Pate Ends Drought With a Splash
Jerry Pate celebrates in style after winning the 1981 Danny Thomas Memphis Classic
We feature a first-time celebration on the PGA TOUR this week on our journey through the past. Join us as we go back to 1981 where we will party with celebrities, and then go inside the ropes at the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic. This tournament dates back to 1958 when Billy Maxwell won the event.
We’ve written about the 1966 Memphis Open HERE, won by Bert Yancey, the 1969 event won by Dave Hill HERE, and the 1997 event where Al Geiberger shot the first 59 on the PGA TOUR HERE.
We lost a true great of the game, one of the finest showmen to ever tee it up, with the passing of Juan “Chi Chi” Rodríguez (October 23, 1935 - August 8, 2024). He rose from the sugar fields of Puerto Rico to win eight PGA TOUR titles and 22 titles on the PGA TOUR Champions including two majors, the Senior Tournament Players Championship and the General Foods PGA Seniors’ Championship.
He made a major impact with children’s causes with his Chi Chi Rodríguez Youth Foundation and won the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association. He was elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992.
He was an entertainer on the golf course and was well-known for his sword dance after holing a crucial putt.
RIP Chi Chi. Read the PGA TOUR obit by Chris Cox HERE.
We wrap-up the Wyndham Championship and provide a few of my thoughts, as well as the Clips You Might Have Missed.
Did you see what Matt Kucher did on Sunday? As darkness was descending, he elected to mark his position on the 72nd hole of the Wyndham Championship and come back on Monday to finish. He was the only player in the last group to make this decision. What was going on? Let us know what you think in the Tour Backspin Poll. We’re gonna rock this town in this week’s Music Clip with the Stray Cats, live in 1981. Scroll down to listen. Marvel at the powerful swing of Chi Chi Rodríguez in this week’s Swing Like a Pro feature. You should be able to figure out the WHAT HOLE IS IT? Presented by Rota Golf this week and then you may just win a golf swag prize pack (we’ve got new swag!). Rota Golf has a cool way to map out your bucket list journey of playing the top 100 courses in the U.S. We’ve got some links for you in the Check it Out section and an ad that pays homage to Chi Chi in this week’s Vintage Ad. Scroll down to view.
When the rule change that allowed you to leave the pin in the hole, it was done to help speed up play. Dave Pelz always advised to leave the pin in, while recent studies say that science is on the side of taking the pin out. The result is that every golfer has their own opinion, or preference, on whether to remove the pin or leave it in.
This leads to conversations on the green, sometimes on nearly every hole (especially when playing outside your normal group) where the question arises, “do you want the pin in or out?” So, while the USGA wanted to speed up play, it actually has slowed down play as the group goes through the question and answer phase, and then the pin is being removed and replaced multiple times while the group is on the green.
So, we wondered what you do. There were 47% of respondents who we’ll have to ask on almost every green as they leave the pin in for long ones, but remove it for short ones (how are we to know?). There were 32% who take the pin out on every putt, while an equal number of respondents, 11%, who leave it in, or do whatever the golfer before them did (now those are players who truly want to speed up the pace of play).
This week we ask you, what the heck was going on with Matt Kuchar at the Wyndham Championship when he decided not to finish the 18th hole because of darkness? His partners elected to finish and Kuchar was the only player to return on Monday to finish their round. This prompted CBS’s Jim Nantz to say, "I don't expect we'll be bringing you that coverage tomorrow.”
Let us know what you think was going on in this week’s Tour Backspin Poll
Tour Backspin Poll
Do you know what happened today in golf history? Or which famous golfer has a birthday today? Me, neither. But I do know where to go to find out. Check out the Your Golfer’s Almanac podcast. Host Michael Duranko celebrates birthdays, milestones, and other accomplishments that occurred on this day in golf history. Listen HERE.
We’re playing Danny Thomas Memphis Classic Trivia in this week’s Tour Backspin Quiz. Scroll down to play.
Did you miss a previous newsletter? You can view it HERE. Help us grow Tour Backspin! Please 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.
Enjoy!
