderful World of Golf - [size=78%]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KFdiHYhmrFI[/size]


Note who also appears in episode of SWWOG!


RIP both.


Atb

[Joe Bausch]

I caddied for Doug Sanders once, and that was enough for me. He wanted me to set up his ball for him on all of the tees, and mark his ball on the greens. He explained that it was very expensive to have his outfits dye'd all the same color. So he needed to avoid having to reach in and out of his pockets, because doing so would cause his pants to wear out faster than his shoes or sweaters. Several times after I'd already tee'd the ball he issued instructions to raise or lower it.


And for good measure, he sent me over to the gallery ropes to deliver notes to female spectators aged (generously) 18-60.


I was 14 years old. I did not ask for an autograph when we were done for the day.

Your Sanders story is a bit different than mine.   

[John Crowley]

I used to see him at a couple of the public courses in Palm Springs in the early 2000s.
He was a range rat.
First time I saw him from about 100 yards I instantly knew it was him from the colors and the swing (mainly the swing).


I remember a wide ranging one hour conversation with him on  the putting  green at Indian Canyons Golf Resort (former Canyon Country Club).


He could talk your ear off. I never mentioned The Putt.

[Steve Lang]

similar story...  one day at the WCC TPC, maybe 15 years ago,  as we were walking off the 9th green, i saw a fully green dressed man walking off the putting green about 50 yards away... and joked that he looked like a doug sanders wanna-be... got to the snack bar on the way to 10, and damn if it wasn't him, green shoes and all.  Asked if he was MR DOUG SANDERS ?? and he said "sure am!"


shook his hand and said it was an honor meeting him.  big smile and then he went on talking to the girl behind the counter...

[Greg Hohman]

NYT noted his passing prominently. You won't read: Former caddie Michael Wolf, reflecting on their long association, saw the "peacock of the fairways" in a different light...

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