Palmer and Nicklaus Put Differences Aside To Team Up In PGA National Team Championship
The two superstars stood on opposite sides in the battle between the touring pros and the PGA of America
The PGA TOUR visits New Orleans for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a tournament that dates to 1938 and has been played annually since 1958. Since 2017 it has been played as a team event with two rounds of four ball (best ball) and two rounds of alternate shot. We’re going to tap into the DNA of team events on the PGA TOUR this week backspinning to 1968 and the PGA National Team Championship. Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus were the defending champions, but they had to put some tour politics aside for the good of the team.
No time to read this week’s story? We’ve added it as an episode on The Tour Backspin Show podcast. Listen HERE or on Spotify, Apple or Google.
Congratulations to Terry Kee, the winner in the WHAT HOLE IS IT? contest from last week. The featured hole was #18 at the East Course of The Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs, CO. Want your picture featured in a “Guest Post”? Send it to larry@tourbackspin.com. Scroll down for your chance to win this week’s WHAT HOLE IS IT?
We’re playing 1968 Tour Trivia this week on the Tour Backspin Quiz. Scroll down to play.
This week’s vintage ad wants you to ride in a golf cart to protect your golf course. Scroll down to view.
Did you miss a previous newsletter? You can view it HERE. Forward this email to a friend. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? You can sign up HERE.
Okay, we're on the tee, let's get going.
George Archer and Bobby Nichols Ham and Egg Their Way To Best Ball Victory
Many speculated that Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus would not defend their 1967 title in the PGA National Team Championship, a four ball (best ball) event. The touring pros were deep into a battle with the PGA of America to either form a player’s division within the organization, or to break off entirely and form their own tour. It was widely believed that the two superstars stood in opposing camps on the controversy. Nicklaus was a leader in the breakaway coalition while Palmer, with his deep ties, that were passed on by his father who was a member of the organization, was more aligned with the PGA of America.
It was rumored that Nicklaus wanted to team up with Tom Weiskopf while Palmer wanted to play with Dave Marr. How did we get to this point? Let’s backspin.
It’s Thursday, September 19th, the first day of the PGA National Team Championship that utilized two courses: the Quail Creek Country Club and the Twin Hills Country Club in Oklahoma City. It’s windy as it often is in Oklahoma. In the end, the team of Palmer and Nicklaus put their differences concerning the PGA aside and came together to defend their title.
All the players met to discuss the ongoing situation with the PGA the night before Thursday’s first round. The meeting went on until midnight.
“These late nights are killing me. I’ve got to get some rest.” Palmer said to reporters. He described the players meeting from the night before. “We didn’t have our dinner until about 12 o’clock and I believe that did take its toll.”
Even with the lack of sleep, the two friends played well in the first round shooting a 64 putting them two strokes behind the first-round leaders, Dave, and Mike Hill. As the second-round teed off, morning newspapers carried an article by UPI reporter, Ed Fite, under the headline “PGA Turns Down Latest Player’s Bid” describing a plan, by the players, to reformulate the tournament steering committee to include more player representation.
Whether it had to do with the day’s news, or not, Palmer and Nicklaus did not play well the second day. The superstar duo shot a second round 72 that saw them drop on the leader board. The Hill brothers continued to lead adding a seven-under 65 and held a three-stroke lead over Billy Casper and Gay Brewer who shot a 62 at Twin Hills. Four teams were another stroke back at 131 including the team of George Archer and Bobby Nichols.
After the round, Palmer and Nicklaus held court in the press room and the jokes and barbs between the two were flying.
“We were miserable, both of us,” said Palmer. “We must have covered enough territory to build another 36 holes.”
The reporters responded with a big laugh.
“Now you know why we call this Quail Creek,” a hometown reporter said.
“We didn’t see any quail, but we sure saw a lot of creek,” Nicklaus cracked.
“Where we were, we could have hunted quail,” Palmer added.
