Jack Rule Guts Out Victory After Kidney Stone Attack
Wins his first PGA TOUR title while being "doped up" in final round
How about that Open Championship? Congratulations to Cam Smith for capturing the Claret Jug with a fantastic back nine at the Old Course. What are your thoughts on how the Old Course played and the low scoring? Let us know at larry@tourbackspin.com. I found it very entertaining.
This week the PGA TOUR is in Blaine, MN at the TPC Twin Cities course for the 3M Open. This tournament was first played in 2019, but the DNA of the tour in the Twin Cities dates back to 1930 when Harry Cooper won the St. Paul Open. The St. Paul Open was played until 1965 before morphing into the Minnesota Golf Classic that lasted until 1969. We’re backspinning to 1963 when Jack Rule set the single round and 54-hole scoring records. Just writing about his fourth round, though, made me squirm a little. Check out his gutsy performance below.
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Not Even a Kidney Stone Slows Down Jack Rule, Jr.
Jack Rule, Jr. (photo: AP Wirephoto)
It is Saturday evening, August 3rd, 1963, and Jack Rule, Jr. is eating dinner with his wife, Loretta, in a restaurant in St. Paul, MN. He was relaxing after shooting a 65 in the third round of the St. Paul Open at the Keller Golf Course. He led the tournament by seven strokes over Fred Hawkens. Suddenly, he was stricken with pain, a pain so severe that he was taken to the hospital.
What’s going on? Did Rule have to withdraw from the tournament while holding a seven-stroke lead? Let’s backspin to find out.
The weather was perfect golf weather on Thursday, August 1st as players teed off in the first round of the St. Paul Open at Keller Golf Course. The players took advantage of the conditions, and the less than demanding golf course, to go low with their scores. Jim Ferree, a journeyman pro who last won at the 1958 Vancouver Open, shot a 64 to hold a one-shot lead over Don Fairfield, the winner of the 1960 St. Paul Open.
Jerry Barber, who had two runner-up finishes in the St. Paul Open, was two-strokes back after shooting a 66. Doug Sanders, the defending champion, was another stroke back at 67, tied with Jerry Pittman and Jack Rule, Jr.
The weather continued to be perfect on Friday for the second round and the players continued to assault Keller, except for Jim Ferree who lost his putting stroke and shot a full 10 shots higher than his opening round. Jack Rule, Jr. took advantage of the perfect conditions and shot an 11-under 61 to take a four-stroke lead over Pittman.
“I got to the point where I was playing it too safe,” he said. “I was afraid to try anything and wasn’t getting anywhere. So, I started to play offensive golf.”
Rule, looking for his first PGA TOUR victory in his second year of being on the circuit, had 11 birdies and seven pars and hit all 18 greens in regulation. His 61 broke the one-round tournament record by a stroke.
Rule explained to reporters that he was taking a more aggressive approach to his golf game.
“I got to the point where I was playing it too safe,” he said. “I was afraid to try anything and wasn’t getting anywhere. So, I started to play offensive golf.”
Fairfield added a 69 to his first round 65 and sat at 134, seven-strokes off Rule’s lead. Fred Hawkins was another stroke back, with Jerry Barber and Charles Sifford another stroke back.
Rule planned on spending a quiet evening out with his wife Loretta.
The perfect weather in St. Paul continued as the third round got underway on Saturday. Rule continued his aggressive play to assault the trouble-free Keller course. He added a seven-under-par 65 and opened a seven-stroke lead over Hawkins who also shot a 65. Rule’s 193 total for three rounds broke, by six strokes, the lowest 54-hole total for the year on the tour and his seven-stroke lead was the widest margin for any player at that stage of the tournament in 1963.
Rule planned on spending a quiet evening out with his wife Loretta. The two went out for dinner where, as depicted in this week’s opening, Rule was struck with intense pain that required a visit to the hospital. There he was diagnosed with a kidney stone and admitted to the hospital for the night. He was given pain killers and spent an uncomfortable night getting just two hours of sleep.
“I felt very weak,” Rule said. “Even as far as 17, I still felt I might not finish.”
In the morning, Rule checked out of the hospital chock full of pain killing drugs and made his way to Keller for the final round. During the round, the pain killers wore off and he finished with a splitting headache. A doctor tagged along as Rule played the final 18 holes. The doctor was equipped with a folding camp chair that Rule used often to rest between shots.
Despite his pain, Rule was able to gut out a round of 73, one-over-par, that was good enough to secure the title by five-strokes over Hawkins.
“I just played by memory, I guess,” said a weary Rule after his round. He also complained that he had “no feel” in his hands at the start of his round.
“I felt very weak,” Rule said. “Even as far as 17, I still felt I might not finish.”
Hawkins shot a 71 in the final round, good for second place, while Dave Hill and Bruce Crampton finished tied for third, seven-strokes off Rule’s winning score of 266. George Bayer shot a 64 in the final round that vaulted him up into fifth place.
Rule was immediately flown to his hometown of Waterloo, IA, where he was met by a Dr. Acker who took him to his office for treatment of the kidney stone. There, he passed the stone which was described by Rule’s father as being “about the size of a kernel of wheat.” Rule was then taken to a Waterloo hospital for further tests.
Rule’s father told local reporters that his son was so doped up for the final round he didn’t know he was playing golf.
“It took a lot of nerve to play,” the elder Rule said.
Looking for his first PGA TOUR title, Jack Rule, Jr. was not going to let a kidney stone stand in his way. He gutted it out in the final round to capture his first PGA title and he set a couple of scoring records in the process.
Loretta Rule (l) and Jack Rule, Jr. (r) with the winner’s check at the 1963 St. Paul Open. Rule is smiling despite being in pain from a kidney stone attack (photo: AP Wirephoto)
Jack Rule, Jr. had quite the amateur career even besting Nicklaus at a couple of major tournaments. Read our Bonus Story for more.
One of our favorite playlists is featured this week. Songs of 1963 includes surf, soul and rock. Listen HERE.
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Larry Baush
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Tour Backspin Quiz | Leader Board Trivia
Late in his career, Jim Ferree was constantly atop the leader board. How?
Answer below
Bonus Story
Jack Rule, Jr. had an impressive amateur record that included beating Jack Nicklaus in the 1956 U.S. Junior Amateur semi-finals before eventually losing to Harlan Stevens in the final. Rule captured the 1956 International Jaycee Junior, a major junior event, where Jack Nicklaus finished second. He also won the 1958 Western Junior, also a major tournament.
He also added the Iowa State Amateur titles in 1958 and 1959 and added the Waterloo Open Amateur titles in those same two years. He added the Iowa Masters title in 1960 and the Northwest Amateur in 1961. Later that year he turned professional.
Charlie Nicklaus (l), Jack Nicklaus (2nd from left), Jack Rule, Sr. (2nd from right) and Jack Rule, Jr. (r) at the 1956 Jaycees International Junior. Rule finished first and Nicklaus finished second.
Blind Shot
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Tour Backspin Quiz Answer:
Deane Beman chose an image of Jim Ferree, decked out in his trademark plus fours, as the model to be used in the PGA Senior Tour logo. The logo was prominently featured at the top of the leaderboards located around the course during tournaments. Ferree joked that he was always at the top of the leader board.
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