Larry Baush
Jerry Pate Wins in the Memphis Heat, Then Jumps In Lake
It is Monday, June 22nd, 1981, the day after David Graham won the U.S. Open at Merion Cricket Club in in Haverford, PA, and late entries into the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic are rolling in to the tournament office. Late entries were received from Peter Jacobsen, Tommy Aaron, Bruce Devlin, George Archer, Jack Newton, Jim Simmons, and Tommy Valentine.
Another 86 golfers gathered at Colonial Country Club that Monday, in very warm temperatures, to attempt to qualify for one of the 49 available spots to play in the tournament, one that featured a purse of $300,000 with the winner earning $54,000. Colonial, a course that surrendered the first 59 shot on tour when Al Geiberger lit it up in 1977 on his way to winning the title, now played to 7,249-yards, and a par of 72.
There were 22 players trying to qualify who had just arrived from winning their tour cards by graduating from the Spring qualifying school in Florida. Veterans Jerry Heard, Peter Oosterhuis, and John Fought also were in the field to qualify into the tournament. They were not as nervous as the young new graduates.
“With 49 spots open, you have some leeway and can just cruise,” Fought told John Stamm of The Memphis Press-Scimatar. “I don’t think anyone tried to shoot a red-hot round.”
Jim Chancey was the low qualifier with a 69, and 13 of the new graduates from tour school qualified with Gaven Levenson of South Africa being the low of the group shooting a 70. It took a score of 75 to make a nine-man playoff playing for the last two spots into the main event. Fought, Heard, and Oosterhuis qualified easily.
“The fairways are like concrete. It’s hard to figure out.”
The players fit in practice rounds on Tuesday, trying to cope with the temperatures that were above 90 degrees, and most were complimentary of the course and the conditions. The rough was higher than in previous years, but the greens were faster and the fairways, while hard and fast, were in good condition. There were concerns by some players about how hard the fairways were and how much the ball rolled on them.
“The fairways are like concrete,” said Wayne Levi. “It’s hard to figure out.”
Glitz and glamour were on display Tuesday night at the biggest party in Memphis, the annual William B. Tanner gala event. Tanner had been holding the party for 10 years which helped raise funds for the St. Jude Children’s Hospital, the beneficiary of the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic. Attendees included the guests of honor, Danny Thomas, his daughter Marlo Thomas and her husband Phil Donahue.
The 1,000 guests were greeted at the front door by Mr. Tanner, and his wife, along with a giant robot who called guests by their names, made wisecracks, and displayed their faces on a video screen in the center of its “face.”
Donahue was one of the celebrities playing in the pro-am on Wednesday, again in very warm temperatures with an official high of 97 degrees. Other celebrities included Bob Hope, former President Gerald Ford, and Danny Thomas. Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw were late withdrawals from the pro-am.
After completing Monday qualifying, Peter Oosterhuis tied for low pro honors in the pro-am, along with Curtis Strange, and Bill Kratzert, all shooting 68 and winning $625. Oosterhuis added a tie for the lowest team score and won another $625.
Peter Jacobsen, Bruce Lietzke, with 69s, and Jerry Pate with a 70 in the pro-am showed they were ready to contend in the tournament. Other favorites included defending champion Lee Trevino and Tom Kite. The attendance for the pro-am was a jaw-dropping 31,100.
“I expect to be in contention coming down to the end of Sunday afternoon. I’m playing well.”
Another flashy party followed the pro-am with Danny Thomas and his famous daughter and son-in-law in attendance. The star of the cocktail party, though, was former President Gerald Ford. With all the preliminaries out of the way, it was time to start the 24th rendition of the tour stop in Memphis.
Thursday’s first round started in steamy conditions with almost no wind and Tom Kite and Larry Ziegler led the morning wave. Kite recorded a five-under 67 and was riding a wave of confidence.
“I expect to be in contention coming down to the end of Sunday afternoon,” Kite said to Bobby Hall of The Commercial Appeal, a Memphis daily newspaper. “I’m playing well.”
The wisecracking and talkative Ziegler fashioned a solid 68 and was in sole possession of second place. The hot and humid weather suddenly changed halfway through the afternoon wave to more comfortable conditions.
