Join us on our journey through the past as we dive into the 1980 Michelob Houston Open. Scroll down and see how Curtis Strange won his second career PGA TOUR title.
It is cool to see how the PGA TOUR events that are not a Signature Event, or a major championship, provide us with outcomes that are life-changing. Peter Malnati’s life was changed with his strong finish in the Valspar Championship. Scroll down for the Clips You Might Have Missed, a recap of the tournament and highlights from the week.
This week the tour is in The Lone Star state for the Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park Golf Course. The Houston Open dates back to 1946 when Byron Nelson won it.
If you want more on the Houston Open, we covered the 1968 event, won by Roberto di Vicenzo HERE, and the 1977 event, where Gene Littler got his first win since coming back from cancer, HERE.
We want to hear from you in the Tour Backspin Poll, and we have some music from The Clash in 1980. Watch the swing of Curtis Strange from the Carl Welty library (and check out The Tour Backspin Show interview with Carl’s son, Craig, and Jim McLean that is now unlocked for all Tour Backspin subscribers). take a stab at a pretty easy WHAT HOLE IS IT?, and of course, some links for you in the Check it Out section. Check out who was on team Michelob in 1980. Scroll down to view this week’s vintage ad.
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In last week’s Tour Backspin Poll we asked if you liked the setup of TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course for The PLAYERS Championship. There were 27% of respondents who loved the setup and all the birdies made in the soft conditions. There were 73% of respondents who hated the setup and wanted to see a fast and firm course.
We have a pretty basic question for you this week. Mallet or blade? Let us know 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 Houston Open Trivia in this week’s Tour Backspin Quiz. Scroll down to play.
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Okay, we're on the tee, let's get going.
Enjoy!
Larry Baush
Strange Loses Six Stroke Lead, But Wins in Playoff
It is May Day, the unofficial start to summer, in 1980 at the 6,981-yard The Woodlands Country Club, a perfectly manicured course 35 miles north of downtown Houston. This is the 19th tournament on the 1980 PGA TOUR schedule and so far and there was one recurring theme – weather delays.
There had been 13 weather delays up to this point on the schedule and the commissioner, Deane Beman, was sick of it.
“The state of the tour,” Beman announced in a routine news conference at The Woodlands, “is wet.”
He made his remarks during an almost three-hour weather delay in the first round of the Michelob Houston Open. The morning half of the field were able to complete their rounds in what John Mahaffey, a local product, described as “almost ideal conditions.” Mahaffey shot a 66 due to a hot back nine he completed in just 30 strokes.
Well over half the morning starters, 43 of the 78 players, finished under par with non-practicing optometrist Gil Morgan leading the pack with a 6-under-par 65. Dave Edwards, Skip Dunaway, and Jay Haas joined Mahaffey at one-stroke back at 67.
There were 57 players who marked their positions on the course when the weather delay was called. They were able to resume their rounds but were halted again by darkness. They once again marked their positions on the rain-soaked course to return the next day to finish their first rounds.
“That’s as good as I’ve putted in a long, long time.”
Morgan’s lead wasn’t safe as both Curtis Strange and the veteran Lou Graham had it to 5-under par when play was halted for the day. Strange had completed 15 holes while Graham had made it through 14 holes.
Mahaffey’s back nine was a masterclass in putting. He holed putts in the 15–18-foot range four times and capped it off with a 30-foot birdie putt, his fifth bird in a six-hole stretch, on the 16th hole.
“That’s as good as I’ve putted in a long, long time,” Mahaffey said after his round.
The 57 players who still needed to complete their first-round arrived at the course at daybreak. The conditions were perfect in the morning with the course softened by the rains, temperatures in the high 60s, and no wind. Once they completed their rounds, they would turn right around and start their second rounds.
Strange secured pars on his remaining holes to post a first-round score of 66. Another player who returned that morning to finish his first round was Trevino, who went on a streak making five threes in a row and posted a 67.
“Something just clicked out there, and it stayed with me all day.”
Strange was able to get another stroke under par on his second-round front nine and then went on a tear on the back nine. He chipped in once for a birdie and made six more birdies for a sizzling 29 and a course-record tying 63. His six birdie putts were all under 10-feet, and he didn’t have a putt longer than 10-feet on the two holes he didn’t birdie.
“Something just clicked out there, and it stayed with me all day,” Strange said after his round.
Trevino continued to play well by adding a second-round 66 for a total of 133 and was tied with Dave Hill, Mike Reid, and Skip Dunaway. Reid’s round included a hole-in-one at the 180-yard, par-3, fifth hole.
Strange’s total of 129 tied for the best 36-hole total on the tour for the year, as did his 27 on the back nine.
