Over the Green

Fifty years ago golf changed.
The exact moment was the conclusion of the 1962 United States Open which had been contested over the Oakmont course outside Pittsburgh. Arnold Palmer, “The King” was defeated by someone nicknamed “Ohio Fats.” Golf had changed.

Palmer, given his sobriquet by adoring fans and enthusiastic journalists, was the dominant figure in golf. He had style and swagger, good looks and personality and he was a winner. Often he took the trophy by charging from behind, which of course was thrilling to watch for everyone…except the second place finisher.

Palmer won the Open in 1960 with just such a final round charge but now two years later and on a golf course an hour’s drive from his hometown he was defeated by Jack Nicklaus after a 90 hole battle. Nicklaus, not yet the “Golden Bear,” didn’t interact with fans like Palmer, had a college-boy lack of concern about his appearance and was, what at the time was charitably called, “husky.”

He was a rookie, a college star but still a professional novice with the audacity not only to win the U.S. Open as his first professional victory but to do it beating everyone’s favorite, Palmer.

Nicklaus of course went on to fashion an unmatched career (73 wins on the PGA Tour plus 18 majors) recently added his current take of the events back then.

“At that time in 1962, I was a 22-year-old kid with blinders on, focusing on the task at hand which was winning my first professional tournament and our national championship. Fifty years later, it was nice to take the blinders off and think about all the elements that made for such a meaningful week in my life.”

In celebration of this seminal event the USGA, with financing from Nicklaus-endorsed Royal Bank of Scotland, has produced a one-hour documentary to air on NBC prior to final round coverage of this years championship at Olympic Club on June 17. Entitled “1962 U.S. Open: Jack’s First Major” it is narrated by Peter Coyote and features both archival film and interviews with some who played in the tournament such as Gary Player, Deane Beman, Dow Finsterwald and Billy Maxwell.

Billy Casper will be 81 on June 24 and during a recent conversation with the World Golf Hall of Fame member he recounted some of his experiences over his almost 40 years as a tournament professional. Interesting and informative to say the least…and with maybe just a trace of regret he was not part of the hype concerning the “The Big Three,” Palmer, Player and Nicklaus during what were Casper’s most productive years on Tour.

It wasn’t the “Big Four,” though Casper’s record of three majors and 51 PGA Tour wins from 1956 through 1975 certainly qualified him for inclusion. Casper of course goes into the ‘why’ he wasn’t considered part of the triumvirate and it was very simple.

The idea of the Big Three was concocted by super-agent Mark McCormack after Jack Nicklaus turned professional in 1962 and became a McCormack client, joining Arnold Palmer and Gary Player. The marketing slogan “Big Three” gained a lot of traction with fans and the media until even at the time one could be forgiven for thinking those three were the only ones posting any tournament victories. Casper was not a client so McCormack’s “Big Three” didn’t include him.

The truth is during the stretch from 1962 through 1970, when the Golden Bear left McCormack, Billy Casper won 33 tournaments, the same as Nicklaus. Palmer won 30 and Player eight.

So much for the Big Three.

Don’t get the idea Casper’s biography, written with the help of James Parkinson and Lee Benson, is sour grapes. Neither the book nor the man is like that. Billy, as he insisted I address him after my opening to our conversation was, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Casper,” is warm and personable and very proud of his eleven children and his wife Shirley to whom he has been married since 1952.

“The Big Three and Me” begins at what is arguably the most famous of Casper’s three major wins, the 1966 US Open at Olympic Club in San Francisco. At times the history of professional golf during this period seems to have been written solely by fans of the King. Thus this Open is usually known for Palmer’s last round ‘collapse allowing Casper to catch him’ and going on to win the following day’s playoff. The truth is Casper shot a final round of 68 to Palmer’s 71 and as Billy says, “Not too many players leading the Open on the final day fail to win by shooting 71.”

Casper’s triumph was thought of and to an extent still is thought of as Palmer’s loss. It seems it wasn’t one of golf’s greatest players forging a hard fought win but to the King failing.

That pretty well captures the sentiment of the times and those golf historians who often have been uncertain of Billy’s legacy.

A notable exception are the Big Three themselves, they have no such uncertainty. In the book’s foreword written jointly by Palmer, Nicklaus and Player they say, “Simply put, Billy Casper was threat to win every golf tournament he entered. He beat us as many times as we beat him. You don’t have to take our word for it. Look it up.”