“When the weather changed, it really was a big difference out there,” Jerry Pate related to Hall. Pate shot a three under 69 and sat in third place, tied with Curtis Strange, Scott Simpson, and Jon Chaffee. Bruce Litzke opened with a 71, while Peter Jacobsen shot a 73. David Thore, a player who needed to win almost $2,000 in Memphis to retain his playing card, opened with a 72.
By the time the last threesome of the day completed their rounds, a cooling thunderstorm approached the course from the north and light rain fell with lightning visible on the horizon. Earlier in the day, the 95-degree temperatures had driven many of the 12,800 fans away from the course. The attendance figure was extremely light compared to the crowds that came out for the pro-am.
“I was jumping all around the room with this stuff.”
Australian Jack Newton succumbed to the heat as he played the 7th hole. He complained of dizziness and cramps, took a seat on the fairway before lying back fully prone. A doctor hurried to his rescue and drove him in a golf cart back to the locker room where he recuperated lying down on a bench. He formally withdrew from the tournament shortly thereafter.
Three strokes off Kite’s lead were Lee Trevino, Lou Graham, Leonard Thompson, and Jeff Hewes. Trevino was suffering from a bad case of poison ivy which he contracted while looking for a competitor’s ball the week before at the U.S. Open at Merion.
“It really didn’t bother me that much today,” Trevino said after his round. “It’s really not itching yet like it could be. I got up at 2:30 this morning and never did go back to sleep. I was jumping all around the room with this stuff.”
“I have no excuses. I just played sloppy golf.”
The weather finally cooled for the second round on Friday, but Colonial Country Club remained a stern test. Jerry Pate, with a 70, Curtis Strange, also with a 70, and Jeff Mitchell, who recorded a 68, were tied for the lead at 139. Jerry Heard had the round of the tournament, so far, a 66, and was one stroke back of the leaders at 140. Heard was tied with Thore who added a 68 in his quest to save his playing card, Scott Simpson, who shot a steady 71, and Tom Kite who skied to a 73.
“I have no excuses,” Kite said. “I just played sloppy golf.”
Pate was loving the change in the weather saying, “There was no heat today. It was like springtime.”
Lee Trevino was all alone at 141 after his second round 71 where he birdied the final two holes. Peter Jacobsen added a second round 69 and sat at 142.
On Friday night, renowned Memphis amateur Curtis Person hosted a dinner for various PGA TOUR officials and players and Pate was one of the players in attendance. Pate made a pledge to Person that he would jump into the lake on the 18th hole if he won.
Saturday’s third round was played under sunny skies and comfortable temperatures and the fans flocked to Colonial to watch the action. There were 38,300 fans in attendance over the course of the day. Early arrivals to the first tee and tournament officials were shocked when long-time first-tee starter, Paul Sharpe, had to be rushed to the hospital after complaining about chest pains. After a long and thorough examination, doctors released him and sent him home.
“Really, I feel okay, but I had been doing too much this week,” Sharpe informed The Commercial Appeal
“It makes me appreciate even more that 59 shot by Al Geiberger.”
The logjam at the top of the leader board separated somewhat during the third round. Pate fired a splendid 66 for a three-round total of 205 and sole possession of the lead. Peter Jacobsen put to good use a tip he received earlier in the week from Jerry Pate (see Bonus Story) and fired a spectacular 64 and was one shot off the lead. Tom Kite was alone in third place, at 208, after shooting a 68, while Bruce Lietzke was another stroke back after a very solid 67.
David Thore, a sentimental favorite of the crowd who was fighting to keep his playing card, shot a fine 71 and sat at 211.
“I was very fortunate,” said Jacobsen after his round. “I only missed one makeable putt that I can think of. The golf course is in such good condition. The 64 I had couldn’t have been any lower. It makes me appreciate even more that 59 shot by Al Geiberger.”
For his part, Pate felt there was room for improvement despite leading the tournament.
“I’m going to win the tournament. And when I do, it’s been such a long, dry spell, I’m going to jump in the lake on 18, and swim across it.”
“I didn’t play the par-5s well again,” Pate said to reporters after playing the holes in even par. “I’m lucky to be leading after not playing the par-5s any better than I have.”
Pate then confided to friends how confident he was. He even let them in on what he told Persons and how he would celebrate his win.