“He must be playing exceptionally well,” Trevino said of Strange. “The conditions helped, too. The course was playing very easy.”
Morgan suffered putting issues on his way to a second-round 72 and a 137 total. Arnold Palmer added a second-round 69 to his first-round 71 for a 140 total.
The course had dried out from the rain earlier in the week for Saturday’s third round which would be televised by NBC. Strange kept humming along with a round of 66 and a total of 195 which was five shots better than any other 54-hole total on the tour for the year placing him in a fine position to break the tournament record of 268. In fact, his 195 total was the lowest 54-hole total in ten years on the tour. He was looking for his second tour victory and his biggest paycheck, $63,000, since joining the tour in 1977.
Trevino had a round of 68 placing himself in solo second place, while D.A. Weibring matched Strange’s 66 and was tied for third place, at 202, with Haas and Reid. Weibring felt that Strange had all but wrapped up the tournament.
“Curtis has been frustrated this year,” Weibring disclosed to reporters. “He did not get off to the good start he wanted to. He finished third in the Tournament of Champions [two weeks ago] and that gave him the confidence he has needed.”
The Houston Open scoring record was set by Bob Charles with a 268 in 1963 and matched by Wayne Levi in 1979. Strange had his sights set on achieving a new record.
“I said I needed to be three under when I walked off the fourth green.”
Morgan had fallen completely out of contention with a third round 78.
It was a muggy, windless, and hot day that greeted players for the final round on Sunday. While others may have been ready to anoint Strange the winner after 54-holes, Trevino was not one of them. He felt he could apply pressure on the young Strange and overtake him in the final round.
“I said I needed to be three under when I walked off the fourth green,” Trevino disclosed to reporters after his round. “And I was four under when I walked off the fourth green.
With a birdie on the seventh hole, Trevino had cut Strange’s lead in half. Strange was treading water as he played even-par golf. It appeared that Strange was falling victim to the mounting pressure.
With a massive mob of fans howling and yelling as they stormed behind Trevino, he birdied the long 10th hole and added another at the 13th hole cutting Strange’s lead to one shot. Strange, playing in the twosome behind Trevino, watched as Trevino hit his third shot approach shot to the 16th hole to within four feet of the hole. Strange then sent his drive into an unplayable lie in the knee-deep rough.
Trevino missed his four-footer for birdie and after Strange made bogey, they were even. Trevino finished his round with a par for a 65 and then made his way to the NBC tower behind the final green to provide commentary for the finish.
Strange, needing a par to tie Trevino, missed the green on the final hole and received a free drop from a sprinkler head. He then chipped up to three feet and then, showing no signs of the pressure, calmly stroked in the putt for a round of even-par 71. The two players would play a sudden-death playoff to determine the winner.
“I didn’t want to go for the middle of the green. I felt like I wanted to go right at the hole. I wanted it all.”
The playoff began on the 178-yard, par-3, 15th hole, and Trevino had the honors. Trevino’s shot landed safely in the middle of the green. Strange took a more aggressive line aiming right at the flag.
“I didn’t want to go for the middle of the green,” he told reporters later. “I felt like I wanted to go right at the hole. I wanted it all.”
And that’s exactly what he got.
He lofted a high shot that landed softly, about 12-feet from the hole. Advantage Strange. Trevino missed his long putt and then Strange stepped into his 12-footer and confidently stroked it in for the winning birdie.
“I felt in my heart that I was going to win it,” Strange declared after the victory. “I never got uptight. They should have been the guys getting uptight. They were trying to catch me and running out of holes. And I was hoping they would run out of holes as soon as possible.”
Arnold Palmer, who had been honored earlier in the week at the annual Houston Open champion’s dinner where he received a cowboy hat, western belt, and cowboy boots, shot the low round of the day, a 64 for a total of 276, his best performance in years.
For a week that started under stormy clouds and rain, and then opened the final round in what was considered a rout, it turned out to be quite the tournament with a fantastic finish including a sudden-death playoff.
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BONUS STORY
Curtis Strange recounted his second career PGA TOUR victory at the 1980 Michelob Houston Open with Bruce Devlin and Michael Gonzales of the Fore The Good of the Game podcast. Strange talked about defeating Lee Trevino in a playoff.
“I love Lee,” he began. “He’s always been extremely nice to me. I think he’s the greatest ball striker that I’ve ever seen—by far, as far as hitting shots when it counts. Not just on the practice tee but when it counts. He’s a genius, he’s fun, he was terrific.”
Then he talked about the playoff against Trevino in the 1980 Michelob Houston Open.
I said, ‘for chrissakes, Lee, it was my second win, give me a little bit of something there.”
