Where in Time is The Sports Time Traveler™
If you’ve been reading my recent posts you know that I’ve been hanging out in Miami Beach in 1964 where the Clay - Liston heavyweight title fight takes place tomorrow and where the Beatles performed live on Ed Sullivan last week.
You can see my articles on those events on my home page on Substack:
But today, I’ve popped up 10 miles north and 10 years in the future to February 24, 1974 to cover an emerging story at the Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic PGA TOUR event in Ft. Lauderdale.
I specifically wanted to see how Johnny Miller was doing.
Johnny Miller opened the PGA TOUR season in January, 1974 with the hottest start in history. He captured the first 3 tournaments in a row - a feat that has never been done before on the PGA TOUR. And he became the first player to win 3 straight tournaments since Arnold Palmer in 1962.
In winning the 3 straight, every single round Miller played was under par.
The unprecedented start of the season garnered the 1973 U.S. Open winner a feature article in the January 28th swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated.
You can see the cover of that swimsuit issue here:
January 28, 1974 Sports Illustrated Cover
I remember Johnny Miller crushing the fields at Pebble Beach, Phoenix and Tucson in January, 1974.
As a 10 year old boy in New Jersey where it was freezing and everything looked white outside, I watched those tournaments on our 12 inch Sony Trinitron while I was putting golf balls on the carpet in our home. All the while I was dreaming about being able to play golf in April when the ground would start thawing out. And that’s a very long time to wait when your 10.
Now, here in Ft. Lauderdale, on my virtual trip, I was expecting to see Miller crush the field again.
But what I saw in Fort Lauderdale yesterday simply stunned me.
Johnny Miller barely made the cut yesterday with a 3 over par 2 day score of 147.
Just as astonishing was the fact that Jack Nicklaus, who is at the peak of his career, and has won 5 majors in the first 4 years of this decade already, was also right on the cut line with Miller at 147.
In addition, Tom Weiskopf, one of the top players on TOUR, and winner of the British Open in 1973, missed the cut.
The leader of the tournament was 32 year old journeyman Kermit Zarley, a former dishwasher and short order cook in his father’s restaurant. He carded a 2 day total of 139.
But the really big story here was the man in 2nd place in the tournament.
It’s soon to be 62 years old Sam Snead.
And this is where today’s story begins.
61 Year Old Sam Snead is Still Slammin' with the Best
FT. LAUDERDALE, FL - February 24, 1974
Sam Snead managed a 68 on Friday for a 2 round total 140, to put himself just 1 shot back, tied with Lee Trevino, and in the final threesome going into the weekend here at the Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic.
Snead’s 68 was highlighted by a spectacular 31 on the front 9. He had 4 birdies and an eagle on that magical opening 9 holes in which he only needed 12 putts.
Then on the 10th hole his drive went out of bounds and he recorded a double bogey 6.
Snead told Tom Sears of the Palm Beach Post, “I love this. I had a dream that I was going to shoot 31 - 41 and that’s the second time that’s happened. I got the 31, but then when I took the double-bogey on No. 10, I said here it goes.”
Kermit Zarley, the man who leads Snead by 1 shot after 2 rounds, told the Miami Herald, “We all just shake our heads at Sam. You can talk about his swing and his physical condition but to me the amazing thing is that Sam continues to have the desire to win. So many great players lose that in their thirties. But Sam is like a kid.”
The Fort Lauderdale News had fun with Snead’s standing in the tournament. An article by sports editor Bernie Lincicome started with this:
“If Sam Snead should win the $52,000 first prize at Inverrary, he would make more money in one tournament than in any one of his 37 years on the pro golf tour.”
Bob Green, a sportswriter for the AP, asked Snead what motivates him to keep playing on tour at nearly 62 years old. Green wrote, “Snead made a quick, concise, one word reply: ‘money.’
“He waited for a moment” and then expanded the thought. With all the money they’ve got out here now, I just wish for a year or so I had my game, my swing and some 20-year-old nerves. Now, with some 20-year-old nerves and all this money they’re playing for, we’d just show ‘em something to make ‘em sit up and take notice.’”
