Week of Redemption In Napa
Both Ken Still and Jack Montgomery came back from the abyss at the Kaiser International
The PGA TOUR starts its 2022/2023 season in Napa, CA, with the Fortinet Championship at Silverado Resort and Spa (North Course). This is a tournament that has roots that date back to 1968 when it was known as the Kaiser International Open. It has been known as the Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic, and the Michelob Championship at Kingsmill before going dormant in 2002. It was resurected as the Fry’s Electronics Open in 2007 at the Grayhawk Golf Club, Raptor Course, and became the Frys.com Open in 2008 moving to the CordeValle Golf Club in San Martin, CA, southeast of San Jose. In 2014 it moved to Silverado and in 2016 it became the Safeway Open before becoming the Fortinet Championship last year.
We’re backspinning to 1970 when Ken Still broke out of a slump and won in a three-way sudden death playoff.
We love to get feedback! Let us know what you think about Tour Backspin and the stories we tell. Email me at larry@tourbackspin.com.
Listen to The Tour Backspin Show podcast HERE or on Spotify and Apple Podcast.
Congratulations to Ryan Ross for correctly answering last week’s WHAT HOLE IS IT? The featured hole was #3 at Victoria National Golf Club in the Newburgh, IN. Ryan beat out three other correct answers in the random drawing. Submit a “Guest Post” picture for WHAT HOLE IS IT? and if we use it, you’ll win a prize and also be credited with a correct score on the leader board. Send your pic to larry@tourbackspin.com. Scroll down for your chance to win in this week’s WHAT HOLE IS IT?
I had a blast at the Robert Trent Jones Society annual meeting where I told the story of the 1966 PGA Championship at Firestone. Thank you to everyone at the RTJ Society and Matt and his crew at Point O’ Woods. What a great course.
We’re playing Kaiser International Open Trivia this week on the Tour Backspin Quiz. Scroll down to play.
Staying in 1970, the vintage ad is all about the introduction of the Spaulding Top-Flight ball. Scroll down to see. Also, check out the Tour Backspin Show interview with Al Geiberger and Dave Stockton to see how they used the Top-Flight ball. Listen HERE.
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.
Ken Still Breaks Out of Slump With a Sudden Death Playoff Victory at the Kaiser International
Ken Still (photo: Getty Images)
It is Thursday, October 22nd, 1970, and it is a beautiful, warm, and sunny day in Napa, CA, at the Silverado Country Club. It is the first round of the Kaiser International and both the North and South courses at Siverado are being used.
Jack Montgomery, had dropped off the tour just before the Hartford Open the first week of September. A balky driver had driven the 29-year-old off the tour. He went home to practice, and he did so with a new driver given to him by a friend. The new club, and the practice, paid off in Napa on that beautiful Thursday.
“I must have hit a million shots with that driver, and somewhere along the way, I lost my duck hook.”
Montgomery made seven birdies and didn’t have a bogey as he kept his driver under control to shoot a 65 and take a one-stroke lead over Ken Still of Tacoma, WA.
Montgomery was forced to Monday qualify to get into the field at Silverado. After his round, he spoke with reporters on how he got his driver game back into form.
“I must have hit a million shots with that driver,” he said about the club that was gifted to him. “and somewhere along the way, I lost my duck hook.”
Still was battling a slump of his own that was brought on by a cracked rib he suffered in a bathroom accident at the San Diego Open in January. He dropped off the tour for two months and then took another four months before he could regain his game.
Five players were bunched up at 67, two-strokes off Montgomery’s lead, including Chi-Chi Rodríguez. Dave Hill, and Bert Yancy were in a group of seven players who shot 68 and Lee Trevino tied with seven other players at 69.
“I’ve had troubles ever since I cracked my ribs. I’m just trying to play my way out of it.”
The beautiful weather of Thursday’s first round disappeared and was replaced by a day-long rain that forced the postponement of Friday’s second round. The second round would be played on Saturday and a 36-hole final round would be played on Sunday.
Players were greeted Saturday morning with wet and soggy courses. Still played the North course on Saturday and fired a three-under 69 and moved into the lead at 135. Montgomery stumbled to a 72 and was two-strokes off the lead. Dave Hill added a 69 to his first round 68 and was tied with Lee Trevino, Montgomery and three others at 137.
“I’ve been in a slump, that’s all,” Still explained after his round. “I’m the first to admit it. I’ve had troubles ever since I cracked my ribs. I’m just trying to play my way out of it.”
Still took his two-stroke lead into the 36-hole final round and shot a 71 while Lee Trevino picked up a stroke shooting a 70. Bert Yancy shot a 69 and sat two-strokes off the lead, while Dave Hill added a 72 and was three-strokes off Still’s pace.
