A Hot Putter Is The Prescription For Overcoming Nerves

Jim Simons has a hot hand with the putter to overcome the pressure of playing against Jack Nicklaus, the defending champion, in the tournament Nicklaus founded.

Jun 02, 2022

The PGA TOUR returns to Muirfield Village for Jack Nicklaus’ tournament, The Memorial Tournament. This tournament dates back to 1976 and features the honoring of past golfers and a plaque for each honoree is installed near the clubhouse. Nicklaus was honored himself in 2000. We’re going to backspin to 1978 when Nicklaus was the defending champion.

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“You’re Bound To Be Scared With The Lead”

Jim Simons in action in the final round at the 1978 Memorial Golf Tournament (Photo: Sports Illustrated)

It’s May 21st, 1978, late in the fourth round of the Memorial Golf Tournament in Dublin, OH. Jim Simons, the third-round leader was playing with Jack Nicklaus, the designer of the course used for the tournament, Muirfield Village Golf Club. He was also the founder of the tournament, the defending champion, Simon’s idol, and oh yeah, the best golfer of not only his time, but maybe of all time.

The two players were playing the 17th hole and Nicklaus was attempting to run down the leader, Simons, with a late challenge. Nicklaus was mounting this charge despite a triple bogey on the 4th hole, the result of flubbing two pitch shots.

Nicklaus fought back from this disastrous hole and was now breathing down the neck of Simons. It was extremely intimidating to the already nervous Simons as Nicklaus looked as if he was going to catch and overtake his younger competitor and win his own tournament.

What happened in this tense moment in the tournament? How did Simons handle the pressure? How did Nicklaus play that 17th hole? Let’s backspin to find out.

A few weeks before the Memorial Golf Tournament, a survey of the PGA TOUR players was conducted, and it found that Jim Simons was one of the slowest players around. He decided that he would do something about it. At the Memorial, he started employing some tricks to speed up his play; after hitting his tee shot, he would duck under the spectator ropes and start walking (or jogging) down the hole while his playing partners teed off and; he made a point of reading and lining up his putt well before it was his turn to play.

His fellow players, rather than objecting to the breach of etiquette, were grateful for Simon’s effort to speed up his play.

“Nobody’s complaining about my etiquette,” Simons said. “They like it. I guess I was even slower than I knew I was.”

An additional benefit to his new pace of play strategy was that Simons was playing splendid golf on a very tough course. As Dan Jenkins summed up in his article in the May 29th, 1978, issue of Sports Illustrated, “Jim Simons furnished proof that speed is the answer to more things than a hippie’s well-being.”

Simons opened with a round of 68 on the waterlogged Muirfield Village course. More than two weeks of nearly steady rain had softened the course to the point that lift, clean and place rules were in effect. Simons first-round 68 placed him one stroke behind the leaders, host Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. Bill Kratzert shot a 72.

Friday’s second-round featured warm sunshine, but the round was still played under the lift, clean and place rule. Simons birdied the final hole and posted a score of 69, 3-under-par, and took over the lead. Simons rolled in a 40-foot putt for his birdie on 18 after three-putting both the 16th and 17th holes for bogeys. Nicklaus skied to a big fat 76 with three bogeys and double bogey, offset by two birdies, and now sat six shots off the lead.

Gary Player had a fine round going before spoiling it on the last hole with a double bogey.

“It leaves a sour taste in your mouth when you play a super round of golf, don’t hole any putts, then end with a double bogey,” Player explained after his round.

Player was tied for second, four strokes off the lead. Also tied for second were Andy Bean, Ed Sneed, and Bobby Watkins. Bill Kratzert added a 70 to his first-round 72 and sat five shots off the lead.

Laconic Bill Kratzert, regarded by his fellow pros as one of the most promising young players on tour, holed a sand shot at the par-5 15th hole for an eagle three on his way to a third-round 69 for a total of 211.

Simons again birdied the 18th hole, this time sinking a hard, fast 10-foot birdie putt, to post a 73 for a total of 210 and remained in the lead. But he certainly wasn’t feeling over-confident.

