Chasing Greatness
Page 48
CHAPTER 14
Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Lee Trevino
297 “Well, if the decision were”—Palmer, A Golfer’s Life, p. 181.
297 “I’m not going to quit”—Connellsville (PA) Daily Courier, (UPI), June 17, 1974, “Palmer Will ‘Try Again.’”
299 “There’s a school of” —Golf Digest, June 1994, Frank Hannigan, “Arnie’s Open Invite Defiles the Process.”
299 “I’ve never needed an” —Galveston (TX) Daily News, (AP), May 5,1994, “Open May Be Closed to Seve.”
299 “I know [Seve’s]”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 16, 1994, “Wadkins Raps Ballesteros for His Criticism of U.S.G.A.”
299 “Yes, this will be my last” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 13, 1994, Marino Parascenzo, “Shot That Haunts Arnie Still Tough.”
299 “I’m sure a lot of people”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 15, 1994, Gerry Dulac, “Arnie, Jack Walk Down Memory Lane.”
299 “I would like to play” —North Hills (PA) News Record, June 15, 1994, Kevin Smith, “Back to the Future.”
300 “He’s responsible for all” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 18, 1994, Ron Cook, “Arnie’s Era Ends as His Army Roars.”
300 “I was pretty darn proud”—North Hills (PA) News Record, June 17, 1994, Kevin Roberts, “Palmer Thrills His Army One More Time.”
301 “When you walk up”—United States Golf Association, Who Els?, 1994.
301 “[Then came] a rare standing”—ibid.
302 “Usually, when he leaves” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 17, 1994, Marino Parascenzo, “Flashback: It’s like the Old Days at Oakmont: Nicklaus Battling Watson.”
302 “And then I started to”—ibid.
303 “I think Arnie feels he’s” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 18, 1994, Phil Axelrod, “Ageless Nicklaus Still in Hunt for Fifth Open Title.”
303 “the weakest part of my”—ibid.
304 “Everything was Bobby Jones”—New York Times, August 13, 1973, Thomas Rogers, “Champion of Champions: Jack William Nicklaus.”
304 “Nicklaus is gone, done”—Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 6, 1986, Tom McCollister, “This Year Should Be a Wide-open Shootout.”
305 “This may be as fine”—New York Times, April 14, 1986, Gordon S. White Jr., “Nicklaus Wins Sixth Masters.”
306 “My goal is to play”—New York Times, June 17, 1968, “Golf’s No. 1 Extrovert.”
306 “I don’t care if it’s the”—Dallas Morning News, August 13, 1974, Sam Blair, “Jack’s Words, Lee’s Music.”
306 “I don’t want to play”—Columbus Evening Dispatch, June 14, 1973, Paul Hornung, “Trevino Loves His Life, But Seeks Privacy.”
306 “aside newsmen on his” —Dallas Morning News, (UPI), August 10, 1973, “‘Merry Mex’ Crumbles.”
306 “[Twirling] his putter” —Dallas Morning News, (UPI), August 11, 1974, “Lee Clowns Way to Lead.”
306 “I was charged up” —Charlotte Observer, August 12, 1974, Tom Higgins, “Trevino Changes His Mind, Will Return to Masters.”
307 “Now I’m learning”—New York Times, August 11, 1974, John S. Radosta, “Trevino’s Surge Gains Lead by Stroke.”
307 “my good friend Father”—Dallas Morning News, November 18, 1975, “Lee Gives Purse.”
307 “It didn’t bother me” —Golf Digest, May 2002, Guy Yocom, “My Shot: Lee Trevino.”
307 “Claudia II”—Trevino, Lee, and Sam Blair, The Snake in the Sandtrap (New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1985), p. 41.
308 “First, I never used”—Diaz, “Finding His Way Home.”
308 “To be the best at”—Yocom, “My Shot.”
308 “I know guys who are”—Sports Illustrated, December 18, 1989, Kenny Moore, “It’s Nifty Being 50.”
