Mahaffey Is Loyal To His Friends
John Mahaffey plays in 1979 Bob Hope Desert Classic to payback his friend Bob Hope
All aboard for the Tour Backspin journey through the past as we travel back to 1979 and the Bob Hope Desert Classic won by John Mahaffey. Mahaffey fell on hard times after injuries in 1977 and needed sponsor’s exemptions to play in tournaments in 1978 before he captured that year’s PGA Championship. Bob Hope gave him an exemption into the 1978 Desert Classic where he made the cut. He returned in 1979 to win the event over Lee Trevino. Scroll down to see how that first event of the 1979 PGA TOUR played out.
I wrote about the 1972 Bob Hope Desert Classic, won by Bob Rosburg (who came up with the wild format used in the Hope) HERE, the 1970 event, won by Bruce Devlin, HERE, the 1971 event where Vice President Agnew couldn’t get off the first tee and the event was won by Arnold Palmer HERE, and how Bob Hope saved the Desert Classic in 1964, HERE.
It is truly heartbreaking what is happening in Los Angeles with the wild fires. Here’s a list of organizations where you can lend a hand.
The PGA TOUR was in Honolulu last week for the Sony Open in Hawaii. Congratulations to Nick Taylor, who is a former University of Washington golfer (Go Dawgs!) for capturing the title in a sudden death playoff. We’ve got some of the action from the islands, as well as in other parts of the world, in the Clips You Might Have Missed. I also give my takes on the tournament in the PGA TOUR Wrap-Up. You are also invited to tell us where your favorite place to get in some golf in the sun in The Tour Backspin Poll. We’re bringing you Jackson Browne performing “Running on Empty” live in 1979 at the No Nukes Concert in this week’s Music Clip and the theatrical trailer for the 1979 film, “The In-Laws” starring Peter Falk and Alan Arkin in the Tour Backspin Goes To The Movies.
View the swing of John Mahaffey as he plays the final hole of the 1975 U.S. Open, from the USGA vaults in the Swing Like a Pro. The Vintage Ad has a 1979 ad for a product that would let you record the golf action on TV so you could watch it after your own golf round. Scroll down to view.
The Tour Backspin Poll
In last week’s Tour Backspin Poll, we asked you what you thought of the debut of TGL. There was an even split of responses with 33% of respondents who said they loved it, the same percentage said “meh,” it was a nice distraction, and an equal response of those who hated it and won’t watch again.
I’m off to Orlando for the PGA Show next week. It made me wonder, where is the best place to get some golf in the sun during the winter months? What say you? Let us know in this week’s Tour Backspin Poll.
We’re playing Bob Hope Desert Classic Trivia in this week’s Tour Backspin Quiz. Scroll down to play.
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Larry Baush
Mahaffey Grateful To Bob Hope
John Mahaffey didn’t forget who his friends were when his golf game took a turn for the worse in 1977. A hyperextended tendon in his left elbow combined with an injury sustained in a fall off a ladder while working on his house in 1976 led to a very lackluster 1977 for Mahaffey. The former NCAA champion from the University of Houston only played in 15 tournaments in 1977 and cashed a check in only five of those events.
He lost his exempt status due to the small number of events he played, and he would have to rely on sponsor’s exemptions, or Monday qualifiers, to get into tournaments in 1978. That meant writing letters to tournament organizers, and whether those organizers gave him an exemption, or not, was the litmus test of who were his friends, or not.
The organizers of the Bob Hope Desert Classic, including Bob Hope himself, elected to give Mahaffey an exemption into the 1978 event and he took advantage of the opportunity. He finished in a tie for 34th and won $1,250. More importantly, the finish provided a boost in confidence that helped Mahaffey have a break-out year.
“Now, that I look back, I can’t say how grateful I am to Bob Hope for giving me a chance to play last year.”
He won the PGA Championship at Oakmont in August and followed that up with a win the next week in the American Optical Classic, better known as the New England Classic at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton, MA. He finished the year by capturing the individual honors at the World Cup in Hawaii where he also teamed up with Andy North to win the team title.
His comeback in 1978 led to a high level of confidence for the 5’ 9” 150-pound Mahaffey as he headed to the Coachella Valley for the opening event of the 1979 PGA Tour, the Bob Hope Desert Classic.
“I proved to myself more than anyone else, that I had turned a corner, that I could play again,” Mahaffey told Joe Sargis of the United Press International. “After what had happened to me the year before, I had some doubts coming out. Now, that I look back, I can’t say how grateful I am to Bob Hope for giving me a chance to play last year.”
“There were a couple of other sponsors who were good to me, too, but there were twice that many who suddenly forgot who I was.”
