Acosta Wins '76 Mexican Open
Ernesto Pérez Acosta captures his country's national title
VidantaWorld, a resort in Vallarta, Mexico, is hosting the PGA TOUR for the VidantaWorld Mexico Open on the Greg Norman designed course at the Vidanta Vallarta Course. We’re going to focus our journey through the past to the 1976 Mexican Open won by Ernesto Pérez Acosta. This was his second Mexican Open title, and he was the first Mexican to win the title and still remains the only Mexican golfer to win the tournament two times. We caught up with Ernesto and spoke about that week in 1976, and his phenominal year he had that year where he won six times including the individual title at the World Cup.
Be sure to check out the Bonus Story as Ernesto tells us about playing with Jack Nicklaus in the first round of the 1977 World Series of Golf. Scroll down to learn more about Ernesto.
Jake Knapp is looking to defend his title from last year and in the process become the first player to successfully defend a Mexico (or Mexican) Open since 1962. That would be Tony Lema who won the Mexican Open in 1961 and 1962.
PAST TOUR BACKSPIN ARTICLES ON THE MEXICAN OPEN
Lee Trevino adds another national championship, one he truly desired, in 1973.
Ben Crenshaw holds off Ray Floyd to capture the 1981 Mexican Open.
Enjoy the golf this week from Mexico.
The PGA TOUR returned to Torrey Pines for The Genesis, originally scheduled for Riviera Country Club. Torrey Pines stepped in to host the tournament since the wildfires in L.A. made holding the tournament at Riviera untenable. The course was much different than it was for The Farmers Insurance Open just four weeks ago when it was hard and firm. This past week, it was a lush green and played soft and slow. Green speeds were kept down due to the high winds and lousy weather of the first round. We’ve got some of the action in the Clips You Might Have Missed. I also give my take on the tournament in the PGA TOUR Wrap-Up.
Are you a stickler for what constitutes an “official” hole-in-one? Let us know in this week’s The Tour Backspin Poll. We’re taking you back to your youth with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers performing “American Girl” live in 1976 in this week’s Music Clip and the theatrical trailer for the 1976 film, “All The President’s Men” starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman in the Tour Backspin Goes To The Movies.
We’ve got some video of Ernesto Pérez Acosta’s putting in the 1977 Mexican Open in this week’s Swing Like a Pro. The Vintage Ad has a 1976 ad for PING and the people who made the clubs. Scroll down to view.
The latest episode of The Tour Backspin Show has dropped. Host Larry Baush (me!) talks with Bruce Devlin and Mike Gonzalez about their podcast Fore The Good Of The Game. It’s a video podcast and is available on Substack and YouTube. Please subscribe to The Tour Backspin Show on YouTube and help us reach the threshold of subscribers needed to qualify for revenue.
The Tour Backspin Poll
We had our second unanimous response to a poll question for the year when 100% of respondents thought that we need to keep Monday qualifying around on the PGA tour because of the Cinderella stories that it produces. Is the PGA TOUR listening? We hope so.
Tommy Fleetwood made an ace at the 312-yard, par 4, TGL hole named “Bluebonnet” during a warm-up session before his team, Los Angeles Golf Club took on the Atlanta Drive Golf Club. When the actual match got underway, he almost did it again. Both shots hit a rock outcropping before bouncing up on the green. Would you count the ace in the warm-up, or any ace made on simulator for that matter, as an official hole-in-one on your list (you do have a hole-in-one list, right? Right?) Let us know in this week’s Tour Backspin Poll.
We’re playing Mexican Open trivia in this week’s Tour Backspin Quiz. Scroll down to take the challenge.
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Okay, we're on the tee, let's get going.
Enjoy!
Larry Baush
Ernesto Pérez Acosta Captures Mexican Open During Fantastic 1976 Season
It is late in the day on Sunday, November 16th, 1975 and a large raucous crowd surrounds the 18th green at Club de Golf La Hacienda. Lee Trevino had just finished his round with a total of 275 and the only player remaining that could tie Trevino was one of Mexico’s golfing heroes, Ernesto Pérez Acosta. Pérez Acosta faced a birdie putt that would put him into a playoff with Trevino. He was also trying to win his fourth tournament in a row.
