Seattle Hosts Major LPGA Tournament
Rainier Country Club hosts the 1959 LPGA Western Open
Join us for our journey through the past as we travel back to 1959 and the LPGA Western Open hosted by Seattleās Rainier Golf and Country Club. This was considered a major on the LPGA Tour and Seattle, as well as the entire Pacific Northwest were very enthusiastic to welcome the women stars to the area.
The PGA TOUR is off this week, so we are rerunning this story that was sent to premium subscribers last April. To get more articles like this, consider upgrading to a premium subscription. Join us next week as the PGA TOUR picks up the action at the World Wild Technology Championship in Los Cabos, Mexico.
The PGA TOUR wrapped up the Zozo Championship in Japan and congratulations to Nico Echavarria on winning his second PGA TOUR title. Scroll down as I provide a few of my thoughts on the tournament, as well as the Clips You Might Have Missed.
Weāve got a question for you to weigh in on with the Tour Backspin Poll. This weekās Music Clip has Ray Charles doing āWhatād I Sayā live in 1959. Tour Backspin Goes to The Movies, has the 1959 theatrical trailer for āSome Like It Hotā which featured a star-studded cast. Scroll down to listen and watch.
The Swing Like a Pro features a montage of swings from the stars of the LPGA through the years. The WHAT HOLE IS IT? Presented by Rota Golf this week has a hole you should be able to identify. Submit your answer and you may just win a golf swag prize pack which includes our new 19th Hole Hot Sauce (soon to be available online in the Tour Backspin Golf Shop). Rota Golf has a cool way to map out your bucket list journey of playing the top 100 courses in the U.S. that you should check out. Click on the Rota Ad to view more. Weāve got some links for you in the Check it Out section and an ad from 1959 that features the latest equipment from Golfcraft is featured in this weekās Vintage Ad. Scroll down to view.
The Tour Backspin Poll
We heard from the traditionalists in our poll last week when we asked what kind of tee you used. There were 70% of respondents who prefer a traditional wooden tee while 30% peg their ball with a plastic tee. Nobody admitted to kicking up a tuft of grass with their driver to tee up their ball.
Itās Halloween so weāve got a question for youāwhat are you giving out/eating yourself tonight? Let us know in this weekās Tour Backspin Poll.
Weāre playing Guess the Tee Marker Trivia in this weekās 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.Ā
Enjoy!
Larry Baush
Small Town Seattle Hosts a Big Time Golf Major
The excitement was palatable ever since the Womenās Western Golf Association announced, on Tuesday, May 15th, 1957, that the 1959 Womenās Western Open Golf Tournament would be held at Rainier Golf and Country Club in Seattle. When the dates for the tournament, August 13th through August 16th, were announced on Monday, September 30th, 1958, the excitement and anticipation grew.
Seattle did not have a major professional team and, as far as landing in the national sports spotlight, the town could only boast about staging the best hydro race in the country, the largest Golden Gloves tournament on the West Coast, and a sell-out Man of the Year in Sports show each year. The University of Washington football team hired Jim Owens in 1957, but the jury was still out as his first two seasons were unremarkable.
The Seattle Open on the menās professional golf tour departed from the scene in 1945 when Byron Nelson won the event at Broadmoor Golf Club and would not return until 1961. The LPGA last visited Seattle in 1952 in the unique cross country 144 Hole Weathervane tournament. This tournament featured four 36-hole legs played over several weeks at different courses around the country, with each leg being considered an official event and crowned an overall winner at the completion of 144 holes. Babe Didrikson Zaharis blew into town with a six-shot lead in the third leg but was caught, and passed by, Betsy Rawls who put the tournament away at the final leg at Scarsdale Golf Club in Hartsdale, NY, and Deepdale Country Club in Great Neck, NY.
Zaharis passed away on September 27th, 1956, and her memory loomed large over the LPGA.
It wouldnāt be until 1962 when Seattle put on the Century 21 Worldās Fair that helped transform Seattle from a town to a city. The arrival of the Seattle Sonics of the National Basketball Association put the major league stamp on the city. Hosting the 1959 Womenās Western Open was done with a small-town flair built on big city aspirations.
