The Easter Flood, Magnolia Classic and Ken Lindsay
How it took Ken Lindsay two years to get a payday from the Magnolia Classic. Blame it on the rain.
It was raining in Hattiesburg. It always rained in Hattiesburg during the Magnolia Classic and in 1979 the downpours arrived on Friday and Saturday. The Magnolia Classic was an alternate event held each year for the players who had not qualified for the Masters. The same storm front that was playing havoc with the tournament in Hattiesburg caused a delay on Friday at the more venerable event in Augusta.
The rains began over much of Mississippi late Wednesday night and plagued the tournament in Hattiesburg through Friday with delays, even though they were able to get the first two rounds completed. David Lundstrom shot a 65 in the first round and followed it up with a 68 on Friday to hold a two stroke lead over Bill Calfee. Scott Simpson was another stroke back.
In Saturday’s third round, a club pro from the Colonial Country Club in Jackson, MS, named Ken Lindsay, made a move up the leader board. After 15 holes he had battled his way to within four shots of the leader, Scott Simpson, who had posted a three-round total of 202.
As Lindsay walked off the 15th green after putting out, he noticed Wade Cagle, a PGA Tour official, approach. Cagle had some delicate information to relay to Lindsay.
“Ken,” Cagle began, “Somebody just called us from your club in Jackson. Your house is about to flood.”
The constant rain overwhelmed the Pearl River and caused massive flooding in the towns of Jackson, Flowood, Pearl, Richland and other towns along the river, forcing 17,000 residents to flee their homes. The rain sent the Pearl River 15 feet above flood level and resulted in several feet of water inundating the streets of Jackson.
Lindsay finished his round and then withdrew from the tournament forfeiting a nice paycheck in the process.
“I had no choice,” he explained to a reporter after he withdrew. “My house is under water. My clubhouse might go under, too.”
Lindsay drove the approximate 90 miles from Hattiesburg to Jackson and the next morning he found that the clubhouse at Colonial was not flooded. Then with fellow Jackson area pros, Ben Nelson, Arvin Ginn, and Robbie Webb, in a borrowed boat, made the trek out to Lindsay’s house. They found six feet of water and began to salvage what they could.
Instead of a nice paycheck from the Magnolia Classic, Ken Lindsay lost all his furniture, trophies, scrapbooks, and a whole lot more.
The next year, Lindsay was back in the field. He shot an opening round 68 and was just three strokes back of the leader Roger Maltbie. And then the rains came. It rained so hard for the next three days that they just gave up trying to finish the tournament and declared the first rounds results as the final results. Lindsay collected $1,500 for a tie for third place.
“It took me two years, but I finally got in four rounds of the Magnolia Classic,” Lindsay quipped when it was all over.
Residents in Jackson, MS rescued from their rooftop by boat during the Easter Flood in 1979
See how Roger Maltbie won the 1980 Magnolia Classic in the Bonus Fact below.
We’re coming to the Bay Area! A book signing on Friday 10/8 from 6pm to 8pm at Eagle Club Indoor Golf at 840 Fulsom St in San Francisco. We’ll be on The Shag Bag radio show on Saturday, October 9th on KION 1460 am / 101 fm live from the clubhouse at Del Monte Golf Course in Monterey at 9 am. Finally, we will be participating in the George Archer Foundation Pro-Am fundraiser at The Peninsula Country Club on Monday, October 11. We’re looking forward to meeting our Bay Area and Central Coast subscribers!
Bonus Fact
Roger Maltbie won the rain shortened one-round 1980 Magnolia Classic. Being an alternate event to the Masters, the Magnolia was not an official PGA Tour event (it became an official event in 1994). Still, Maltbie won $4,500 for his "victory". When a reporter interviewing him in his motel room while he packed up on Sunday mentioned that $4,500 was a pretty good payday for one round of golf, Maltbie wasn’t buying it.
“Hell, that won’t even cover my bar tab,” Maltbie said.
Roger Maltbie reunited with the check he won, and then lost while celebrating, for his 1975 win at the Pleasant Valley Classic. The check was returned to Maltbie in 2016.