Pérez Acosta stroked his putt and it hit the hole, but it then lipped out giving Trevino the victory. The crowd moaned when the putt lipped out—hell, even Trevino moaned knowing how popular Pérez Acosta was how the crowd wanted to see a homegrown winner.
Pérez Acosta won the 1970 Mexican Open and after coming so close in 1975, he set his sights on the 1976 Mexican Open, and becoming the first Mexican golfer to win the tournament twice. The tournament was returning to Club de Golf La Hacienda, a 7,184-yard, par 71 layout in Ciudad López Mateos, which is located just under 20 miles northwest of Mexico City. The purse in 1976 was $50,000 with the winner receiving $12,000.
He arrived that week in December, 1976, riding a hot streak of tournament play having captured the Mexican Masters, Mexican Tournament of Champions, Mexican PGA Championship, and the Campestre de Coatzacoalcos Pro-Am. He was widely considered the cream of the Mexican professional golfers.
Lee Trevino was a late withdrawal due to re-injuring his back that was still not fully recovered from the lightning strike he took at the 1975 Western Open. He regretted informing tournament officials that he would be unable to defend his title.
Even so, there were many quality players from the United States entered into the tournament including John Schroeder, Dave Eichelberger, Keith Fergus, Larry Zeigler, Homero Blancas, Billy Maxwell, and John Jacobs. Canadian George Knudson was also in the field.
Pérez Acosta began his quest for a second Mexican Open title with a 66, the low round of the day that was matched by Lance Ten Broeck. Ten Broeck, who was listed by the Associated Press as “Tembroeck,” had been playing as a professional for just two months. Vic Sikes, Victor Regalado, also from Mexico, and Frank Conner all shot 68s, while Rocky Thompson, George Knudson, and Homero Blancas were at 69. John Schroeder opened up with a 70 and was tied with Artie McMidde, Larry Zeigler, and Dave Eichelberger.
In Friday’s second round, Pérez Acosta added a two-under 69 for a 36-hole total of 135 and held a one-shot lead over Knudson who had a second-round 67. Regalado sat another stroke back after shooting a 69 and John Schroeder was five shots off the lead after shooting a second straight 70. Lance Ten Broeck fell down the leaderboard after carding a 75.
Pérez Acosta had challengers making a run at him in the third round but was able to hold them off with a birdie at the final hole to record a 70 giving him a one-shot lead over his countryman Regalado. Regalado posted a 69 for a three round total of 206, seven-under-par. He was followed by Schroeder who blistered the course with a 67 and sat at 207. Schroeder only needed 29 putts for his round that included four birdies and one bogey. Knudson was still in the hunt after a third-round 72 that put him at 208.
The crowds at Club de Golf La Hacienda on Sunday were excited as they had two home country heroes at the top of the leaderboard. The players in the final group, Pérez Acosta, Regalado, and Schroeder, who grew up in San Diego, were all friends who had grown up playing each other in junior tournaments. Regalado had an erratic day with four birdies and three bogeys on his way to a 70, while Schroeder posted a final round 71 for a 208 total. Pérez Acosta put together a solid round of three-under 68 and a four round total of 273, for the victory over his fellow countryman Regalado.
Here’s how Pérez Acosta remembers playing that last hole as related to Tour Backspin in a recent phone call:
The last hole at La Hacienda Country Club is a par 5, it’s reachable but you have to really place your tee shot and you have out of bounds on the right, and then you have a pond to the left.
I laid up, and then I had about a 100-yard third shot and the pin is all the way back to the left. Right behind the green is a bunker. I went for the pin and I hit it just a little bit too hard and my ball bounced on the green and then it bounced into the trap.
So, I need to get up-and-down to win the tournament. I was very confident that I could do it, so I got it out to about 2 1/2 feet, and then I made the putt.