309 “I’ll have to play good” —Syracuse Herald American, (AP), July 1, 1990, “Nicklaus Charges Past Field.”
309 “Just when it seemed he”—New York Times, July 2, 1990, Jaime Diaz, “Trevino Outduels Nicklaus in Stretch.”
309 “As Jack was coming up”—New York Times, July 2, 1990, Dave Anderson, “The Trevino-Nicklaus Heat.”
309 “If Jack had kept up”—Salina (KS) Journal, (AP), July 2, 1990, “Trevino Captures Senior Open.”
310 “But sometimes Jack”—Anderson, “The Trevino-Nicklaus Heat.”
310 “Gimme the trophy”—Diaz, “Trevino Outduels Nicklaus.”
310 “Well-done”—Anderson, “The Trevino-Nicklaus Heat.”
CHAPTER 15
Tom Weiskopf
311 “I was in complete control”—Dallas Morning News, (AP), July 15, 1973, “Weiskopf Prevails.”
311 “[The phone] must have”—Cleveland Press, July 16, 1973, Burt Graeff, “Bedford Bubbles over Weiskopf—So Does Mom.”
312 “I’m just so happy I”—Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 15, 1973, Bill Nichols, “Happiest Mom in Town.”
312 “[To] compare him right now” —Dallas Morning News, July 16, 1973, Tom Williams, “Weiskopf a ‘Changed Man.’”
312 “other years, he has lost”—New York Times, July 15, 1973, Fred Tupper, “Weiskopf’s 276 Wins Open by Three Shots.”
312 “Others had told me” —Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 29, 1973, Hal Lebovitz, “Hal Asks ...”
312 “How bad do I want it?”—Sports Illustrated, July 23, 1973, Dan Jenkins, “His First Hurrah.”
313 “I think everybody has”—Cleveland Plain Dealer, (AP), August 8, 1973, Will Grimsley, “‘Era of Welskopf’ in Next 10 Years.”
313 “I thought it would be great” —Akron Beacon Journal, September 10, 1973, Paul Facinelli, “Nicklaus Was Weiskopf’s Target.”
313 “As Palmer found out”—Akron Beacon Journal, September 10, 1973, Jack Patterson, “Tommy’s Footsteps Haunt Big Jack.”
314 “I didn’t know that”—Sports Illustrated, January 14, 1974, Dan Jenkins, “Haunted by His Heirs.”
314 “Everybody said that I”—ibid.
315 “I feel like I might as well”—New York Times, June 7, 1974, Gordon S. White Jr., “Weiskopf: Courses Too Easy.”
315 “Are you injured”—Charlotte Observer, (AP), August 10, 1974, “Weiskopf: I Just Wanted to Quit.”
315 “Tom never pulls stuff —Galveston (TX) Daily News, (UPI), October 31, 1974, “Nicklaus, Weiskopf Teamed in Disney Golf.”
315 “broke my concentration”—CBS television broadcast of the Masters, April 12, 1981. Weiskopf, co-announcing the Masters with Jack Whitaker, went on: “I can remember very vividly, Jack, I just said to myself, how can a guy continually do that to me? And he’s a nice friend of mine, too.” Weiskopf was standing on the sixteenth tee when Nicklaus sank his putt.
316 “[But] then I got cute”—New York Times, June 13, 1980, John S. Radosta, “Nicklaus, Weiskopf, with 63s Lead by 3; Tie U.S. Open Mark.”
316 “Of course, that was”—Syracuse Herald Journal (Chicago Sun-Times Service), June 13, 1980, Ron Rapoport, “Buckeyes Light up Jersey Course.”
316 “I knew Tom had”—Frederick (MD) Post, (AP), June 13, 1980, “Nicklaus Takes Caddie’s Advice, Answers Weiskopf.”
317 “I knew Jack would”—ibid.