The Golf World Does Take Notice
The golf world is taking notice of Sam Snead right now, for he is on a roll.
Perhaps Johnny Miller’s 3 straight wins should have an asterisk. Because Sam Snead didn’t play in those January west coast tournaments that Miller dominated. Snead was here in Florida playing in senior and club events.
Last week was Snead’s first foray back onto the PGA TOUR this season. And he made an impact.
After firing a 2 over par 73 in the 1st round of the Los Angeles Open, Snead had stellar 2nd and 3rd rounds of 68 and 66. His 36 holes in the middle of the tournament in 134, was 2 shots better than anyone else in the entire field.
And it was a packed field.
Take a look at how the leading golfers in the World fared on those middle 36 holes last week in L.A.:
Sam Snead 134
Tom Weiskopf 136
Johnny Miller, 137.
Jack Nicklaus 144
Lee Trevino 146
Arnold Palmer 147
Snead was tied for the lead after 3 rounds in the Los Angeles Open with John Mahaffey and Dave Stockton.
A giant picture of Snead using his croquet style putting method was on the front page of the sports section of the Los Angeles Times, along with an article titled, “Snead Goes 5 Under Par, 5 Over His Age,” as the Times was referring to the 66 Snead shot at the par 71 Riviera Country Club.
In the final round Snead birdied the 17th hole to pull to within 1 stroke of the leader, Dave Stockton.
Standing on the 18th tee next to Stockton, Sam Snead deployed a little gamesmanship according to Bill Shirley of the Los Angeles Times.
Snead said to Stockton, “You know I birdied the last 2 holes to beat Ben Hogan in 1950.”
Snead was referring to a tournament more than a generation ago, that is remembered in the climax of the only Hollywood movie to showcase the life of a professional golfer.
“Follow The Sun,” starring A-list actors Glenn Ford and Anne Baxter, told the story of Snead’s long time rival - Ben Hogan.
In the movie, Hogan, who had a near fatal accident in 1949, makes his celebrated comeback at the 1950 Los Angeles Open.
You can watch the entire movie for free on YouTube at this link:
Sam Snead the Actor
In the movie, Sam Snead plays himself at the Los Angeles Open.
And the movie was filmed on location at the Riviera Country Club.
You first see Snead in the locker room at the 1:18:15 time stamp on the movie.
Then he sinks the birdie putt at 18 to tie Hogan and force a playoff at the 1:27:40 mark.
This is the final birdie putt that Snead was referring to in his gamesmanship with Stockton last week (in 1974).
At 1:28:10, Snead sinks a putt in the playoff to win the 1950 Los Angeles Open.
Snead then shakes hands with actor Glenn Ford, playing the part of Ben Hogan.
Stockton Startled but Unphased
To his credit, Dave Stockton was unphased by Snead’s gamesmanship on the 72nd tee of the 1974 Los Angeles Open.
Stockton birdied the hole and won the tournament by 2 shots.
He talked to an AP reporter after the tournament about Snead’s comment that he had made 2 birdies to beat Ben Hogan in 1950, “It kind of startled me. I didn’t know what to say, ‘Gee that’s great Sam? I’m proud of you.’”
Instead of being rattled, Stockton hit a shot into the 18th green that he called one of the best shots of his life and that sewed up his 7th PGA TOUR victory with an 8 under par 276.
Snead finished in 2nd place 2 shots behind with a 278.
That was just 3 shots off the course record by Ben Hogan in the 1948 U.S. Open. In that tournament, 26 years earlier, Snead finished 5th at 283.
Hogan’s 275 for 72 holes was so magnificent that the nickname for the Riviera Country Club has been “Hogan’s Alley,” ever since.
And here, 26 years after Snead had finished 5th to Hogan in that U.S. Open, Snead was only 3 shots off Hogan’s 72 hole record score.
Snead also beat his two winning scores in the Los Angeles Open. He won in 1945 with a 283 and in the celebrated 1950 playoff over Hogan in 280.