Pérez Acosta won $12,000 while Regalado won $6,000 for his second-place finish and John Schroeder, who had a final round of 73 and a total of 280, took home $4,000.
The crowd around the final green and at the trophy ceremony were understandably enthusiastic and overjoyed that a Mexican had won their national title. Here’s how Pérez Acosta described it:
They really exploded there at the last hole when I got up-and-down, they were excited. I was the hot shot hero, you know?
Pérez Acosta’s year was already very successful as the Mexican Open was his sixth win of the year. He kept it going two weeks later winning his seventh event in a row when he captured the individual title at the World Cup played at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, CA. He shot a four round total of six-under-par 282 and won by three strokes over Brian Barnes of England, and Manuel Piñero of Spain. He won $1,000 in Rancho Mirage, as did both Seve Ballesteros and Manuel Piñero, of Spain, the winners of the team portion of the event.
Coming Next Week: Nicklaus tries to run down Miller at 1983 Honda-Inverrary Classic.
BONUS STORY
One of the perks for winning the 1976 International Trophy, the individual award at the World Cup, was an invitation to the 1977 World Series of Golf. Although Ernesto Pérez Acosta only won a $1,000 first-place check at the World Cup, getting into the World Series of Golf proved to be worth much more. First place in the World Series of Golf paid $100,000 while the last place finisher would win $5,000—five times what Pérez Acosta won at Mission Hills in the World Cup.
Pérez Acosta shared his memories of that week at Firestone during our phone conversation.
I got to play with Jack Nicklaus the first round. It was the greatest experience. He was very, very nice, he was a gentleman. He didn’t make me feel like I was nervous. He said, “No, let’s just take it easy.”
We went to the range to hit balls and they had some stands there, there must have been about 5,000 people there just waiting for Jack to hit balls, to practice. So that was a weird experience.
We start on the first hole, a straight forward par 4, a slight dogleg to the right. We both hit our drives down the middle, and then we both hit the green. I putted first for my birdie and I left myself like, a two-footer, and I was in Jack’s line so I have to mark the ball.
Jack putts and he goes by the hole, like a foot, behind the hole. He finished the putt, and just as soon as he finished, I mean, those people were running, ran like a herd of horses, you know, to the second tee. Imagine five to ten thousand people running at the same time.
Then Jack, he says, “Wait, wait!” and waves his hands and the people stopped. Finally, the people stopped and I finished my putt. We’re walking to the next tee and he turned to me.
“Ernesto, next time,” he says, "I’ll mark and you finish because they will not move until I finish.”
He knew that I was a rookie and he was a real gentleman. That first day, Jack shot 69 and I shot 71.
While Pérez Acosta did not win, he also did not finish last at the World Series of Golf played at Firestone Country Club. His next to last finish earned him $5,200. After finishing his round, he joined many of the players who were in the elite 20-man field in the locker room where they watched television coverage of the finish as they enjoyed post-round beverages and exchanged barbs with each other.
Pérez Acosta made the rounds asking each player to autograph his white visor. I asked him if he still had the visor.
(Laughter) No, I remember the visor, but I don’t know . . . I’ve moved so many times, I don’t know where it ended up.
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WHAT HOLE IS IT?
Congratulations to Doug Posten, our 2024 champion, for winning the WHAT HOLE IS IT? contest last week by correctly identifying #9 at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, CA. Doug beat out five other correct answers in the drawing and we’ve got a gift discount code to The Tour Backspin Golf Shop coming his way. We are sending discount codes to the winners of WHAT HOLE IS IT? in 2025 so that they can choose their prize from the offerings in The Tour Backspin Golf Shop, including the Tour Backspin 19th Hole Hot Sauce. Multiple winners can combine their discount codes to use on a single order, and the codes never expire. When the code is redeemed, the prize will be sent with free shipping, so getting your prize will not cost you anything. Check out The Tour Backspin Golf Shop HERE.
Congratulations to Doug Posten, our 2024 WHAT HOLE IS IT? champion! Doug’s name will be engraved on the Herbert C. Leeds Trophy, the perpetual trophy for WHAT HOLE IS IT? We’ll send it to him for a visit and post a champion’s picture of him with the trophy.