Mahaffey could be very loyal to those who gave him exemptions and had a very long memory for those that didn’t.
“There were a couple of other sponsors who were good to me, too, but there were twice that many who suddenly forgot who I was,” Mahaffey told Sargis. “All they knew was that I didn’t win any money in 1977, so they didn’t need me. I haven’t forgotten who they are the same way I haven’t forgotten who was nice to me. That’s why I’m going to play in the Hope this year. I feel I owe these folks something.”
Mahaffey’s 1978 performance earned him the PGA TOUR Comeback Player of the Year award.
The Bob Hope Desert Classic was a different sort of tournament on the PGA TOUR schedule, and it occupied the lead-off date for the tour in 1979, a first in the history of the tournament. First off, it was a five-day event played over four different golf courses: La Quinta Country Club, Indian Wells Country Club, Bermuda Dunes, and Tamarisk Country Club. Indian Wells played host for the event in 1979.
Another aspect of the tournament that was unique was the pro-am feature of the event. In a drawing at one of the many social events before the start of the tournament, amateur teams were picked from three separate hoppers, one for low handicappers, one for mid-handicappers, and one for high handicappers. These three-man teams played with a different pro each day.
The celebrities in the amateur ranks included some of the biggest names in show business, industry, and politics that attracted media attention. All the social events were just another aspect that made the Hope different from any other event on the tour schedule. The packed schedule for the week, the 90-holes of competition, and the ongoing party scene made the event exhausting, yet it still attracted big names including the 1978 Player of the Year, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, a perennial crowd favorite in the event, and Andy North.
Former President Gerald R. Ford led the list of high-profile amateur celebrities that also included Mac Davis, David Eisenhower, Johnny Bench, Mike Douglas, and Glen Campbell.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see Massengale’s record broken this year.”
With the teams drawn, the pre-festivities cocktail parties wound down and it was time to tee it up in the 20th annual Bob Hope Desert Classic.
Wednesday’s first round was played in perfect Palm Springs weather and led to low scoring at all four courses.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see Massengale’s record broken this year,” Mahaffey said after his round referring to the 23-under-par 337 shot by Rik Massengale in 1977.
Mahaffey said this after firing a sizzling 66 at Tamarisk Country Club, which was one shot behind a couple of surprising leaders in Bob Murphy who battled eye issues in 1978, and Charles Coody, who hadn’t won since he captured a green jacket at the 1971 Masters.
“I found out I had a bump in my right eye that was causing me to set up putts two inches off line,” Murphy informed Hal Wood in a special report for The Desert Sun of Palm Springs, CA. “Now with corrective lenses it looks like it will be a fine year.”
For his part, Coody had no idea where his good round came from and was as surprised as everyone else.
“I didn’t even know what I was doing out there—but everything was going just right,” Coody said to Wood.
Shooting 65s at La Quinta Country Club was quite the feat as it was widely considered the toughest course of the four used for the Hope, even though Coody thought scores would be lower on the course this year compared to previous years.
“There’ll be lower scores there this year because of the new, smoother greens.” He said about the new Tifton 328 Hy-Bred Bermuda Grass greens installed at La Quinta.
More than 13,000 fans watched the action at all four courses, but it was the group of Hope, Ford, Ralph Dutro, and Bill Rogers, the defending champion, that drew the most attention playing Bermuda Dunes. Dutro, the president and chairman of the $300,000 purse Hope event, was filling in for Clint Eastwood who was a no-show.
Art Wall, who at 55 years old had been on the tour for 30 years, shot a sparkling 67 to sit alone in fourth place, and there were four players at 68 and five players at 69. Billy Casper was one of the players at 68. Lee Trevino started with a 71, as did Jack Nicklaus, both playing at Bermuda Dunes.
Mahaffey’s second round came at La Quinta, and with already shooting a 65 at Tamarisk, he would have the two hardest courses under his belt. Amazingly, he matched Wednesday’s 65 at La Quinta for a two-round total of 132 and led Art Wall, who shot a second round 67, by two strokes.
“I never remember making nine birdies in one day.”
Mahaffey had nine birdies in his round, including seven straight, one short of tying a record for most consecutive birdies set by Bob Goalby in 1961 at the St. Petersburg Open and Fuzzy Zoeller at the 1976 Quad Cities Open.
“I never remember making nine birdies in one day,” Mahaffey admitted to a crowded press room that included Dave Zaslawsky of The Desert Sun. “I kept taking chances and it paid off—that’s probably what Johnny Miller went through a couple of years ago.”