“I’m going to win the tournament,” he told his friends. “And when I do, it’s been such a long, dry spell, I’m going to jump in the lake on 18, and swim across it.”
The long dry spell that Pate referred to was his career since it had been three years since his last victory.
The temperatures were back up into the 90s for Sunday’s final round, but that did not keep the crowds away. Bruce Lietzke, at 209, David Thore, at 211, and Jeff Mitchell, at 212, teed off in the penultimate group at 11:05. They were followed by the final group of Jerry Pate, at 205, Peter Jacobsen, at 206, and Tom Kite, at 208 teeing off at 11:15.
“When I saw that he made a double bogey, I said that would make or break him. I thought that if he could recover from that, he would win the tournament.”
Early in the afternoon, it looked like Jacobsen might make a run for the lead, but he faltered on the back nine and finished with a 75. But he did have a front row seat for the dramatics that played out in the final round.
Pate ran into bunker trouble on the par-4, 6th hole and he double-bogeyed surrendering his lead.
“When I saw that he made a double bogey, I said that would make or break him.” Bruce Lietzke, Pate’s brother-in-law, said. “I thought that if he could recover from that, he would win the tournament.”
Pate did recover, and right away. At the par-5, 7th hole, Pate reached the green in two after a fine three-wood shot, and then two-putted for a birdie.
“That was the turning point,” Pate later said.
Tied with Kite, Pate got a birdie three on the par-4 10th hole and then went another stroke up when Kite bogeyed the 11th hole. Lietzke was charging and the drama reached a fever pitch at the 17th hole where he birdied to go to 12-under-par.
While Lietzke prepared to tee off on the final hole, Pate was struggling to save par at the 17th hole where he faced a 20-foot putt for par. He snaked in the long putt and a few seconds later, Lietzke pulled his tee shot into the water. Lietzke scrambled to save his par, and Kite also made par. Pate only had to make a par at the final hole to win. Instead, he put a cherry on top of his win by making the four-foot putt for birdie and a two-stroke victory. His long winless drought was over.
We’ve presented checks to a lot of players in this tournament, but this is the first time we’ve been able to present one to Johnny Weismuller.”
After making the putt, Pate took off the visor he was wearing, a visor that was borrowed from a pro-am partner on Wednesday, and turned to face the lake near the 18th green. He took five quick steps towards the lake and then launched himself with a majestic dive into the pond. He then leisurely swam around before exiting the lake while the crowd went crazy. He made his way to the locker room and after changing into dry clothing, he came back out and addressed the press and the crowd.
An official for the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic said, “There just couldn’t be a more thrilling finish than this. We’ve presented checks to a lot of players in this tournament, but this is the first time we’ve been able to present one to Johnny Weismuller.”
“What kind of dive was it?” Peter Jacobsen asked rhetorically. “I think I’d give him about a rating of 8 on degree of difficulty.”
Pate won $54,000 for his efforts while Lietzke and Kite won $26,400 each. Jacobsen won $13,200 as did Denis Watson who also finished at 281. Trevino was tied with Thore at 282 and both won $10,425. Thore comfortably retained his playing card while capturing the hearts of the huge crowds that totaled 142,200 for the week including 41,500 on Sunday.
But it was Pate, with his first ever 18th hole dive into a lake (he later celebrated a win in The Players Championshio by jumping into the lake with Commissioner Deane Beman) who was the darling of Memphis on Sunday night.
BONUS STORY
On Thursday at the 1981 Danny Thomas Memphis Classic, Peter Jacobsen shot a 73 and then headed to the practice tee to see if he could figure out what he was doing wrong. Jerry Pate was on the practice tee at the same time and stopped to watch Jacobsen hit balls.
“If you don’t mind me making a suggestion, I can help you in just a second,” Pate said to Jacobsen. “You’re hitting everything to the left, aren’t you?”
Jacobsen answered, “Yes.”
Pate, who felt his swing was very similar to Jacobsen’s, said, “You’re releasing a little bit early with your right hand. Just be a little more passive with your right hand and let the left hand hit down a little harder. You’ll hit some better shots.”