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We told you about getting our hands on a treasure trove of film that we are cleaning up and digitizing for the Tony Lema documentary. Some great footage of Tony in action and even home movies. Below is home movie footage of Tony. (clicking on link will open this post on the web, scroll down to video player).
Click on image to open video player on the web.
You can now support the induction of Tony Lema into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Sign the online petition HERE.
Clips You Might Have Missed
Ace alert!
Another ace alert! Does this one count? let us know in The Tour Backspin Poll above.
Fleetwood almost does it again in regulation play.
Gettin’ it up-and-down with Tony Finau.
Ka-Dunk!
Tiger talks about his Mom in the CBS booth at the Genesis.
Bryson being Bryson.
Think you got what it takes to make it as professional golfer. Bring bags of money.
Who’s a good boy?
How’s that Playing Through concept working NBC?
In my mind, I hear Bruce Springsteen singing “Johnny 99” playing in the background.
PGA TOUR Wrap-Up | The Genesis Invitational
Sometimes, the golf gods pay you back. A month ago, Ludvig Åberg was the 36-hole leader in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. He then suffered through the night with a stomach infection before trying to play the third round. He threw up throughout the day, and most of the next, before finishing with a final round 79 and a T-42 finish.
On Sunday, the golf gods paid off, though it took until the back nine before Åberg could cash-in. After missing three straight short putts that resulted in three straight fives on the 4th, 5th, and 6th holes, he had fallen four shots off the leaders. He then birdied the 7th and 9th holes and he was on his way.
He followed up with birdies at the 13th, 14th, and 15th and almost birdied the 17th. Maverick McNealy played a nearly flawless first 13 holes before a bogey at the 14th and then finished with four straight pars to post an eight-under 64 to post a 277 for the lead in the clubhouse.
Åberg flushed a 7-wood to the back of the final green leaving himself a very tricky two-putt for the win. He lagged his first putt to within five feet of the hole and then made the clutch putt for the winning birdie.
“This Sunday is a little bit more fun than the one we had at the Farmers,” Åberg said to his caddie Joel Skovron as they walked down the final fairway.
It’s alway more fun when you are getting paid back by the golf gods.
Here are the highlights of the final round:
Tour Backspin Quiz | Mexican Open Trivia
How many Mexicans have won the Mexican Open?
Scroll down for answer
Swing Like a Pro
Ernesto Pérez Acosta putting at the 1977 Mexican Open.
Blind Shot
Click for something fun. 👀
Tour Backspin Music Clip
“American Girl”, live in 1976.
Tour Backspin Quiz Answer:
There have been six Mexican players who have won the Mexican Open. Ernesto Pérez Acosta was the first Mexican to win the title when he won in 1970. He won again in 1976 as detailed in this week’s feature story. The other five Mexican winners were Esteban Toledo in 2000, Pablo Fernández in 2002, Antonio Maldonado in 2005, Sebastián Vázquez in 2016, and Álvaro Ortiz in 2021.
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Vintage Ad
Final Thoughts
I’m so grateful that Ernesto Pérez Acosta took the time to talk with us about his memories from 1976. He is such a cool guy, and many thanks to his son, Ernesto Pérez Acosta, Jr., a pro at Brentwood Country Club, for helping us make contact with his father.
Our Tour Backspin Goes To The Movies trailer features Jason Robarts for the second week in a row. Such a great actor.
Ernesto Pérez Acosta is doing his best Champagne Tony Lema impression in that photo at the top, isn’t he?
It took a while for Tiger to get over his confusion after the 99-yard shot in the TGL match.
After seeing what the middle of the country is going through, I’m feeling some regret over my bellyaching concerning not being able to get out on the golf course due to inclement weather. Stay safe in if you are in the path of the polar vortex. Hopefully, spring is just around the corner.
Ernesto Acosta Perez is a successful professional like his son, Ernesto Perez Acosta at Brentwood Country Club who makes the golf program so successful!