Sad Farewell: Tom Weiskopf Was A Friend To A Young Writer

Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Seve Ballesteros, Ray Floyd, Gary Player — I watched them all hit hundreds of shots on the practice tee but the most impressive ball striker back in that wonderful era of the 70s was Tom Weiskopf.

We lost Tom on Saturday — he fought hard but his battle was over against the worst cancer of all — pancreatic.

Knew him better than most — certainly better than many of the scores of writers who covered golf back then.  He was regarded by most as aloof and, at times, arrogant.  He didn’t give many, if any individual interviews.  I was determined to crack that exterior and learn more about the man.

I started walking some of Tom’s rounds with his wife Jeanne — walked with her in galleries at The Masters.  She was bright, personable and very attractive — a former Miss Minnesota if memory serves correctly.  She had a tough job — she had to put up with Tom, who could be as moody as they come.  I once asked Jeanne if she played golf — she laughed and quickly said:  “No, one frustrated golfer in the family is enough!”  It was sad when I heard they divorced after 33 years of marriage.

It took some time but “T” as his friends called him, became my friend and called me, “T.”  Once upon a time we were standing on the practice green at Bay Hill and someone hollered at us:  “Hey Big T!”  Weiskopf looked up and the response came:  “No, not you, the other one!”  Weiskopf looked at me, laughed and added, “Well we are pretty close to Tampa, it’s your territory.”

Watched this tall talent hit so many shots but I never tired of the process.  No one, absolutely no one, hit it as good as him.  I once saw him hit driver, seven-iron into the par five second at Augusta National during one of the Masters I covered back in the 70s.  That was persimmon driver, balata ball, folks.  I still remember those two shots to this day.

Away from the course, we shared some cold ones now and then.  Weiskopf loved a good party, more-so than most of his peers.  There were times when he probably had a few too many.

Yes, Tom Weiskopf was a complicated man, but a good guy to know.  Ed Sneed was his best friend on Tour.  He called Ed — “Mule.”  I once asked him why and Weiskopf quickly said:  “Why?  Haven’t you ever looked at his ears???”  Never paid much attention to Sneed’s ears until Weiskopf put that on me.  Yeah, Sneed has some big ears.

Tom’s greatest year was 73, he won a bunch of tournaments including the 1973 Open Championship.

Truth be known, he was an under-achiever given that incredible talent level of his.  But as Trevino once said:  “God didn’t give anyone everything” — and God gave Weiskopf a very mediocre putting stroke.

Yes, back in those days it was really possible to get to know players on a personal level and Tom let me into his world.  The most excited I ever saw him was the time he told me about this particular, very elusive mountain sheep he bagged on a hunting trip.  “I tracked the damn thing for three days,” Tom told me.  Yes, he was a hunter extraordinaire.

I miss those days on the practice tee, especially early in the week.  I’d watch him his shot-after-shot-after-shot.  Then late in the day, he might look at me and ask:  “Where we going after this?”

Most likely it was to get a cold one.

So long “Big T” — you were something else — one of a kind.  Thanks for the kind words, thanks for caring.

Gonna miss you — but now you’re in a better place.

Fairways and greens, Tom Weiskopf.

Kieffer Gets First DP World Win At Czech Masters:

Germany’s Max Kieffer fired a final round 66 Sunday and won the rain-shortened Czech Masters at the Albatross Golf Resort outside Prague.

Kieffer had seven birdies and a single bogey and it was good enough to overtake the 36-hole leader, Gavin Green from Malaysia.

Green had led by three overnight and several players challenged before Kieffer tied the lead for the first time when the Malaysian had a double-bogey six on 14.

Kieffer birdied 17 to take the outright lead.  Green could only par the last two holes and had to settle for second after a one-under-par round of 71 as his birdie putt on the last lipped out and with it went his chance of a playoff.

Kieffer was emotional after his first win.  “It’s tough right now to say what it means. It’s great, I am lost for words a little bit.”

Green had a chance of birdie on the last to force a play-off and Kieffer admitted he was preparing to head back to the course.  “I wanted to be ready in case he made birdie. When the guy from the TV said ‘you’ve won it’ the feeling was ridiculous.  I don’t know how I feel, I think it will need a few days. I just love golf, I just love to play golf. Even if I had not won I still have a great life, I still enjoy playing golf. So now to win it’s even better.”

Czech Masters Scoreboard:

Nelly Korda Gets LET Win:

Nelly Korda outlasted her sister, Jessica, and won the LET event Sunday at La Reserva Club de Sotogrande.

Jessica, who shot 61 in the first round and set the LET record for lowest score (11-under) in relation to par, struggled over the final 18 and her 77 opened the door for Nelly.

Nelly closed with 67 and a 13-under par winning score.  It was Nelly’s second LET victory.

Sam Bennett Wins 122nd U.S. Amateur:

Sam Bennett from Texas A&M held off a late rally from Georgia Southern’s Ben Carr to win the 122nd U.S. Amateur at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J.

Final score was 1-up.  Bennett was three-up after the morning 18 and was as many as 5-up in the final session.  But a rally by Carr cut Bennett’s three-up lead with three to play down to 1-up heading for the 36-hole hole.  Carr’s drive in the rough was costly.  His second went over the green while Bennett’s approach left him just 15-feet from the hole.  It was an easy two-putt for the championship for Bennett, who will turn pro next year.

“I definitely earned this championship,” said Bennett, the highest-ranked American in the 312-player field at No. 3 in the world. “This was by far the hardest thing I’ve done in my golfing career so far.”