I’ve been accused of being an equipment geek. I’m not totally sure about that but I am interested in modern technology and materials as they are expressed in the engineering and design of clubs.

In other words when you put Vaseline on the face of a driver to inhibit the amount of spin imparted to the ball
it goes further.MORE…

Just before Christmas PING’s CEO John Solheim made his proposal public calling for the USGA to adopt rules mandating three classes of golf balls – one that would go the same distance as today’s, one 30 yards less and one 30 yards more.

Recreational players presumably would have their choice (does anyone think they will pick the 30 yards less ball?) and tournament organizers could specify which was to be played as a “condition of competition.” In particular the PGA Tour with all those long hitting superstars would use the 30-yards-less-ball in an effort to contain their mighty blows. MORE…

Getting a gift for golfer is simple, right? Just swing by the local big box retailer and pick up some golf balls and you’re done. Not true.
Also most people know those naked lady tees and “R” rated insulated cups really lack class. Plus how do you know which golf ball matches the golfer’s game and don’t even think about a driver that requires a fitting or something reflecting strong personal preference like a golf bag.

So the question remains what to give a boss or in-law or even a spouse who is an avid linkster without totally breaking the bank or the Christmas budget.

Here a few suggestions covering range of prices.MORE…

Fortune Brands (NYSE:FO) completed sale of Acushnet Company (Titleist and FootJoy brands) to a Korean group. For the record below is the text of the press release. Regardless of the pro forma comments nothing will change that is not the usual practice when buyouts go down. It will be interesting to see if Acushnet can maintain their number one position in the ball and shoe markets.

Acushnet Company announced that the transaction for its sale from Fortune Brands, Inc. to a consortium led by Fila Korea, Ltd. and Mirae Asset Private Equity, was completed today. The sale was announced on May 20.

Acushnet Company is one of the largest golf equipment companies in the world with annual sales of more than $1.2 billion in 2010. Its premium brands include Titleist, the #1 ball in golf and a leader in high performance golf clubs, and FootJoy, the #1 shoe, glove and performance outerwear brand in golf.

“The Fila Korea and Mirae Asset Private Equity group understands and appreciates our golf industry leadership, passionate associates, and enduring culture,” said Wally Uihlein, Chairman and CEO, Acushnet Company. “Together, with our new owners, our team is looking forward to strengthening and building upon the global success of the Titleist and FootJoy brands.”

Acushnet will remain as a standalone company through separate operation from Fila Korea, with its worldwide headquarters remaining in Fairhaven, Mass. The transfer in ownership will be seamless to consumers and customers, enabling Titleist and FootJoy to continue their momentum in the marketplace.

The new ownership group includes: Fila Korea, Ltd., the owner of the Fila brand globally; Mirae Asset Private Equity, the largest private equity firm in Korea; and the National Pension Service of Korea, the fourth largest pension fund in the world. The Korea Development Bank, Korea’s largest government-owned bank, is also providing financing for the acquisition.

“We are excited and proud to be part of the storied history of successful growth and evolution of Titleist and FootJoy – two revered and world-class brands,” said Gene Yoon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Fila Korea, Ltd. “We are impressed by the decades of accomplishments achieved by the management team at Acushnet, and fully support its continued focus on the core golf expertise at which they excel. We look forward to growing the brands around the globe, especially with the opportunities in the emerging markets in Asia.”

The saga of Tiger Woods’ fall from grace has all the trappings of tabloid fiction. But a two-author team was able to overcome the challenge inherent in writing a fictionalized account of Woods’ image suicide without resorting to sensationalism.

Michael Bamberger and Alan Shipnuck are certainly known to golf fans. Both are with Sports Illustrated and both have written exceptionally well about the game. Bamberger’s first golf book was “The Green Road Home,” a 1986 accounting of caddying on the PGA Tour and he’s gotten better since. Shipnuck’s best can be read in “The Battle for Augusta National” and “Bud, Sweat & Tees.”

That is until now with publication of THE SWINGER.

The hard part of writing a novel about such a high profile event was not the changing the names of the main characters nor tweaking circumstances without loosing relevancy; it was doing so without going overboard.

The main character in THE SWINGER is Tree Tremont, a clever play on Woods’ name and Tremont doesn’t live in splendid isolation in suburban Orlando but in St. Petersburg. His wife is Italian not Norwegian as Woods’ ex-spouse is and so on.