“You’re bound to be scared with the lead,” Simons admitted to reporters after his round. “I’m going to try and be in control all the way. I want to be as relaxed as I can, but I know that’s not feasible.” Simons was seeking his second win on tour in his seven-year career.

Nicklaus added a 71 keeping his hopes of defending his title, at his tournament, alive. He was just four shots back of Simons and would be playing with the 28-year-old in the final round on Sunday.

“You just can’t tell,” Nicklaus said after his round. “I could shoot 71 and win, or I could shoot 66 and not win.”

Rod Curl put together the best round of the day, a 68, and felt pumped going into the final round. Curl would be the third player in the group that included Simons and Nicklaus.

“I feel like I could shoot a 65,” he said.

Gary Player shot a 75 and was tied with Nicklaus, four-strokes off the pace set by Simons.

Sunday’s final round playing conditions were difficult. There were only two players within the top five finishers who shot better than a 74. Nicklaus experienced his triple bogey at the fourth hole but fought back valiantly. Kratzert finished his round before the leaders in the final group. He shot a 74 and then, wearing his trademark sunglasses, watched the action from near the scoring tent.

Nicklaus’s challenge fizzled out on the 17th hole. He hit a poor drive, a poor bunker shot, a poor pitch shot and then a poor chip shot. Simons also hit a poor drive but salvaged a par sinking a 12-foot putt. Simons short game was on fire. He had nine 1-putt greens in the final round with five of those coming on the last seven holes. He had 56 putts in the last two rounds. But the biggest putt he would face would be his next one on the final hole.

After a poor drive, he followed with a poor bunker shot and a mediocre pitch shot that left him with a treacherous 20-foot downhill putt. He felt he had a couple of advantages, though.

“I played a practice round with Tom Kite,” Simons related. “He told me Nicklaus said the putt from above the hole is straight. It appears to break left. That’s an optical illusion.

“Rod Curl had about the same putt ahead of me. He played it out to the right. I played mine straight at the hole.”

His putt ran down the hill, never deviating from its straight line and dropped into the hole as Simons punched the sky with a clenched fist. Kratzert showed no emotion as the ball dropped and later said to reporters, “It was a helluva putt for all the marbles.”

Gary Player shot a final round 74 and tied with Nicklaus and Ed Sneed at 288, four strokes behind Simons. Fuzzy Zoeller fired a 70, tied for the best round of the day, to sneak into a solo third-place finish.

The nervous Simons was able to manage his nerves while playing with his idol, in front of his idol’s hometown fans and take advantage of a very hot hand when it came to his short game to capture the victory and the $50,000 check.

Jim Simons acknowleges the crowd after sinking winning birdie putt on the 18th hole at the 1978 Memorial Golf Tournament (photo: AP Wirephoto)

Close friends Deane Beaman and Jack Nicklaus had a disagreement concerning the Memorial Golf Tournament in 1978. Read about it in this week’s Bonus Story.

This week’s playlist is full of the hits from 1978. Listen HERE .

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Bonus Story

PGA TOUR Commissioner Deane Beaman caused quite the controversy with a suggestion he made concerning Jack Nicklaus playing in the tournament he founded at Muirfield Village. Beaman felt that the tournament should be able to stand on its own without the super star image of Nicklaus.

At the time there was quite a bit of discussion about a “fifth major” in professional golf. Nicklaus built, and groomed, Muirfield Village to be a major championship venue in the same vein as Augusta National, home of the Masters.

Beaman, on the other hand, was hopeful that the Players Division Championship (later to become The Players Championship) would become the fifth major championship. This may have had something to do with his suggestion that Nicklaus not play in the Memorial Golf Tournament. The suggestion was met with much derision by Nicklaus’ fellow touring pros.

“It’s none of Deane Beaman’s business whether or not Jack Nicklaus plays in this tournament,” declared Roger Maltbie, the winner of the first Memorial played in 1976. “He has no right to express an opinion on Nicklaus’ participation. I feel strongly that he is overstepping his authority in even suggesting that Jack not play.

“It’s not within his authority to say who can play and to suggest that the best golfer in the world not play makes no sense.”

Ouch. Get back in line, Mr. Commissioner.

Many of the other pros agreed with Maltbie. Jerry Magee called the suggestion “asinine”.