For My Next Trick, I'll Need a Volunteer

Trick shot backwards and between the legs helps Bruce Devlin win at the Byron Nelson.

May 12, 2022

The PGA TOUR event this week is in McKinney, TX for the AT&T Byron Nelson at the TPC Craig Ranch. The roots of this tournament stretch back to 1944 when Byron Nelson won the Texas Victory Open. We’re going to backspin to 1969 which was won by Bruce Devlin. Bruce, along with Mike Gonzalez, hosts the excellent podcast Fore The Good of the Game. Their mission is to interview every living World Golf Hall of Fame member and I recommend this podcast highly. Both Bruce and Mike are fans of Tour Backspin and Bruce spoke with us about his memories that week at the Byron Nelson.

We’ve got some great stuff on tap for the next major on the calendar. Be sure to check out our PGA Championship edition next week with some premium content added. We’ll talk to two former champions of the event.

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Devlin Hits Trick Shot To Help Win the Byron Nelson Golf Classic

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It’s Sunday, April 27th, 1969, and Bruce Devlin is surveying his situation on the 16th hole at Preston Trails Golf Club in the final round of the Byron Nelson Golf Classic. It was not a pretty sight; his drive ended up against a tree and there was no way to take a conventional stance or swing at it. After some thought, Devlin decided to straddle the ball (legal at the time) and hit it back through his legs to advance the ball back into the fairway. How’d the shot work out for the man they call “The Devil”? Let’s backspin to see.

The weather for the Byron Nelson Golf Classic in 1969 was terrible. Temperatures were cold, rain pelted the course and 30 mile per hour winds in the second round made it difficult to maintain balance while making a shot. Devlin remembered that is was “nasty, cold and windy”.

In the first round, Bert Greene made what Associated Press sportswriter Bob Green described as a “fantastic birdie on the final hole” to post a four-under-par 66 and a one-stroke lead over Chris Blocker, Julius Boros and Bob Menne. Frank Beard was four strokes behind Greene and Bruce Devlin was another shot back at 71.

In the second round, Greene tapped in a two-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole and ended a scrambling round that resulted in a 71. Despite hitting into the water on two occasions, he shared the lead with the hard charging Devlin and Beard. Devlin shot a 66 with birdies at the second, third, seventh, eighth, 10th and 15th holes offset by bogeys at the 11th and 18th holes. Beard shot a 67, thanks to a good putting day. The three players held a two-stroke lead over a group of players that included Lee Trevino, Bruce Crampton, Julius Boros, and Bob Charles.

A drizzly, cold rain fell on Saturday, and Lee Trevino put on a charge that started on the 13th hole where he used his putter from off the green to sink a 35-foot birdie. He stuffed his approaches to the 15th and 16th holes, making the short birdie putts. He posted a score of 67 and took over a share of the lead with Bob Charles who also shot a 67 thanks to a birdie-birdie finish.

Frank Beard, Bruce Devlin, and Bruce Crampton were one-stroke back. Bert Greene, succumbing to the pressure of trying to win his first PGA TOUR title, slipped back with a 73 and was four strokes off the lead.

Morning rain delayed the start of Sunday’s final round, but it soon gave way to bright sunshine. It was quite the battle as Devlin took over the lead with a birdie on the third hole. Despite bogeying the fifth hole, he retained his lead. As the back nine unfolded, Charles, Crampton and Beard tried to catch Devlin. Beard missed a putt of just under three feet on the 15th for a birdie that would have put him in a tie for the lead.

As depicted in this week’s opening, Devlin hit his tee shot on the 16th hole up against a tree. Devlin, speaking with Tour Backspin, related that he felt anxious as he approached his ball and saw it up against the tree. “How am I going to hit that?” he said he wondered. He surveyed the lie and his options.

“I couldn’t hit it left-handed,” he told me, “because there was a nasty root about 4-inches behind the ball.”

He asked Jack Tuthill, the tour rules official with his group, if he could hit the ball between his legs. Tuthill informed him he could hit the ball any way he could.

Devlin set up to hit his recovery shot with his back towards his target and then struck the ball between his legs. He advanced the ball about 40-yards and hit his approach shot onto the green, about six-feet from the hole. He was unable to make the par-saving putt, though.

Crampton, playing in the group in front of Devlin, hit his drive on the 18th hole near a tree and his second shot was short of the green. He pitched his third shot to about 15-feet and Devlin nervously smoked a cigarette back in the fairway as he watched his fellow Australian miss the tricky putt to finish with a bogey. Devlin retained his 1-stroke lead over Crampton.

Devlin’s approach shot was also short of the green, but he managed to chip up to seven feet and then watched intently as Beard attempted his 45-foot putt that could tie him. Beard’s putt came up short and then Devlin made his pressure-packed putt to secure the victory.

Devlin related how proud he was to make that up-and-down on the final hole under the pressure that he’d felt.

It was his first win in three years with his last win coming in the Colonial Invitational in 1966.

Bruce Devlin hits a wedge between his legs in the final round of the 1969 Byron Nelson Golf Classic (photo credit: AP Wirephoto)

Check out the bonus story below about Arnold Palmer needed to qualify for the 1969 U.S. Open after falling out of the top 15 money-winners at the Byron Nelson.

This week’s playlist lets it shine in ‘69. Listen HERE .

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Tour Backspin Quiz | 1969 PGA Tour Trivia

Who was the leading money winner in 1969 on the PGA TOUR?

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Bonus Story

Arnold Palmer had more to play for in the 1969 Byron Nelson than just the title. He held a $5,133.51 lead over Frank Beard to hold the 15th place on the money-winning list as the TOUR came into Dallas. He needed to be within the top 15 (dated from the prior year’s Houston Open) to secure a spot in the upcoming U.S. Open. Otherwise, he would be forced to go through sectional qualifying.

Palmer opened well with a first-round 69, but then slipped down the leader board with a 75 in the second round. He was six strokes behind Frank Beard. He rallied with a 69 in the third round but still trailed Beard by six strokes.

Palmer fought a cold putter in the fourth round but still managed to shoot a final round 69. It was not enough as Beard finished with 71 securing a tie for second place and winning $9,250. Palmer’s winnings of $2,825 left him just shy of $1,300 of the 15th spot on the money-list.

“I guess I will try to qualify for the Open,” Palmer said after his round. “I really don’t know yet.”

Jack Nicklaus was aghast that the USGA was unwilling to give a special exemption to Palmer.

“I just can’t believe they’ll make him qualify,” Nicklaus said to reporters. “It’s ridiculous.”

Palmer did choose to play in the sectional, at Youghiogheny Country Club in Allegheny County, PA near Pittsburgh where 4,500 members of “Arnie’s Army” came out to watch him play. He shot rounds of 70 and 68 to lead the sectional and was off to Houston where the Open was played at the Cypress Creek Course of Champions Golf Club.

In the Open, Palmer finished at +4, 284, which was good for a tie for 6th.