The Hill brothers could not keep up the pace they had been setting and a 73 in Saturday’s third round resulted in them being passed by four teams. Hale Irwin and Dale Douglass, both alumni of the University of Colorado, sat atop the leader board, along with the team of Rives McBee and Monty Kaser, at 17-under-par 198. Irwin and Douglass shot a 65 while McBee and Kaser shot a 67.
There were five teams within two shots of the leaders. At 199 were the teams of Tommy Aaron and Charles Coody and the team of Tom Weiskopf and R.H. Sikes. Another stroke back were the teams of George Archer and Bobby Nichols, Billy Casper and Gay Brewer, and Dave and Mike Hill.
The windy conditions that plagued the first three rounds continued to blow during Sunday’s final round. McBee and Kaser pressed their lead, playing well to card a 69, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the charging Archer and Nichols team who shot a 66 to win by two shots.
Nichols provided the team with the hot start they needed to catch and overtake the leaders as he birdied the first three holes. He also saved a par on the final hole securing the victory for the team. The Archer and Nichols team were able to sync their games to the best ball strategy of providing themselves a couple of looks at birdies at most of the holes. Their only bogey of the week came in the first round at the 12th hole where they both three-putted.
“We took very few chances,” Nichols said to reporters after the final round. Nichols also announced that he would not play any more events on the 1968 schedule. “Stick a fork in me, I’m done. This is a good way to end the year.”
Palmer and Nicklaus finished in a five-way tie for 15th place. They were unable to sync their best ball game and found one or the other out of a hole forcing his teammate to carry the full burden. The political machinations of the future of the PGA Tour could have been a factor in this failure to sync their games. The future of the PGA Tour would not be decided until the opening weeks of the 1969 season when the Tournament Players Division of the PGA of America was formed.
Jack Nicklaus (l) and Arnold Palmer (r) yuk it up after the 2nd round of the PGA National Team Championship on September 20th, 1968. (photo: Sports Illustrated)
Check out the bonus fact below for more on the battle between the PGA of America and tour pros.
The songs of 1968 are featured on this week’s playlist. Listen HERE.
Please help us grow by forwarding this email to a friend who would enjoy it. Thanks.
Enjoy!
Larry Baush
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube
Thanks for reading! Please let your family, friends and colleagues know they
can sign up for email delivery of this free newsletter through this link.
WHAT HOLE IS IT?
Are you on the leader board?
Tour Backspin Quiz | 1968 PGA TOUR Trivia
Who won the PGA Player of the Year award in 1968?
Answer below
Bonus Story
The newspaper reports of the battle between the PGA of America and the touring pros continued throughout the week of the PGA National Team Championship. Reports alongside the results in the sports pages of America’s newspapers documented the continuing battle.
“Dickinson Denies APG Contact With Unions” read the headline over a UPI report. Gardner Dickinson was president of the splinter group of pros know as the American Professional Golfers. He denied what he labeled as “deliberate and vicious untruths” being spread by the Professional Golfers Association (PGA).
Dickinson denied that the APG “had ever been approached” by any union and he went further stating that the APG “would never affiliate with any union.”
“All we want is one decisive vote on matters concerning tournament operations,” Dickinson explained. “We don’t care if it is a five-man or 15-man committee.”
The two organizations continued their battle in the courts with the APG even scheduling their own tournaments and qualifying school for the 1969 season. It took a change in the leadership of the PGA in early 1969 before the two sides could come together to form the Tournament Players Division of the PGA giving birth to the modern PGA TOUR. Read more about the battle HERE and HERE.
Blind Shot
Click for something fun. 👀
Tour Backspin Quiz Answer:
Trick question! The PGA Player of the Year award was not awarded in 1968 due to the riff between the tour players and the PGA of America. It is the only year since the first year of 1948 when Ben Hogan won it, that the award has not been awarded
I'd love to hear your feedback! Email me at larry@tourbackspin.com.