“I had this playoff against him. You’re not intimidated by him, but I knew damn well that this guy doesn’t even know my name. So, my goal was to make him learn my name. I can talk like that now, but I was playing well. So, it was a par-3 so all I have to hit is one good shot. I hit a good shot and made a 20-footer.
But the part about this that I always remember, and I always remind Lee, is that when he shook my hand, it was a dead fish. It was a dead fish handshake that he gave me. I said, ‘for chrissakes, Lee, it was my second win, give me a little bit of something there. But I remember, he was upset, he was mad at himself.”
The Tour Backspin Show with our guests Jim McLean and Craig Welty has been unlocked for all subscribers. Want to get podcasts two weeks early? Upgrade to a premium subscription today to listen early. We talk about Craig’s dad, Carl Welty, and about how he used video to study the golf swing. Listen HERE.
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WHAT HOLE IS IT?
Are you on the leader board?
Congratulations to Bruce Effisimo, our 2023 champion, who correctly identified #9 at Innisbrook Resort Copperhead Course in Palm Harbor, FL, in last week’s WHAT HOLE IS IT? contest. Bruce beat out three other correct answers in the random drawing and a new golf polo is on its way to him. 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.
PGA TOUR Wrap-Up | Valspar Championship
Say what you will about the new PGA TOUR schedule with its Signature Events, but for golf nerds, it’s fun to watch the non-elevated events and witness the life-changing results that occur. Nowhere was this more apparent than in the Valspar Championship that featured plenty of drama down the stretch and resulted in Peter Malnati winning his second tournament, his first in nine years.
Malnati will now play in the Masters and the PGA Championship, as well as the remaining Signature Events. It was fun to watch the humble Malnati win while wearing a floppy bucket hat and sporting a yellow ball (because his son likes the color).
Malnati took advantage of a fortuitous drop from a sprinkler head, approved by a rules official, on the 16th hole enabling him to save par. His relief from the sprinkler head resulted in a lie he could get his putter on, as opposed to the lie he had in the deep rough. He birdied the next hole to go one shot in front of Cameron Young. He then parred the final hole while Young three-putted for bogey resulting in a one stroke victory for Malnati. Scroll down to the Check It Out feature for more on the drop at 16.
Cam Young will surely break through for his maiden victory soon. This was his seventh runner-up finish in 60 PGA TOUR starts.
This year will mark the first time that Malnati will play Augusta National. Here’s why:
Check out the highlight video from the PGA TOUR:
Read a recap of the tournament HERE.
Clips You Might Have Missed
Albatross!
Cam Young eagle.
Another hole out.
Carl Yuan on fire.
This is brutal from the DP World Tour.
Is this art? Or something more?
We’re getting close. You got your knome on?
Don’t miss our Masters Sale to upgrade to a premium subscription with the first year of the annual subscription 20% off. Get the deets HERE.
Tour Backspin Quiz | Houston Open Trivia
Who designed The Woodlands Country Club Tournament Course (formerly TPC at The Woodlands)?
Scroll down for answer
Swing Like a Pro
Curtis Strange’s swing in 1989. From the Carl Welty library. Listen to Carl’s son, Craig, and Jim McLean discuss the teaching methods used by Carl on The Tour Backspin Show podcast HERE.
Blind Shot
Click for something fun. 👀
Dylan Dethier of Golf Magazine has an interesting article on how tour pros think differently than you and me.
Rookie Chandler Phillips had a great week at the Valspar, but he had to work on his concentration after beaning two fans with an errant shot. Adam Schupak has the details in Golfweek.
Peter Malnati got a great break on the 16th hole in the final round of the Valspar Championship. Kevin Cunningham of Golf Magazine breaks it down for us.
Tour Backspin Music
The Clash in 1980.
Uncorked, The Life and Times of Champagne Tony Lema tells the story of one of the tour’s biggest stars in the mid-1960s. A fascinating glimpse into the traveling caravan that was the PGA TOUR during an era where the fields were full of “Mad Men” era personalities. From a hardscrabble youth spent on the “wrong side of the tracks” in the Oakland suburb of San Leandro, to the temptations of Elko, Nevada, to the bright lights of the PGA TOUR, Uncorked tells a story of determination, redemption and, above all else, a love story that documents how Betty, Tony’s new wife, provided the direction and motivation for him to become a top star. Order on Amazon.
WHAT IS HIP?
What the cool kids were wearing in 1980 at the country club.
Tour Backspin Quiz Answer:
Bruce Devlin, and his design partner, Robert van Hagge designed The Woodlands Country Club (formerly TPC at The Woodlands) in 1978.
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Vintage Ad
Final Thoughts
How many of the pros in this week’s Vintage Ad can you identify?
Sure seemed to be a lot of holed shots in the Valspar.
Are you a fan of the Masters Knomes? Let us know in the comments.