317 “I’ve always felt” —Salina (KS) Journal, (UPI), June 16, 1980, “Nicklaus Claims 4th U.S. Open Crown.”
317 “Yesterday was my”—The New Mexican, (UPI), June 14, 1980, “Nicklaus Takes 2-shot Lead in U.S. Open.”
318 “the best I’ve ever played” —Golf World, May 7, 1993, Chris Millard, “Tom II.”
318 “The press and the fans” —Chicago Daily Herald, July 5, 1982, Mike Imrem, “Tom Terrific Deserves Praise.”
318 “[Weiskopf has been]”—Nicklaus, My Story, p. 308.
318 “If I knew the way”—CBS television broadcast of the Masters, April 13, 1986.
319 “no goals in life” —Golf World, March 1, 1991, “Tour Talk.”
319 “He’s a waste product”—ibid.
319 “I told them I ha
d”—Golf Digest, April 2000, Jim Moriarty, “Inferno Erupts Again.”
319 “At the end of 1984” —Golf World, May 27, 2009, Al Barkow, “Being Tom Weiskopf.”
320 “When it’s all over” —Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 3, 1996, George Sweda, “Heart in the Rough: The Fire Inside Weiskopf Has Been His Best Club and His Trickiest Hazard.”
320 “There was a lot of” —Golf World, March 5, 1993, Tom Spousta, “Too Much Tom.”
320 “Hopefully, it’s going to” —Denver Post, Tom Kensler, July 6, 1993, “... But No-name Players Have Made Their Mark, Too.”
321 “I played perfect today”—Denver Post, July 10, 1993, “Missed Putts Stall Weiskopf’s Drives.”
321 “This course suits my”—ibid.
321 “Saturday is the day” —The Capitol (MD), (AP), July 11, 1993, “Jack Charges Back for Lead in Senior Open.”
321 “I guess I just don’t have”—Denver Post, July 11, 1993, “Easy Does It with a Driver for Nicklaus.”
322 “I was going under the”—Denver Post, July 12, 1993, Steve McPherson, “Weiskopf Left Again in Shadow.”
322 “And the only reason” —Rocky Mountain News, July 12, 1993, Adam Schefter, “Weiskopf Comes up a Putt Shy.”
322 “I knew it was over” —Rocky Mountain News, July 12, 1993, John Meyer, “Golden Bear Bags Another Major; Nicklaus Holds Off Weiskopf to Win U.S. Senior Open.”
323 “I gave it the best run” —Denver Post, July 12, 1993, Todd Phipers, “Nicklaus Thunders to the Top.”
323 “The guy is just one”—New York Times, July 12, 1993, Jaime Diaz, “Nicklaus Regains Golden Touch.”
CHAPTER 16
John Schlee
324 “I’m just fortunate to”—Danville (VA) Bee, (AP), June 18, 1973, George Strode, “Schlee Guessed Wrong.”
324 “No, I’m not let down” —Akron Beacon Journal, June 20, 1973, Jack Patterson, “Will Schlee Be ‘Star’ In Classic?”
324 “No, not at all”—ibid.
325 “Players of my caliber” —Walla Walla (WA) Union-Bulletin, (AP), July 8, 1973, “Unhappy Schlee, Edwards Qualify for British Open.”
325 “[nothing] exciting this month”—Napa Valley Register, October 20, 1973, Jess Duke, “John Schlee Captures Lead at Kaiser’s Halfway Point.”
325 “[At] times out there” —Fresno Bee, (AP), October 20, 1973, “Schlee Swings to Kaiser Lead with ‘Super Human’ 67 Score.”
326 “Ed and I are pretty good” —Napa Valley Register, October 22, 1973, Frank Gordon, “Sneed, Not Snead, Wins 7th Kaiser.”
326 “He always had a tough”—Interview and e-mail with Darryl Donovan, July, August 2009.
326 “It was Ed’s day”—Gordon, “Sneed, Not Snead.”