After such a long wait, in a town that hungered for a major sporting event, Seattle was finally getting the opportunity to take its place in the national spotlight with the prestigious Womenās Western Open, recognized as a major championship by the LPGA. It was time to form committees and begin the long process of preparation to host an event of this magnitude.
Committees were formed utilizing Rainier membership, and local golf officials, that would handle everything fincluding the production of the program, the selling of tickets, publicity for the event, transportation, and caddie assignments. Mrs. Mae Jones was named the chairman and Mrs. Gordon Greene was named co-chairman. Mr. Paul Fiorito was named a co-chairman along with George Skarich, the president of the club.
After more than a year of preparation it was time to welcome the women to Rainier. The women had a two-week break from the Mt. Prospect Open in Illinois that wrapped up on July 26th, before the start of the Western Open on August 13th, which left a lot of time for the players to make their way to Seattle.
By the first week of August, the field had an entry list of 160 players including 25 professional members of the LPGA. Seattleās two major daily newspapers, The Seattle Daily Times and The Seattle Post Intelligencer, had their ace reporters, from the sports page to the editorial page to the womenās page, on the beat covering the happenings at Rainier. Parties at private residences, receptions on the deck at Rainier and luncheons were all held with the involvement of women representatives from all the Seattle area country clubs.
The Post-Intelligencer reporter Edna Daw wrote about how Bermuda shorts and sleeveless blouses were all the rage, but you wouldnāt catch Patty Berg in the new fashions. She wore more traditional outfits of flannel skirts and slacks matched with sweaters.
Phil Taylor, sports page columnist for the P-I, wrote about how Rainier was the perfect venue for the women golfers as the course matched the play of the women in much the same way that most courses played for men. He also touched on the fact that the greens at Rainier were of a different type of grass than the women pros were used to at courses around the country.
With the long layoff between the Mt. Prospect Open and the Western Open, there was plenty of time for women to play practice rounds at Rainier and get acclimated to its intricacies. Patty Berg and Betsy Rawls scored near par in their practice round and Kathy Whitworth impressed fans with the length of her drives. Most players were in agreement that Rainierās thick rough would pose a challenge once the tournament started. The rough around the greens were especially troublesome to play from.
With three late entrants, the accomplished amateurs Judy Eller, Shirley Englehorn, and Pat Lesser Harbottle, the field was now set. There were 135 amateurs and 25 pros entered including JoAnne Gunderson of Kirkland, the winner of the Womenās Western Amateur, and local LPGA pro Ruth Jessen.
Seattle area golf fans could purchase tickets for the event from local golf courses and could park at a nearby Boeing lot with shuttle bus service to and from the course.
The first round got underway on August 13th with perfectly gorgeous weather conditions and was the first of two qualifying rounds. The 32 top spots after qualifying would play in the championship flight while the others would be seeded by score into flights of 16. Pros who failed to qualify for the championship flight were still eligible to share in the $6,500 purse.
Jameson holed out a wedge from 40-yards at the long 11th hole for her birdie and then holed another wedge, from virtually the same distance, on the par-5 14th hole for her eagle.
Betsy Rawls, the leading money winner on the LPGA with $19,650, took the lead after the first round with a 70. She played the front nine in 38, two over par, but then got hot on the back nine shooting a 32. Her 70 gave her a one-shot lead over Betty Jameson who matched Rawlsā 38 on the front before shooting a back nine 33 that featured a birdie and an eagle.
Jameson holed out a wedge from 40-yards at the long 11th hole for her birdie and then holed another wedge, from virtually the same distance, on the par-5 14th hole for her eagle. Rawls got her back nine going when she rifled a second-shot approach at the long and difficult 11th hole to within three-feet of the hole and made birdie. She added birdies at the 14th, 15th, 16th, and 18th holes.
Louise Suggs was another stroke back, at even-par 72, while Marlene Bauer Hagge and Murle MacKenzie, a 19-year-old from St. Petersburg, FL, were at 73. Gunderson shared the amateur lead with Sue DeVoe of Medford, OR, with the score of 77. Gunderson lost three shots on the par-4, 8th hole, when her approach shot went over the green and out-of-bounds.
