Chasing Greatness

by Adam Lazarus

  203 “popped those wrists”—Interview with Neal Maine, February 2008.

  204 “you always had this feeling”—ibid.

  205 “leap like a kangaroo”—ibid.

  205 “He didn’t do much”—Interview with Ray Sigurdson, February 2008.

  206 “I was a pretty bad actor” —Golf World, June 6, 2003, Bill Fields, “The High Life and Hard Times of John Schlee.”

  208 “A whole lot of people”—Interview with Neal Maine, February 2008.

  209 “I don’t know how I”—Seaside (OR) Signal, May 22, 1958, “West Point Assignment Pleases Seaside Boy.”

  210 “When I was at Memphis State”—The Memphis (TN) Commercial Appeal, July 4, 2000, Bobby Hall, “Former Tiger Star Golfer, Schlee, Dies.”

  210 “He was probably the most”—Fields, “The High Life.”

  211 “I was there to play”—Hall, “Former Tiger Star Golfer.”

  211 “I’ve just found something”—Interview with Ken Lindsay, March 2008.

  211 “He was a good person”—ibid.

  212 “some of the longest drives”—ibid.

  212 “In my first year at”—Golf Digest, February 1967, “Practice Finally Pays Off.”

  212 “Reverse every natural instinct”—Apfelbaum, Jim, The Gigantic Book of Golf Quotations: Thousands of Notable Quotables from Tommy Armour to Fuzzy Zoeller (New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2007), p. 329.

  213 “I would love to learn”—Bertrand, The Secret of Hogan’s Swing, p. 10.

  214 “You are darned right” —Adirondack (NY) Daily Enterprise, July 11, 1963, Dick Barnes, “Golfers Sight on Dick Sikes at Sacramento.”

  214 “I needed a couple of dumb”—Dallas Morning News, May 7, 1971, Sam Blair, “No Place Like It.”

  215 “If we all realized how much”—Interview with Dave Marad, August 2008.

  215 “[Out] here on the tour”—Dallas Morning News, April 18, 1966, Frank Reece, “The Ladder Is Tall.”

  216 “I seem to get it going”—ibid.

  216 “[He] had that instinct”—Interview with Dave Marad, August 2008.

  216 “It was only my fifth”—Minnesota Tribune, July 18, 1966, John Wiebusch, “Bobby Nichols, He Overcame ‘the Impossible.’”

  216 “I enjoy being on tour”—Reece, “The Ladder.”

  216 “I was in a threesome with”—Los Angeles Times, January 30, 1967, Sid Ziff, “Golf Mine on Fairway.”

  217 “It’s something I had to”—ibid.

  218 “graying prematurely”—Akron Beacon Joumal, August 9, 1968, Scott Bosley, “Par for Course Is Not Good Enough.”

  218 “I was materially”—New York Times, August 13, 1971, Lincoln A. Werden, “Schlee, with 66, Leads by Stroke.”

  218 “There are a lot of young” —Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 28, 1969, Tom Place, “Tee to Green.”

  218 “Christmastimes were”—Honolulu Advertiser, February 5, 1973, Hal Wood, “Schlee: Hogan’s Ghost.”

  219 “look my best and”—Bertrand, The Secret of Hogan’s Swing, p. 12.

  219 “After about twenty minutes”—Schlee, John, with Swing Meyer, Maximum Golf (Columbia, SC: Acorn Sports Inc., 1986), p. 2.

  219 “The first six”—ibid.

  220 “You see, golf is an”—ibid., p. 14.

  220 “It’s a mind that wipes”—ibid., p. 141.

  220 “Isn’t astrology just”—Time, March 21, 1969, “Astrology: Fad and Phenomenon.”

  220 “They’re interested in astrology”—ibid.

  221 “Show much consideration” —Dallas Morning News, June 1, 1969, Carroll Righter, “Today’s Horoscope.”

  221 “That’s very admirable”—Bertrand, The Secret of Hogan’s Swing, p. 16.