Jacobsen used the tip and the next day shot a fine 68 and then came back on Saturday to shoot a torrid 64 and put himself into contention.
As Jacobsen talked with reporters after his round, Pate came up and interrupted asking, “Hey, do I get half of what you make this week? Dumbest thing I ever did, wasn’t it?”
Both men laughed, but it was just another example of a player helping another player on the tour. It is something that is quite unique to professional golf. Can you imagine a defensive lineman in the NFL giving a tip to an offensive lineman from the other team while the game was in progress?
We have some exciting news about the progress being made on the documentary movie based on my book about Tony Lema. We’ll be updating the news in upcoming editions of Tour Backspin. We now have a website that features a trailer. Check it out by clicking on the clip below.
This biography of Tony Lema is one of the best golf books out there. Great research and writing. Highly recommended!
Bill via Instagram
What Hole is It? powered by Rota Golf. Doesn’t your bucket list journey deserve one of these?
WHAT HOLE IS IT?
Are you on the leader board?
Congratulations to Doug Poston, who correctly identified #15, at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, NC in last week’s WHAT HOLE IS IT? contest. Doug beat out four other correct answers in the random drawing. We’re sending a prize pack of golf swag to Doug. Submit your answer for this week and get yourself into the race for the Herbert C. Leeds Trophy, our new perpetual trophy for the annual winner.
We understand if a premium subscription isn’t in the budget, and we’re happy to have you here however you’ve arrived. You can sign up for a free subscription so you’ll never miss the newsletter. It will arrive in your inbox every Thursday. Paid subscribers help fund the work we do here at Tour Backspin.
PGA TOUR Wrap-Up | Wyndham Championship
You may have missed it as you enjoyed the epic Olympics coverage, or you may have been on vacation, but the Wyndham Championship was one wild ride. First, Tropical Storm Debby dumped six inches of rain on the course on Thursday causing a postponement of the first round. Then darkness the next two days suspended play and the 36-hole cut was not made until Sunday.
After the marathon day on Sunday, it was Aaron Rai who took advantage of a late collapse by Max Greyserman who had a four shot lead with five holes to go. Greyserman hit the cart path on the 14th hole resulting in his ball bounding out of bounds, and then three-putted from three feet on the 16th hole.
Adding to the whackyness was Matt Kucher who elected to mark his spot and come back on Monday to finish his round. He was the only player in his group to elect to go that route which resulted in some personnel working the tournament to return on Monday morning.
Read more from Golfweek HERE.
Clips You Might Have Missed
Crafty.
Winning putt.
It started to unwind here.
And it gets worse.
Plenty of time to take it easy between round three and round four.
What was Kucher thinking?
Tour Backspin Quiz | Danny Thomas Memphis Classic Trivia
Al Geiberger shot the first 59 recorded on the PGA TOUR in 1977. What other epic achievement occurred that week in Memphis at the tournament?
Scroll down for answer
Swing Like a Pro
The powerful swing of Juan “Chi Chi” Rodríguez.
Blind Shot
Click for something fun. 👀
Eamon Lynch at Golfweek on how the PGA TOUR can honor Chi Chi Rodríguez.
Tour Backspin Music Clip
The Stray Cats in 1981 performing “Rock This Town” and “Runaway Boys” on Countdown. Posted on YouTube by Reelin’ In The Years.
Tour Backspin Quiz Answer:
Former President Gerald R. Ford made a hole-in-one during the Wednesday pro-am at the 1981 Danny Thomas Memphis Classic. He was playing with Ben Crenshaw and Danny Thomas. Ford left office the prior January.
Thank you for reading this far, I know your time is valuable and choosing to spend some of it on what I’ve created is gratifying. If you want to help support the work we’re doing, please consider upgrading. It’s just $36 a year and you’ll be helping to tell the stories from one of golf’s golden ages.
Vintage Ad
Final Thoughts
I can totally relate to Max Greyerson’s finish on Sunday. Having trouble finishing off rounds lately.
Think Kucher might have some gifts for PGA TOUR employees who had to show up Monday morning for him to finish his round?
I’ll put my money on Joel Dahman at the Creators Classic at the Tour Championship. Don’t sleep on Bradford Wilson, though.