Defending champion Patty Berg could not score a single birdie all day and needed 35 putts on her way to a 76. Suggs birdied three consecutive holes starting at the par-4 5th hole but ran into trouble on the uphill 9th hole where her approach ended up next to a tree right of the green leading to a double-bogey. Haggeās round was undone with five bogeys on the back nine. Seattleās Ruth Jessen never got on track shooting an 81.
The Seattle Post Intelligencer writer, Phil Taylor, described the conditions for the second-round as āa cool, capricious wind that kicked up around Rainier Golf Club yesterday, casting a chill over the second day scoring.ā
Rawls could do no better than a 76 in the windy conditions and Jameson was able to catch her shooting a 75 to tie for the lead at 146. After Rawls played the back nine so well in the first-round, she could not match the performance in the second-round where she had five bogeys. Jameson scrambled saving pars several times with her putting.
A large gallery, estimated between 3,500 and 4,000 braved the wind and chilly temperatures bringing the total for the first two days to over 7,000.
It looked like Gunderson was going to make a move as she made the turn in one-under but laid it all to waste with a struggling back nine where she had four bogeys. None of the players matched Rainierās par with the best score of the day being a 73 from Joyce Ziske of Waterford, WI, who sat alone in second place at 149, three strokes behind the leaders.
Hagge added a second round 77 and was tied for third with Beverly Hanson who had a pair of 75s, Patty Berg who came back with a second round 74, and Kathy Cornelius who added a 74 to her first round 74. Suggs was another stroke back after shooting a 79 to her first round 72.
A large gallery, estimated between 3,500 and 4,000 braved the wind and chilly temperatures bringing the total for the first two days to over 7,000. A score of 163 or better was needed to qualify for the championship flight.
The weather returned to warm and sunny for Saturdayās third round, but the conditions did not help the scoring much. Rawls kept her spot as the pacesetter shooting a 76 and enjoyed a one-stroke lead at 222 over her persistent challenger, Jameson, who shot a 77. Ziske added a 75 in the third round and was at 224. She birdied the tricky par-3 15th hole and finished with another birdie at the 18th hole to keep her hopes alive.
Gunderson shot the round of the day, a two-over 74, that vaulted her up to a tie for fourth place with Suggs, who had a 75, Kathy Cornelius, Patty Berg, and Beverely Hanson, who all had a 76 in the third round.
Rawls missed the 9th green to the right with her approach shot that ended up at the base of a tree. She was unable to take a proper swing at the ball and, after surveying her situation intently, finally pulled a 7-iron out of her bag, took a stance with her back to the flagstick, and ricocheted the ball off the tree advancing it a few yards toward the green. She then looked over her next shot before selecting a sand wedge and then lofted her ball up onto the green where it ran straight into the hole saving her par.
Another large crowd, estimated to be 5,000, brought the total attendance to over 12,000, which was just 8,000 short of the season record total of 20,000 set in Minneapolis.
It was sure to be a record-breaking day Sunday in the final round. Dark clouds obscured the sun but the action on the course was hot, and Betsy Rawls supplied the fireworks. She arrived looking relaxed and did not let the fact that she only hit six greens hold her back. Needing only 23 putts she was able to post a one-under-par 71 for a total of 293 that was good for a six-stroke victory.
JoAnne Gunderson continued here climb up the leaderboard shooting a final round 73 for a total of 299, tied for second-place with defending champion Patty Berg who also shot a final round 73. Another stroke back at 300 were Betty Jameson, who had a 77 in the final round, and Beverly Hanson who shot 74. Louis Suggs soared to a final round 77 and a total of 303 while Joyce Ziske blew to a final round of 82 and finished at 305. Ruth Jessen added a 77 in the fourth round for a total of 311 and won $211.
Rawls putting performance was almost otherworldly as she made numerous putts from the six-foot to 15-foot range to save pars. She also chipped in on the long 4th hole for her first of two birdies, the other birdie coming from a fantastic two-wood tee shot at the long par-3, 13th hole to two-feet for a kick-in. Her only bogey came at the 11th hole where she missed the green and two-putted from 18 feet.
āRainier Golf and Country Club put on a fine show.ā
The $1,313 first-place check added to her other 1959 earnings established a new yearly earnings record for Rawls at $20,963 breaking the previous record of $20,225 set by Marlene Bauer Hagge in 1956. The official amount won by Rawls would be adjusted upward as Rainier Golf and Country Club officials, who were ecstatic with the attendance numbers for the week, decided to add $500 to the purse bringing the total up to $8,000. The extra money would be distributed later.