  221 “one of the strongest” —Dallas Morning News, June 1, 1969, “64 to Vie for 9 Slots at Open.”

  222 “maddeningly inconsistent”—Campion, Nicholas, The Ultimate Astrologer: A Simple Guide to Calculating and Interpreting Birth Charts for Effective Application in Daily Life (Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, 2003), p. 17.

  223 “It’s great to play without”—Cleveland Press, June 28, 1969, Don Friedman, “Barber: My Nerves Just Can’t Stand It.”

  223 “I’m keeping this big” —Golf World, April 6, “Bunker to Bunker.”

  223 “Mr. Hogan said it would”—Hawaii’ Star Bulletin, February 5, 1973, Bill Glee, “Schlee’s 273 Captures Hawaiian Open by Two.”

  224 “I’m trying like mad”—Dallas Morning News, May 7, 1971, Sam Blair, “No Place Like It.”

  225 “his way of doing”—Interview with Sherie Roman, March 2008.

  225 “He wasn’t a social”—ibid.

  226 “a volatile, abusive man”—ibid.

  227 “unpredictable trade winds”—New York Times, (UPI), February 5, 1971, “Schlee Leads Hawaiian Golf by Shot With 66.”

  227 “There’s something about”—Honolulu Star Bulletin, February 4, 1973, Hal Wood, “‘No Way He Can Keep That Up.’”

  227 “I think I am playing”—Honolulu Star-Bulletin, February 4, 1973, Hal Wood, “Where the Names Are.”

  227 “Second isn’t bad”—Honolulu Star-Bulletin, February 4, 1973, Monte Ito, “Watson by Four after Three.”

  228 “I got to thinking”—Golf World, February 9, 1973, “A Jug of Wine and Schlee.”

  228 “He was walking one”—New York Times, February 5, 1973, Lincoln A. Werden, “Schlee Wins Hawaii Golf for First Tour Victory.”

  228 “I owe this great moment”—Glee, “Schlee’s 273.”

  228 “I can’t believe it”—Honolulu Advertiser, February 5, 1973, Ben Kalb, “Oh Babe, I Can’t Believe You’ve Won.’”

  228 “Not once over the first”—Golf World, “A Jug of Wine.”

  228 “Right after I won”—Schlee, Maximum Golf, pp. 142-43.

  229 “Now, my confidence”—Dallas Morning News, February 6, 1973, “Schlee ‘Hoping’ for Best.”

  CHAPTER 11

  The Mad Scramble

  23 “What did you do last night” —Pittsburgh Press, June 18, 1973, Ray Kienzl, “It Was in the Stars.”

  234 “playing alone disrupts” —Pittsburgh Press, June 17, 1973, “‘Oh, Lonesome Me!’”

  234 “I played so badly”—Pittsburgh Press, June 18, 1973, Dan Donovan, “‘Sudden Explosion Wrecks Arnie in Open.”

  235 “I wentfor the birdies”—Pittsburgh Press, June 15, 1973, Dan Donovan, “Snead: A Real Iron Man.”

  235 “Two more 69s” —Richmond Times-Dispatch, June 16, 1973, “Giles ‘Numbers’ 2-3-3-3 for a 69.”

  235 “There’s no question”—Danville (VA) Bee, (AP), July 5, 1971, “Giles: Wadkins Best- But Not Infallible.”

  236 “I felt I hit the ball better”—Richmond Times-Herald, June 17, 1973, Harold Pearson, “Giles-Wadkins Again; The Winner? Oakmont.”

  236 “Hey, you guys”—ibid.

  237 “Tom Weiskopf has more”—Long Beach (CA) Independent Press-Telegram, May 31, 1973, Doug Ives, “New Exciting World Opening up for Laura.”

  237 “so unhappy with the way”—Chicago Tribune, June 18, 1973, Cooper Rollow, “ ‘I’m Not a Flash in the Pan’—Miller.”

  237 “I was really down”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 18, 1973, Marino Parascenzo, “Johnny Replaces Gary; A New Player on Board.”

