Michael Wilson Stories
Feature
‘The Golden Bear’ seemed to seize the initiative
early on in the fourth and �nal round, taking a
three-stroke lead before Watson rallied, holingout
from 60 feet at the 15th to draw level with
three to play.
A birdie four at 17th saw Watson edge ahead
for the �rst time and seemed to have sealed the
deal striking an imperious 7-iron to two feet;
meanwhile Nicklaus had driven a thorny gorse
bush extricated himself superbly, launching
an 8-iron to the edge of the �nal green and
audaciously sinking his putt from all of 35 feet.
In a strokeplay situation that had, for the past
nine holes resembled match play in all but
name Watson’s short putt took on altogether
different proportions but the man fro Kansas
City calmly tapped in for victory.
Watson and Nicklaus left the 18th green arm-inarm,
each now a two-time Champion Golfer of
the Year, the vast galleries had been enthralled
by a remarkable week of championship golf
and a �nal day that still lives long in the
memories of thousands who witnessed the,
‘Duel in the Sun.’
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The now late, great Arnold Palmer is
widely credited with if not saving an Open
Championship that was treading water at the
time, choosing unlike many of his compatriots
‘Super Mex,’ aka Lee
Trevino was one of the
most charismatic and
outgoing golfers of his
era, laughing and joking
his way around the golf
courses of the world.
to cross the Atlantic to compete in the oldest
and most prestigious tournament the game of
golf had to offer.
Having narrowly missed out on the title the
previous year on debut at St Andrews, the
‘Home of Golf,’ Palmer, already comfortably
and justi�ably carrying the nickname, ‘The
King’ came to Royal Birkdale in July1961 with
‘Arnie’s Army’ a legion of loyal fans from both
the US and the UK trailing in his wake.
And Palmer did go one better at Royal
Birkdale, beating Dai Rees by a single stroke,
his attacking devil-may-care brand of golf
taking him to the heart of both galleries and
the growing numbers of TV viewers around
the world as the Open Championship began to
blossom as a global sporting phenomenon.
The English weather in that summer of ’61 was
less than kind, wind and rain raising the stakes,
but the elements were not to deter to Palmer as
he opened his second round with �ve birdies
in the �rst six holes into the teeth of a gale,
also calling a penalty on himself when his ball
moved in a bunker, even though no one else
had seen it; now that’s class.
In those days when the Open was played over
three days, Friday’s third and fourth rounds
were held over until the weekend amid gales.
Come Saturday morning, Palmer signed for a
conservative a 69 to take the lead for the �rst
time, following this up with an afternoon 72,
eventually winning by one with an aggregate
of 284 and a record US$1,750 �rst prize.
Along the way, Palmer had added to the legend
not only of his attacking, happy-go-lucky
playing style, never taking a backward step,
but also helping rejuvenate and resuscitate an
ailing Open Championship in the minds of
his compatriots and golf fans everywhere, a
huge step on the way to golf’s oldest and most
prestigious ‘Major’ enjoying the reputation it
does today.
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‘Super Mex,’ aka Lee Trevino was one
of the most charismatic and outgoing golfers
of his era, laughing and joking his way around
the golf courses of the world with – it seemed
– a quip for every occasion and he arrived
at Muir�eld in 1972 reluctant – and as it
transpired, unwilling – to hand back the Claret
Jug to the R&A.
Having won the previous year in the Centenary
Open at Royal Birkdale, the Mexican-
American was amongst the favourites at
Muir�eld, considered to be the most authentic
and fairest of all the Open courses, and
completed a successful defence of The Open
at Muir�eld in 1972, and through a remarkable
incredible display of touch around the greens,
Trevino was to prevail.
But if it was joy for the extrovert American, there
was only despair and desolation for crestfallen
Englishman Tony Jacklin, Champion Golfer of
the Year three-years-earlier.
Jacklin, the overwhelming home favourite had
either led, or been in a share of the lead up to
and including the halfway stage, only ceding
superiority to Trevino with a round to go, and,
going into Saturday’s �nal round, the top of
the leaderboard resembled a ‘Who’s Who’ of
world golf, Trevino, Jacklin, Player, Palmer
and Nicklaus all in contention.
Nicklaus reached the turn in 32 on the �nal day,
brie�y moving into a share of the lead before
Trevino and Jacklin both struck at the turn with
matching eagle-threes at the ninth.
Playing together, with tension etched across
Jacklin’s face as Trevino laughed and joked
his way down the back nine, the pair were tied
playing the Par-5 17th with Trevino �nding
sand off the tee and missing the green the green
in four.
Meanwhile, Jacklin, who appeared to have the
edge was lining-up an 18ft birdie putt when
‘Super Mex’ who appeared from his demeanour
to have all but conceded, hurried his pitch shot
which scurried into the hole, a cruel and, as it
transpired, a killer blow to the Englishman who
must surely have been dreaming of a second
encounter with the Claret Jug.
Jacklin promptly, perhaps given what he and
thousands more had just witnessed three-putted
for a mere par, before, the wind sucked out of
his sails, going on to bogey the last to �nish
third, Trevino, signing for an unlikely 71,
beating Nicklaus by one to retain the Open
Championship.
GolfPlus JULY 2020 23