After opening with a 65, Charles Coody fell off the pace with a 73 at Indian Wells, while Bob Murphy followed his first round 65 with a 74 and sat at 139, tied with five other players including Lee Trevino who had a second round 68. Leonard Thompson came in with a 66 and sat at 135, just three shots off Mahaffey’s lead.
The weather in the second round was overcast, but the sun did peek out occasionally. Temperatures peaked at 65 degrees and there were 15,000 spectators over the four courses bringing the two-day total to 28,000.
Indian Wells was considered one of the easy courses used for the Hope, but for Mahaffey, it always brought challenges. Friday was no different as he could do no better than a one-under 71 for a three-round total of 201. He tenaciously hung onto a one-shot lead over Keith Fergus, and Leonard Thompson. Thompson shot a 69 at La Quinta while Fergus fired a 68 at Bermuda Dunes.
Lee Trevino made his presence known by charging to a six-under 66 at La Quinta for a three-round total of 205, just two shots behind Mahaffey. Nicklaus was in the hunt as well, just six strokes off the pace after a 69 at La Quinta.
Art Wall’s fountain of youth ran dry after shooting a 73 at Tamarisk, but he was not out of contention as just four shots separated him from Mahaffey.
Temperatures reached 70 degrees under overcast skies and strong winds that gusted at times. The attendance figures came in at 17,000 bringing the total for the week to 45,000.
The big stars were at Indian Wells on Saturday and excitement was in the air. The television cameras were there, the glamourous gallery was there, Bob Hope was there, even Clint Eastwood was there. Lee Trevino, who always loved to be the big star of the show, generated his own excitement with a round that included five birdies and three bogeys for a two-under 70 and a four-round total of 13-under-par 275.
Over at Bermuda Dunes things were not so exciting and Mahaffey had a day to forget. After 17 straight pars, he finally made a birdie at the final hole to shoot a 71 and retained his one-shot lead. If this was a normal tournament, Mahaffey would be the wire-to-wire winner, but the Hope was a 90-hole tournament and Mahaffey would have to hold off Trevino, the “Merry Mex,” along with the other challengers for one more round. All the players would be playing at Indian Wells as the amateur portion of the tournament ended on Saturday.
The weather for the exciting final round was again overcast, although temperatures reached a comfortable 75 degrees. The strong wind at times added a challenge to the day. By the end of the day, the attendance for the week reached 92,000.
It seemed as if all 92,000 were at the144-yard, par-3, 6th hole when a roar went up after Nicklaus made an ace on his way to a 69. It was the third ace of his PGA TOUR career, and the ninth lifetime.
Trevino played one group in front of Mahaffey and the two dueled back-and-forth for the entire round. Twice Trevino was able to catch Mahaffey to draw even. The first occurred when Mahaffey three-putted both the 3rd and 4th holes. Mahaffey birdied the 6th hole to regain the lead, and he held it until the final hole.
Trevino watched from the back of the green, standing and eating an apple next to Bob Hope and his wife Dolores, who were sitting down watching the action.
Mahaffey’s drive at the 18th hole found the fairway bunker and he blasted out leaving him a pitching wedge third shot on the 462-yard par 5. Mahaffey watched as Trevino, on the green in front of him, putted for his birdie that would put him back in a tie with Mahaffey.
Trevino settled in over his 15-foot putt and then ran the birdie into the hole. He was now tied for the lead and all the pressure was focused on Mahaffey who needed a par to tie, a birdie to win. Trevino watched from the back of the green, standing and eating an apple next to Bob Hope and his wife Dolores, who were sitting down watching the action.
Mahaffey hit a pitching wedge onto the green, about 12-feet from the hole and then, when he got to the green, he quickly lined up the putt. He then stepped into his stance and stroked the putt dead in the heart for the win. When the putt fell, Trevino took the apple and threw it in a waste container and walked off.
“I get a kick out of this pressure,” Mahaffey said with a huge smile in the pressroom after his wire-to-wire victory. “When you win with Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino in a tournament, it is a great accomplishment.”
With his runner-up finish, Trevino started 1979 the same way he finished 1978 when he had five second place finishes. His drought of never winning a PGA TOUR title on the West Coast continued.
For Mahaffey, a sponsor’s exemption in 1978 ensured his appearance, as the current Comeback Player of the Year, at the 1979 Bob Hope Desert Classic and he cashed in on the opportunity with a win that earned him $50,000 and a brand-new, 1979 Dodge St. Regis car. Trevino took home a check for $29,700 for his runner-up finish.
Mahaffey recently spoke to Bruce Devlin and Michael Gonzalez on their podcast FORE The Good of The Game about the Bob Hope Desert Classic saying, “I always thought that was a neat tournament. I loved that tournament. I finished in the top 10 there a lot.”