  237 “Here I had had a”—Golf Magazine, September 1973, Johnny Miller, “I’m Not Afraid to Go for the Flagstick.”

  238 “I remembered earlier in the”—San Francisco Chronicle, June 18, 1973, Art Spander, “Miller Wary until End.”

  238 “Well, I was on the practice”—Golfweek, June 9, 2007, “Johnny opens up.”

  238 “On Friday evening” —Pittsburgh Press, July 23, 1978, Ray Kienzl, “Caddie Hopes to Bag Miller Again.”

  239 “I had forgotten my yardage” —Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, June 10, 2007, Mike Dudurich, “Miller’s Dissection of Oakmont Stands the Test of Time.”

  239 “I played like par”—Golfweek, June 9, 2007, “Johnny
opens up.”

  240 “I was just trying to get”—Parascenzo, “Johnny Replaces Gary.”

  240 “When I get charged up” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 18, 1973, “Miller Prepped—to Lose.”

  240 “I was sky-high”—Latrobe Bulletin, (UPI), June 18, 1973, Frank Berkopec, “Miller Breaks Record in Open.”

  241 “I really got pumped” —Philadelphia Inquirer, June 18, 1973, Fred Byrod, “Record 63 Carries Miller to Open Title.”

  241 “I can honestly say I”—Berkopec, “Miller Breaks Record.”

  242 “I remembered [how] at Augusta”—Kienzl, “It Was in the Stars.”

  243 “Trevino’s putt was”—Wind, Following Through, p. 166.

  244 “Gary Player told me”—Chicago Sun Times, June 18, 1973, Len Ziehm, “Schlee Victim of Arnie’s Army.”

  244 “the same as wearing” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 18, 1973, Bill Christine, “Schlee Schleppes Around with 3 Drives on No.1.”

  245 “[You] should have seen me”—Bertrand, The Secret of Hogan’s Swing, p. 82.

  245 “It was all about Arnold”—Interview with Bob Ford, June 2008.

  245 “I couldn’t believe he”—ibid.

  246 “So many people were”—Bertrand, The Secret of Hogan’s Swing, p. 83.

  246 “[The relief] wouldn’t”—Christine, “Schlee Schleppes.”

  247 “It was so strange”—Bertrand, The Secret of Hogan’s Swing, p. 84.

  247 “That verified the fact”—Interview with Bob Ford, June 2008.

  247 “All I could think was I‘d”—Akron Beacon Journal, June 20, 1973, Jack Patterson, “Will Schlee Be ‘Star’ in Classic?”

  247 “I think everybody chokes”—New York Times, June 17, 1973, “Palmer Is ‘Man to Beat.’”

  247 “If I win this one” —Charleston (WV) Daily Mail, June 18, 1973, Jerry Izenberg, “Miller’s Manager off to Money Races.”

  248 “horses, fishing, girls”—Philadelphia Inquirer, June 17, 1973, “John Schlee Thanking His Lucky Stars after Gaining Share of Third-round Lead.”

  248 “I hope I get paired”—Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 17, 1973, Al Smith, “Four ‘Unlikelys’ Look Good.”

  249 “Hit that right-hand” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 18, 1973, Bill Christine, “Playing Games.”

  253 “I don’t suppose it”—Palmer, A Golfer’s Life, p. 208.

  253 “I was used to playing”—ibid., pp. 208-09.

  255 “hitthe ball two ways”—Gabriel, Mike, The Professional Golf Association Tour: A History (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2001), p. 177.

  256 “an indifferent putter”—United States Golf Association, 1973 U.S. Open: Miller’s Miracle at Oakmont.

  258 “Atthe back of the” —New York Times, June 18, 1973, Lincoln A. Werden, “Miller’s Record 63 for 279 Total Wins U.S. Open Golf Title.”

  259 “never saw me play” —Pittsburgh Press, June 17, 1973, Dan Donovan, “Weiskopf on Winning Track.”