Snead’s even par 71 in the final round made him one of just four players to shoot par or better in the final round.
Jack Nicklaus, who had won 2 weeks earlier in the Hawaiian Open shot a final round 75.
Sam’s Snead’s Stunning Six Rounds
Even more stunning, is the roll that Sam Snead is now on over his first 108 holes of the 1974 PGA TOUR season.
Through yesterday, Sam Snead, the oldest player on tour, now has the lowest 6 round score of anyone on the entire PGA TOUR.
Here’s how Snead’s 6 rounds rank him on the tour:
Sam Snead 318 -10
John Mahaffey 320 - 8
Tom Watson 322 -6
Tom Kite 323 -5
Gene Littler 327 -1
Lee Trevino 327 -1
Brian Allin 327 -1
Johnny Miller 328 Even
Lanny Wadkins 330 +2
Hale Irwin 330 +2
Jack Nicklaus 332 +4
I found this little stat truly astonishing.
Sam Snead at 61 has literally dominated the PGA TOUR for the past week.
Sam Snead the Athlete
One reason Snead is able to play competitively at age 61 is that he can do things with his body that most other golfers can not do at any age.
Lee Trevino told the AP this week that Sam Snead is “The most amazing athlete the world has ever seen.”
34 year old Jack Nicklaus told Edwin Pope in the Miami Herald, “I hope I’m in the shape Sam is when I’m 35. You know, that guy can kick the top of a seven-foot doorway. Satchel Snead (referring to the seemingly ageless baseball player - Satchel Paige). That’s what they ought to call him.”
How does Snead keep playing so well at his age? He gave his own explanation to Edwin Pope in the Miami Herald yesterday, “The whole thing is, I play every day. If I ever took a few months off my game would shrivel up like a peach-seed.”
A Born Entertainer Too!
Sam Snead is also a source of non-stop entertainment, both in the things he says and what is said about him.
Snead doesn’t shy away from the characterization of him as a hillbilly from West Virginia.
Soon to be 62 year old Snead told Edwin Pope in the Miami Herald yesterday, “I’m really 47. Where I grew up in West Virginia they don’t count the years you go barefoot.”
Sam spoke with Bernie Lincicome, the sports editor of the Fort Lauderdale News, and Lincicome reported the following story, “Legend is, Snead put all his money - more than half a million dollars - in tin cans in the ground. ‘That’s not true,’ said Snead, ‘Jimmy Demaret started that story. You know, honest to God, I came home one time and found a man with a pick and a shovel digging up my backyard.’”
Edwin Pope, relayed another story from the first round of the tournament in yesterday’s paper. As Snead putted out on the final hole a fan yelled out, “Go get ‘em Sam. I’m 61 years old, same as you, but I got a cane!” Another shouted, Attaboy, Sam! We’re the same age!” Pope then wrote, “At lunch Snead is talking about the second voice. ‘I look over,’ he says a trifle gruffly, ‘and that son of a gun must be 90 years old.’”
My Personal Connection to Sam Snead
I have a soft spot for any story about Sam Snead because of a personal connection I have with him.
In 1986 I was privileged to play in the Duke Children’s Classic in Durham, NC. It’s a celebrity pro-am type event.
One of the morning’s of the tournament I went to the golf course early to practice. I was taking the event very seriously.
My wife Heather left the hotel to go to the course sometime after me.
The tournament had limo’s taking everyone to the course. And when Heather went out in the front of the hotel there was an empty limo waiting. The concierge told Heather she would have to wait in the limo a few minutes until it fills up.
Soon a group of 5 old men came out in front of the hotel and the concierge told Heather that she would need to come out of the limo as these men were going to need this limo.
Heather complied and got out but thought the request was a little odd.
As soon as she got out she saw that the group of men included Sam Snead.
Snead took one look at Heather and said, “Honey, you can get back in the limo.”
Snead and his buddies were more than happy to ride to the golf course with my wife.
On the ride Snead’s entourage cracked jokes the entire time. They also told Heather how they had flown in together from West Virginia in a private helicopter.