The authors also achieved the difficult middle ground between exposé and worshipping-fan apology slash excuse by resorting to the old standby of humor. THE SWINGER at times evokes a smile and sometimes outright laughs reflecting both the authors’ innate empathy for someone who really messed up and the hope he will recover his former greatness.

THE SWINGER
By Michael Bamberger and Alan Shipnuck
Simon & Schuster/Sports Illustrated
254 pages
$25.00

Those who fly a lot with golf clubs know that Club Glove Last Bag is makes the best golf club travel bag period. It’s designed correctly, durable and easy to wheel through airports or any where else.

Jeff Herold, founder of West Coast Trends makers of the Last Bag, applies high standards to each product sold by his company with the most recent example being the TRS Ballistic luggage. It is not inexpensive but it is for the traveler who needs the easiest to pack and toughest bags engineered to place their center of gravity so less effort is needed to pull them. MORE…

Callaway Golf (NYSE:ELY) has a new President and Chief Executive Officer. Anthony Thornley took over after George Fellows resigned “for personal reasons” but there is little doubt he was asked to depart.
Fellows, who previously was the top executive at Revlon, Inc. was cross country commuting to Carlsbad, Calif. headquarters and cited the long distance and spending more time with his family effecting his decision to leave. Thornley at age 65, on the Callaway board of directors for seven years, comes to the CEO position with a background in technology; specifically he was President of Qualcomm Inc.

On Fellows watch Callaway, the once industry-dominant club manufacturer, seemed to lose its way, eventually falling well behind principle rival TaylorMade Golf Company in clubs and never able to mount an effective challenge to Acushnet Company in golf balls. MORE…

Here are some of the more significant recent product introductions to the world of golf equipment.

Adams Golf – Adams says light weight drivers with heavy swing weights typically make it more difficult for average players to get a full release producing weak shots to the right. The new Speedline 9088 UL is light weight (just 290 grams) but has a D0 swing weight and the balance to hit straight drives with less dispersion.

“Our extensive testing showed that many lighter weight drivers on the market ended up with very high swing weights, which most players tended to hit to the right,” said Scott Burnett, Director of Advance Product Development. “We solved that problem by balancing the weight throughout the entire club, creating lighter inertia around the grip, allowing players to hit the ball straighter. The result is they don’t have to put as much effort into actually releasing the club.”

The Speedline 9088 UL standard driver will be available August 1 and a draw model September 15. SRP for both is $399.99.

Fourteen Golf – Fourteen built its reputation with their line of forged wedges has added a new titanium driver to its list of products, the DT-111, specifically engineered for very high club head speeds. COO Marcy Kamoda, “This driver is unique as it has been entirely designed for a specific player so they incorporated features that result in unsurpassed distance. We’re excited about adding this category to our equipment line-up.”

The four piece 450 cc head has a variable face thickness, a hybrid 2-layer crown and the rear of the head raised to act as a visual setup aid. Price not available.

TaylorMade Golf – Three years ago the large amount of attention paid to the unusual shape of the Monza Spider putter was a precursor to results touring pros achieved. Last year TMaG followed up with the white headed Corza Ghost and now have combined the two ideas in the Ghost Spider putter – the size and high MOI of the Monza Spider with the white head of the Corza Ghost.

Monza Spiders are available in single-bend or center-shafted configurations and stock lengths of 33″, 34″ and 35″ in either left- or right-handed models. Street price is $179.

Titleist – The AT&T National tournament this week provided the first look at the new Titleist 712 series – MB, CB, AP1 and AP2 irons – which will replace the present 710 series early next year. Minor design improvements have been made to each line. Pricing is expected to be about the same as the current series.

Ping Golf – Ping goes “Back to the Future” with another resuscitation of the Anser name. The six new putters all are traditional Anser-style blades with color bands on the shaft to distinguish the head weighting. Changes in weighting are meant to aid the three principle putting strokes from a slight arc to strong arc to a straight stroke. These designations match those in the stroke analyzing iPhone app Ping announced last month. Retail prices for the new Anser are not yet available.

Sun Mountain – The four wheel walking cart Micro-Cart folds to just 52 cubic inches and weighs only 13 lbs. making it great for lifting in and out of a car trunk. The four wheels make it very stable on the course and it comes fully assembled with hassle-free handle height adjustment. Micro-Cart is available now at a suggested retail price of $219.