327 “June was a good” —New York Times, June 7, 1974, Gordon S. White Jr., “Weiskopf: Courses Too Easy.”
327 “Man, I wish we were” —Charlotte Observer, August 9, 1974, Richard Sink, “Floyd, Schlee, Green Tie for PGA Lead with 68s.”
327 “I feel real sorry”—Charlotte Observer, August 9, 1974, Richard Sink, “Schlee Goes by Stars.”
328 “Since my moon” —Burlington (NC) Daily Times-News, August 9, 1974, Craig Holt, “Stars Light Way for John Schlee.”
328 “I think anytime anyone” —Charlotte Observer, August 10, 1974, Richard Sink, “Player Shoots Record 64.”
328 “an extra vertebrae down”—Schlee, Maximum Golf, p. 3.
329 “I was hurting so bad”—Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 7, 1978, Tom McCollister, “Schlee Puts the Big Hurt on Masters.”
330 “I’m really not surprised”—Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 7, 1978, Jesse Outlar, “Schlee’s Day Was Guided by the Stars.”
330 “How many millionaires”—Tyrone (PA) Daily Herald, (UPI), April 11, 1978, Milton Richman, “Today’s Sports Parade.”
331 “When I retired from”—Schlee, Maximum Golf, p. 4.
331 “John also passed all of”—Bertrand, The Secret of Hogan’s Swing, p. 44.
332 “I think there will”—New York Times, August 9, 1968, Lincoln A. Werden, “Schlee Takes 2-stroke Lead in American Golf Classic with 5-under-par 65.”
332 “I didn’t even remember”—ibid., p. 64.
333 “He’s already given me” —Syracuse Herald-Journal, June 22, 1989, Donna Ditota and Jeff D’Alessio, “Amateurs Pick up Some Tips from Pros.”
334 “Hey, man, I know”—Interview and e-mail with Darryl Donovan, July, August 2009.
335 “People either loved John”—ibid.
335 “You got to really want”—Richman, “Today’s Sports Parade.”
CHAPTER 17
Johnny Miller
337 “Johnny Miller looks like” —Akron Beacon Journal, June 22, 1973, Paul Bailey, “Miller Credits Arnie With Assist on Ace.”
338 “Before then, I thought”—Los Angeles Times (Chicago Sun-Times), June 13, 1983, Ron Rapoport, “Johnny Miller Returns to the Scene of His Miracle 63.”
338 “I don’t mean to be boastful”—New York Times, January 18, 1974, Lincoln A. Werden, “Miller’s 62 Leads in Golf.”
338 “It was sort of golfing”—World Golf Hall of Fame Profile, Johnny Miller, http://www.wgv.com/hof/member.php?member=1082.
339 “Every time I go out”—New York Times, January 23, 1975, John S. Radosta, “The Miller Machine Runs on Confidence.”
339 “When I’m standing over”—ibid.
339 “hitting five hundred balls a day” —Pittsburgh Press, July 31, 1978, “Miller Hunting Lost Spark.”
339 “ominously echoing the” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 31, 1978, Marino Parascenzo, “Can Miller Make It Right?”
339 “They can’t travel with”—ibid.
340 “The man wearing Johnny”—Los Angeles Times, January 12, 1979, Jim Murray, “The Miller Mystery.”
340 “Eventually, Miller’s game”—Los Angeles Times (Chicago Sun-Times), June 13, 1983, Ron Rapoport, “Johnny Miller Returns to the Scene of His Miracle 63.”
341 “I told those who supported” —New York Times, (AP), February 23, 1981, “Miller Triumphs by 2.”
341 “flunky” —New York Times, April 10, 1981, John S. Radosta, “Miller among 4 Tied at 69.”
341 “The redeeming factor”—Salina (KS) Journal, (UPI), April 10, 1981, “Slump Over: Miller Set for Big Tourney.”