Heather told the group that her husband was playing in the tournament and had gone over early to practice on the driving range.
When they got to the course my wife left Snead’s group and came over to talk to me at the driving range. Soon I went back to hitting balls.
This was the first time I would be playing in front of a crowd of spectators and I wanted to play well. There were already at least a hundred spectators watching the golfers warming up.
When I hit a couple of wayward shots I got angry at myself and in a lapse of judgement I slammed my club down on the ground.
I kneeled down to grab the club that was on the ground when I heard a old man’s voice in a southern drawl say sternly, “Son, pick up that club.”
I looked up. From my crouched position gazing skyward the man seemed to be a giant. And as I made out his face I was in shock. It was a giant. It was Sam Snead. Snead apparently had seen my wife on the range and came over to where I was hitting.
I immediately thought I was going to be subjected to a well deserved admonishment by Slammin’ Sammy Snead for slamming my club in front all the spectators.
Instead, Sam Snead followed up his first sentence with this, “I’m going to teach you a lesson.”
He proceeded to grab hold of my arms and position them where he wanted them to be at the top of my backswing.
He did this with a large crowd now focused on watching Sam physically altering my club position as I held my arms up high in a stationary backswing.
Then he said to me, “Swing down, this is going to be a good shot.”
I was petrified. Everyone had just heard Sam Snead proclaim this was going to be a good shot. I said to Sam softly, “How do you know it’s going to be a good shot?”
I think he got a tiny bit annoyed at that, and told me again to just swing down.
From a stopped point at the top of my backswing, I felt kind of like how a baseball player stands at the plate with their bat back. It was normal for baseball, but alien for a golfer.
I swung down as ordered by one of the game’s greatest legends.
Just as Sam Snead had promised I hit the ball high, long and straight.
It was the most beautiful shot I had ever seen myself hit in my life.
The ball went 50% higher than any ball I’d ever hit.
I’d been to many PGA TOUR events and studied the players on the driving range. This shot I hit looked like a pro shot to me.
Sam then took the open spot on the range to the right of me and began his warmup.
My next couple of shots looked similar to the first one, but ever so slightly off. Not quite as high, straight or long.
Then I sliced one.
Sam had his back to me as he was addressing his range ball. He could only have seen my swing if he had eyes in the back of his head. But he yelled to me, “You’re laying off the club.”
I was amazed. He could diagnose my swing fault just by seeing the trajectory of my shot out of the corner of his eye. Unfortunately, I didn’t quite know what he meant by “laying off the club.” And I wasn’t about to interrupt Sam Snead’s warm up.
I kept hitting and most of my shots still looked pretty darn good, although none were quite the same as that first one. Overall however, it was the best bucket of balls I ever hit.
As I left the range a spectator came over to me and said, “You know you just got a $500 lesson.”
Later that day, after play was completed, Snead gave an exhibition. He explained that he thinks in terms of a dance rhythm as he swings. “1 - 2 on the back swing, 3 - 4 on the downswing.”
And he demonstrated his legendary flexibility. At age 74, he was able to do a straight leg touching your toes stretch. But he didn’t just touch his toes. He kept going. He was able to put his palms flat on the ground without bending his knees. Incredible!
The lesson I got from Sam Snead wore off after a few weeks. I couldn’t retain the muscle memory. But I still managed to hit my 2nd hole-in-one a few weeks later on a shot that looked almost as good as that first one on the range when Sam Snead positioned my arms perfectly.
I don’t know if I ever properly thanked my wife Heather for her part in enabling that lesson from Sam Snead, so I’m going to thank her now, 38 years later, for that and all the other greatest moments in my life.
Thanks Heather. I love you!
Below is a picture of Sam Snead and me taken on that same day in 1986.
POSTCRIPT
Sam Snead is the oldest player ever to win a PGA TOUR event. He was 53 when he won the Greater Greensboro Open in 1965.
When Tiger Woods won the Masters in 2019 he tied Sam Snead for the most PGA tournament victories all-time at 82.
Snead and Woods remain tied to this day for most PGA TOUR victories.
Share this post