It pays to be loyal to your friends.
BONUS STORY
Despite winning the 1979 Bob Hope Desert Classic, John Mahaffey was not going to play in the Andy Williams San Diego Open scheduled for January 25-28.
“No way in the world would I play there,” Mahaffey stated to Gene Aker a writer for The Desert Sun of Palm Springs, CA. “No way.”
When Mahaffey was attempting to comeback from a disastrous 1977 season where he failed to finish in the top 60 and lost his exempt status, he wrote the sponsors of the event in San Diego looking to secure an exemption. The letter went unanswered, and Mahaffey vowed to remember the snub.
“Any tourney that gave me an exemption when I was out-of-luck can be sure I’ll play in their tournaments as long as I am on tour.”
Mahaffey wrote to many tournament sponsors and most replied back if their fields were full, but not the event in San Diego.
“When I asked for an exemption there last year, they didn’t even bother to answer my letter,” Mahaffey explained. “Any tourney that gave me an exemption when I was out-of-luck can be sure I’ll play in their tournaments as long as I am on tour.”
While Mahaffey remembered his friends, he also remembered those who were not so nice to him.
WHAT HOLE IS IT?
Congratulations to Bob Corteway for winning the WHAT HOLE IS IT? contest last week by correctly identifying #11/#2 at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, HI. The PGA TOUR reverses the nines for the Sony Open, so we accepted either #11 or #2 as correct answers. Bob beat out six 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, and his new bride Betty, leaving the church on their wedding day. The driver of the car is Jim Malarky, Tony’s sponsor on tour. This is the only known footage of Malarky that I’ve been able to find. (clicking on link will open this post on the web, scroll down to video player).
Clips You Might Have Missed
The perils of a one-handed follow-through.
The chip-in from the caddie’s perspective.
This guy is pretty good in playoffs.
Family.
Highlight of the night during the 2nd TGL match. Who’d a think we’d see Tiger laugh like that?
He’s not wrong, he was even par at one point. Couldn’t keep it going, though.
Upgrade coming to Chambers.
PGA TOUR Wrap-Up | Sony Open in Hawaii
Nick Taylor flew under the radar on Wailae Country Club’s back nine Sunday at the Sony Open in Hawaii as it looked like it was down to a battle between Stephan Jaeger and J.J. Spaun. Then Jaeger hit his tee shot at the 16th hole out-of-bounds and Spaun bogeyed the 17th hole from a bunker.
Taylor was having trouble of his own with two missed four-footers for birdies at the 15th and 16th holes. His approach shot at the final hole ran through the green and he faced a 60-foot chip shot. He calmly chipped it in for an eagle for a five-under 65 and then waited to see if anybody could beat him. Nobody could.
Jaeger and Spaun failed to birdied the final hole. Nico Echavarria had a scrambling back nine including two sand saves and came in with his own 65 to tie Taylor and force a sudden death playoff.
Echavarria was surprised it was only a two-man playoff, and who was in the playoff with him.
“If Nick doesn’t chip in, I win the tournament,” he said.
Both players birdied the 18th hole in the playoff and returned to the tee to play the hole again. This time, Echavarria could not match Taylor’s birdie and the former University of Washington player captured his fifth PGA TOUR title. The last three have all come by way of sudden death playoffs.
Read more from Doug Ferguson of the AP HERE.
Top Five shots at the Sony Open.
Tour Backspin Quiz | Tournament of Champions Trivia
Who holds the record for the best turnaround (widest gap between scores in consecutive rounds) at the Bob Hope?
Scroll down for answer
Swing Like a Pro
John Mahaffey’s swing on the 72nd hole of the 1975 U.S. Open from the USGA.
Blind Shot
Click for something fun. 👀
Tour Backspin Music Clip
Jackson Browne performs “Running on Empty” live in 1979. at the No Nukes concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Tour Backspin Quiz Answer:
Jonathan Kaye holds the record for the largest turnaround in the Hope after shooting an 83 in the 2nd round before coming back to shoot a 62 in the 3rd round in 1999.
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Final Thoughts
It’s been a while, but we’ve got a new episode of The Tour Backspin Show that will drop for paid subscribers next week. We’ll also have some content from the PGA Show in Orlando that will drop for paid subscribers before it will be available for all subscribers. Seems like a pretty good time to upgrade to a paid subscription.
How about that turnaround by Jonathan Kaye at the Hope in 1999?
TGL had another blowout match on Tuesday. I would like to see what a nail-biter match would look like in the new league.
I’m excited for that new halfway house at Chambers Bay.