  CHAPTER 12

  The Greatest Nine Ever

  262 “A shot poorly played”—Golf Course Management, May 1983, Ronald E. Whitten, “Mighty Oakmont Rumbles Again.”

  262 “We turned on the TV” —San Francisco Chronicle, June 19, 1973, Art Spander, “Miller’s Nervous Rooting Section.”

  263 “Break out a package” —Pittsburgh Press, July 23, 1978, Ray Kienzl, “Caddie Hopes to Bag Miller Again.”

  264 “the toughest par-four”—http://www.worldgolf.com/news/pga/us-open-oakmont-notebook-fred-funk-5555.htm, June 2007, Brandon Tucker, “U.S. Open Notebook: With Fred Dunk high on the leaderboard, Is Oakmont ‘Funky Town.’”

  265 “It was horrible stuff”—Los Angeles Times, June 18, 1973, Bill Shirley, “Johnny Miller Wins U.S. Open—Honest!”

  265 “I should have bogeyed”—ibid.

  266 “I’ll never forget twelve”—Interview with Dick Thompson, March 2008.

  266 “Number twelve was the whole”—Pittsburgh Press, June 18, 1973, Ray Kienzl, “Miller Gobbles up U.S. Open.”

  266 “I really flagged it”—Shirley, “Johnny Miller Wins.”

  266 “I said, ‘Mr. Worsham’”—Interview with Bob Ford, June 2008.

  267 “Coming down fourteen, I was”—Kienzl, “Miller Gobbles Up.”

  267 “doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke”—New York Times, February 13, 1975, Dave Anderson, “The Johnny Miller Market Is Soaring.”

  267 “a mammoth bunker”—Sommers, Robert, U.S. Open: Golfs Ultimate Challenge, 2nd ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1996), p. 261.

  268 “[He] had 187 yards”—Kienzl, “Caddie Hopes to Bag.”

  268 “Barber started pulling”—Kienzl, “Miller Gobbles Up.”

  269 “We’re not good friends”—Chicago Tribune, June 18, 1973, Cooper Rollow, “‘I’m Not a Flash in the Pan’—Miller.”

  269 “Johnny, you’re playing”—Interview with Miller Barber, October 2008.

  270 “Barber told me when”—Kienzl, “Miller Gobbles up.”

  271 “to stay cool, not to” —Golf Magazine, September 1973, Johnny Miller, “I’m Not Afraid to Go for the Flagstick.”

  271 “Standing in the middle”—Dallas Morning News, June 18, 1973, Harless Wade, “Miller Blazes Way to Open Title.”

  272 “[I hit] as good a putt” —Chicago Tribune, June 18, 1973, Tom Tomashek, “Miller wins U.S. Open on Record 63.”

  272 “Even with only about”—ibid.

  272 “No, I’m not nervous” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 18, 1973, Marino Parascenzo, “Johnny Replaces Gary; A New Player on Board.”

  CHAPTER 13

  Chasing Greatness

  275 “[For] about two minutes”—Richmond Times-Dispatch, June 18, 1973, Harold Pearson, “Tied Record ‘For 2 Minutes.’”

  278 “I won’t do it unless”—The Atlanta Constitution, June 15, 1973, Al Smith, “Jack’s Shot Not in Plan Trevino Has.”

  278 “Trevino had to pitch”—El Paso Herald Times, June 18, 1973, Bob Ingram, “‘As I was saying ...”’

  279 “guy with the million-dollar”—Philadelphia Inquirer, June 11, 1973, Frank Dolson, “Weiskopf Has Everything ... Well, Almost.”

  280 “I couldn’t believe it”—The Atlanta Constitution, June 18, 1973, Al Smith, “Miller’s Scorching 63 Wins.”

  280 “Oakmont is not a”—Pittsburgh Press, June 19, 1973, Pat Livingston, “U.S.G.A. Better Get Lead Out.”

  281 “Johnny Miller?” —Sports Illustrated, June 25, 1973, Dan Jenkins, “Battle of the Ages.”