342 “Most important, maybe” —Aiken Standard, (SC), (AP), February 2, 1987, Bob Green, “Miller’s Word Games Work for Pebble Beach Victory.”
342 “There was no real point”—New York Times, February 2, 1987, Gordon S. White Jr., “Victory by Miller His First Since ‘83.”
342 “When I got to the mountaintop”—World Golf Hall of Fame Profile, Johnny Miller, http://www.wgv.com/hof/member.php?member=1082.
342 “[By] the time I got”—Miller, I Call the Shots, p. 221.
342 “I didn’t have that good” —Golf Magazine, September 1973, Johnny Miller, “I’m Not Afraid to Go for the Flagstick.”
342 “Someday, maybe after” —Golf Digest, August 1973, Hubert Mizell, “Arnie Warns Miller of Putting Woes.”
343 “I knew I couldn’t make”—Green, “Miller’s Word Games.”
343 “So I was sort of”—New York Times, February 4, 1988, Gordon S. White Jr., “Son Helps Miller Fight ‘Yips.’”
343 “By 1989, my play”—Miller, I Call the Shots, p. 35.
343 “Golf just wasn’t much”—ibid., pp. 35-36.
344 “awkward and useless”—ibid., p. 37.
344 “Some people may have”—Miller, “I’m Not Afraid.”
344 “Jack has been on top”—Wisconsin State Journal, (AP), February 16, 1975, “Question of Supremacy Heads to Masterful End.”
344 “go with my gut”—Daily Herald, (UPI), March 16, 1990, “Miller Pulls No Punches, but May Invite Some.”
344 “I want to be unpredictable” —Sports Illustrated, March 26, 1990, Walter Bingham, “Here’s Johnny—Giving It to You S
traight Off the Tee.”
344 “This is absolutely the”—ibid.
345 “I guess I opened” —Daily Herald, “Miller Pulls no Punches.”
345 “I’ll pull a guy’s pants”—New York Times, June 16, 1995, Richard Sandomir, “Miller’s Job Is to Talk a Good Game.”
345 “the biggest moron”—October 1, 1991, Los Angeles Times, Scott Howard-Cooper, “What Went Around the NBA Came Around for Thomas”; Miller, I Call the Shots, p. 57.
345 “I feel bad when” —Golf World, April 8, 1994, Johnny Miller, “In My Opinion: That’s Entertainment.”
346 “I didn’t come to win”—Logansport (IN) Pharos-Tribune, (AP), February 6, 1994, “Miller Pushing One of Tour’s Youngsters.”
346 “I’ve always called Pebble” —Sports Illustrated, February 14, 1994, Rick Reilly, “Aged to a Tee.”
346 “When I get here”—New York Times, February 6, 1994, Larry Dorman, “Miller, on 67, Trails by 1; Watson Is 2 Shots Behind.”
346 “To be honest”—ibid.
347 “the biggest club selection” —Golf World, February 11, 1994, Gary Van Sickle, “Johnny Be Good.”
347 “I flashed back to that”—ibid.
347 “You want to know”—New York Times, February 7, 1994, Larry Dorman, “Johnny Miller, a Sand Blast From the Past, Wins.”
347 “No one’s going to enjoy”—Golf World, June 3, 1994, Johnny Miller, “In My Opinion: Back to the Beginning.”
348 “It’s the first time”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Block News Alliance), June 17, 1994, “Miller’s 81 a Far Cry from His 63 in 1973.”
348 “I’ve hardly practiced”—ibid.
348 “Why should Palmer keep” —Galveston (TX) Daily News, (AP), May 5, 1994, “Open May Be Closed to Seve.”
348 “Johnny described what”—Sandomir, “Miller’s Job.”
349 “I was that way before”—USA Today, June 13, 2002, Jill Lieber, “NBC’s Miller Keeps Firing Away.”
349 “Golf is on a roll”—Miller, “In My Opinion: That’s Entertainment.”