The final round, played that Sunday afternoon, was full of twists and turns that kept the result in doubt. Still three-putted both the 15th and 16th holes that put him one-stroke behind Trevino and Yancy who were both in the clubhouse with a 278, 10-under-par. Still would need to birdie the 18th hole to get into a sudden-death playoff.
“I never gave up. I struggled and fought and had troubles, but I never gave up on myself.”
Playing the par-5 18th hole at Silverado’s North Course, Still put his second shot close to the green. He then chipped up to within eight feet and made the putt to capture a share of the lead and add his name to the playoff with Trevino and Yancy.
The playoff began on the par-3 15th hole and Still ripped his tee shot that finished three feet from the hole. Yancy had hit his tee shot into a bunker but was able to save his par. Lee Trevino was laying three inside of Still’s ball. Still stepped up and calmly stroked his three-footer into the cup for the victory and the $30,000 first place winner’s check.
“I just said to myself, ‘Okay, grandma, here we go.”
“I never gave up,” Still said after his round. “I struggled and fought and had troubles, but I never gave up on myself.”
Still explained to reporters how he had dedicated the tournament to his grandmother who had died the week before the Kaiser. “I just said to myself, ‘Okay, grandma, here we go,”
For Yancy, it was a profitable week. He came to the Kaiser after winning the CBS Golf Classic with his partner Tom Weiskopf. They beat Frank Beard and Larry Hinson to take home the $70,000 first place prize (each player won $35,000). Yancy added another $13,874 giving him $48,875 for the week.
Montgomery finished at 279, one shot short of making it into the playoff. Dave Hill also missed the playoff by one stroke (see this week’s bonus story). Jerry Heard also missed making the playoff by one stroke.
For Montgomery, a Monday qualifier, it was a week of redemption. But for Ken Still, who broke out of a prolonged slump, the week was a salvation to his career and an ode to his grandmother.
Ken Still jumps in the air as the putt that won the playoff for the 1970 Kaiser International falls into the cup (photo: AP Wirephoto)
This week’s Bonus Story is all about conflict. Scroll down to see.
Be sure to checkout Chargin’ Through 1970, our playlist this week. 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
Tour Backspin Playlist
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 | Kaiser International Open Trivia
Who won the 1969 Kaiser International Open?
Answer below
Bonus Story
Bonus Story
The bad blood started in June of 1970 at the Kemper Open. Bad weather earlier in the week forced a 36-hole final round on Sunday. Dave Hill and Chi-Chi Rodríguez were paired with one another and Hill was in contention.
Chi-Chi loved to play to his fans. He told jokes and stories, waved his putter after making a long putt, like a matador waving his sword after successfully killing the bull. Or he would place his straw hat over the hole after making a putt in a humorous way to keep the ball in the hole.
All of it was quite the distraction to some of his playing partners on the TOUR and Dave Hill was not a fan. The two almost came to blows on the back nine of the afternoon round. Once in the clubhouse, the tension boiled over and the two did come to blows. Hill thought that Rodríguez’s antics had cost him the tournament.
“I’m sure I could have killed him, the frame of mind I was in,” Hill wrote in his autobiography Teed Off. “Officials kept me away from him and got him out of there.”
Fast forward to October and the final round of the Kaiser International at Siverado Country Club where again, the weather forced a 36-hole final round. Hill was again paired with Rodríguez. During the playing of the 10th and 11th holes angry words were exchanged between the two. As the situation deteriorated and the pair looked likely to, once again, exchange blows, a TOUR official was called to settle their clash.
Before the official arrived on the scene, Hill took a triple bogey on the 11th hole. After the official restored order, the two players finished their round in silence. Hill managed to shoot a 70 but missed the three-way playoff by one stroke.
Ken Still (l) and Dave Hill (r) at the 1969 Ryder Cup at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. (photo: Getty Images
Blind Shot
Click for something fun. 👀
Tour Backspin Quiz Answer:
Trick question! There were two Kaiser International Opens in 1969. In the first, played in January, three days of rain washed out the final two rounds and the leader, Miller Barber, was declared the champion. The prize money was reduced by half with Barber winning $13,500. He beat Bruce Devlin by 1-stroke.
The tournament was rescheduled for late October and early November where Jack Nicklaus won a four-man, sudden death playoff. Don January was eliminated on the first playoff hole as the other three players made birdies. The playoff was then called for darkness, to be resumed the next morning. On Monday morning the playoff was delayed by fog. Finally, Nicklaus sank a 12-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole to defeat Billy Casper and George Archer. Nicklaus won $28,000.
Vintage Ad