  281 “I really still thought”—Chicago Tribune, June 18, 1973, Tom Tomashek, “Miller Wins U.S. Open on Record 63.”

  281 “When I made a twelve-footer”—Pittsburgh Press, June 18, 1973, Ray Kienzl, “Miller Gobbles up U.S. Open.”

  281 “[If] Jack can drive it”—Richmond Times-Dispatch, June 17, 1973, Chauncey Durden, “The 19th Green.”

  282 “I felt like I wanted” —Columbus Evening Dispatch, June 18, 1973, Paul Hornung,” ‘Heckuva Round’ Beat Weiskopf as Predicted.”

  283 “I couldn’t have felt”—Los Angeles Times, June 18, 1973, Bill Shirley, “Johnny Miller Wins U.S. Open—Honest!”

  284 “[What] do they think”—Hornung, “‘Heckuva Round.’”

  284 “I made what I thought”—Palmer, A Golfer’s Life, p. 227.

  284 “Where the fuck did”—O’Connor, Ian, Arnie & Jack: Palmer, Nicklaus, and Golf’s Greatest Rivalry (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008), p. 202.

  284 “I hear he has [nine]”—Shirley, “Johnny Miller Wins.”

  285 “It never entered my mind”—San Francisco Chronicle, June 18, 1973, Art Spander, “Miller Wary until End.”

  285 “Sixty-three?”—Toronto Star, June 18, 1973, Ken McKee, “Dream Ends for Arnold Palmer.”

  285 “Still confident”—Sommers, U.S. Open, p. 262.

  285 “I struck what I was sure”—Palmer, A Golfer’s Life, p. 227.

  286 “What did I have to lose
?” —Pittsburgh Press, June 18, 1973, Dan Donovan, “‘Sudden Explosion’ Wrecks Arnie in Open.”

  286 “When Arnold made those”—Shirley, “Johnny Miller Wins.”

  286 “I won this tournament”—Spander, “Miller Wary.”

  286 “What do they say”—Donovan, “‘Sudden Explosion.’”

  287 “As we left the course”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, (AP), June 18, 1973, Will Grimsley, “Arnie Drive to ‘Office’ Out of Play.”

  288 “Your Individual Horoscope”—Kittanning (PA) Leader-Times, June 16, 1973, Frances Drake, “Your Individual Horoscope: For Sunday, June 17, 1973.”

  290 “Who wouldn’t love”—Schlee, Maximum Golf, p. 38.

  290 “When I’m playing an”—ibid.

  291 “What had gone wrong?”—ibid.

  291 “I was destined to do”—Danville (VA) Bee, (AP), June 18, 1973, George Strode, “Schlee Guessed Wrong.”

  292 “afraid I’d throw up” —Miami Herald, June 19, 1973, Edwin Pope, “Agent Couldn’t Look as Miller Sank Putts.”

  293 “No, it’s got to be”—Washington Post, June 18, 1973, Bob Addie, “Miller Grabs Open with Record 63.”

  293 “I don’t know much about” —Pittsburgh Press, June 18, 1973, Jeff Samuels, “Johnny Takes the Spotlight.”

  293 “I still can’t believe it”—Columbus Ledger, June 19, 1973, Cecil Darby, “No Big Surprise.”

  293 “I don’t know if there”—ibid.

  293 “Without taking anything away”—Toronto Star, June 18, 1973, Ken McKee, “Spectacular Comeback Wins U.S. Open.”

  293 “What happened to Oakmont’s”—New York Times, June 19, 1973, Arthur Daley, “The Furious Finish of Johnny Miller.”

  293 “Imagine shooting a 63”—Los Angeles Times, June 18, 1973, Jim Murray, “Open Gets No Respect.”

  294 “Everyone else is griping” —Pittsburgh Press, June 18, 1973, Jeff Samuels, “Johnny Takes the Spotlight.”

  294 “No, I don’t think I’m” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 18, 1973, “Miller Propped—To Lose.”

  294 “I’ve been around and”—Shirley, “Johnny Miller Wins.”