Bonus Story
The final estimate of the size of the gallery for the 1959 Womenās Western Open at Rainier Golf and Country Club in Seattle over four days was 15,000 to 20,000. Everybody from the players, the officials, and the gallery, heaped abundant praise on the show put on by Rainier. Legendary Seattle P-I columnist, Royal Brougham, wrote that āRainier Golf and Country Club put on a fine show.ā
It was a big show, produced in a small town, on its way to becoming a major league sports city. And Rainier Golf and Country Club was the perfect stage for the production.
The clubhouse and practice putting greens at Rainier Golf and Country Club (Photo: Rainier Golf and Country Club)
What Hole is It? powered by Rota Golf. Doesnāt your bucket list journey deserve one of these?
WHAT HOLE IS IT?
Are you on the leader board?
Congratulations to Ryan Ross, who correctly identified #15, or #3, (course layout for the Zozo was a composite of two courses) at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Inzai, Japan, in last weekās WHAT HOLE IS IT? contest. Ryan beat out four other correct answers in the random drawing. Weāre sending a prize pack of golf swag, including the new Tour Backspin 19th Hole Hot Sauce, to Ryan.
We understand if a premium subscription isnāt in the budget, and weāre happy to have you here however youāve arrived. You can sign up for a free subscription so youāll never miss the newsletter. It will arrive in your inbox every Thursday. Paid subscribers help fund the work we do here at Tour Backspin.
We got 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. Very exciting. Check out the trailer below.
PGA TOUR Wrap-Up | Zozo Championship
Nico Echavarria, of Columbia, held off a late rally from Justin Thomas and a solid challenge from Max Greyserman to win his second victory on the PGA TOUR. His Sunday 67, including birdies on two of his final three holes, was one stroke better than Thomas who carded a 66 despite a cold putter, and Greyserman who finished with a 65 for his third runner-up finish in his last five starts.
"Obviously bummed and disappointed, but I played so well," Thomas said. "I played plenty well enough to win the tournament. Hit so many good putts today that just didn't go in; that's the difference."
"You know, I didn't quite execute down the stretch when I needed to," said Greyserman, a close friend of Echavarria. "I mean, Nico stepped up there and he hit a great second shot (on 18). He earned it."
"It's surreal," Echavarria said. "It's been a good year for me, I just haven't had that top result. I've been very consistent, I've learned a lot this year. To finish the year this way is, it's incredible, especially doing it here in Japan in such an amazing country."
Rickie Fowler finished a good week with a final round 64 that put him in fourth place, two strokes ahead of Kurt Katayama. It was his best finish of the season.
Read more from the PGA TOUR HERE.
The winning putt:
Clips You Might Have Missed
Justin Thomas had a Sunday full of this.
This close to a playoff.
Is Rickie back?
Go behind the scenes.
Heās one of us.
DOD!
Trick or treat!
Tour Backspin Quiz | Guess The Tee Marker
Do you know what golf course uses these tee markers?
Scroll down for answer
Swing Like a Pro
A vintage montage of swings of the stars of the LPGA.
Blind Shot
Click for something fun. š
Go inside the recent changes to qualifying for LIV Golf from Dylan Dethier at golf.com.
Tour Backspin Music Clip
Ray Charles performs āWhatād I Sayā live in 1959.
Tour Backspin Quiz Answer:
That tee marker is from Washington National Golf Club outside of Seattle, WA.
Weāve Got Mail!
Thank you Larry for providing all of us this great content each week!
Looking forward to trying your hot sauce (I love these kind of things).
A. O.
Thank you for reading this far, I know your time is valuable and choosing to spend some of it on what Iāve created is gratifying. If you want to help support the work weāre doing, please consider upgrading. Itās just $36 a year and youāll be helping to tell the stories from one of golfās golden ages.
Vintage Ad
Final Thoughts
Seattle sure has come a long way since 1959. So has the LPGA.
What a great movie in this weekās Tour Backspin Goes To The Movies.
Have fun tonight and try to keep some candy for the kids.