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Home , Al Balding, Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus

The travel is endless, the pressure is fierce, but the money is great. The 3 big ones talk about

JACK NICKLAUS, , : "SOME SPECTATORS ARE THOUGHTLESS AND SOME GREENS ARE LIKE PEANUT BRITTLE."

Eifteen years ago I decided to play golf small, sensational South African, and and finally home. Do you know how long 1 on the professional-tournament cir- young , whom many ac- I was gone? Two weeks. cuit. I don't think I believed that I could claim as golf's next superstar. They had PRICE: This much traveling has got to actually win a tournament. My real rea- been playing at the in San make for a hectic life. Got any regrets? son—I think now—was to see just how Francisco, and this is the way the con- PALMER: I love to fly. But it can get to be much I would choke. versation went: a pain. Like when you sit up all night at In that respect the experiment was a an airport waiting for the fog to lift or success. When I joined the circuit I had a PRICE: When I used to travel on the cir- something, and then you got to play the long, lazy backswing. Six months later I cuit, a pro thought he was really moving next day. found it difficult to raise the club past the around if he went 20,000 miles a year. PRICE: Of course the life has its com- level of my hips, and my once-effortless PLAYER: I travel more than that a month. pensations. follow-through had begun to resemble, as I finished a tournament near here last NICKLAUS: Everybody says we make a lot one pro put it, an old lady beating off a Sunday, then flew to my club in the Ba- of money. Well, we do. But we have to purse snatcher with an umbrella." hamas and back by Wednesday. That's spend so darn much. Traveling with your Every so often since then I have gone 6,000 miles right there. kids you have to spend, oh, $35 a night back to the circuit just to see how things NICKLAUS: I fly about 100,000 miles a for two rooms if you're lucky. Now you are getting along. I now confine myself to year, and both Arnie and Gary fly more. multiply that - the gallery, where I belong, or to the club- PALMER: We don't think in terms of just PLAYER: Last year I had my wife and house, where I shoot dialectics with one miles any more. I mean, how can you? three children, my mother-in-law and also or another of the pros while he is chang- Last year I flew from my home near a nurse, all traveling together. That made ing his shoes or grabbing a sandwich or to New York, then to Miami, seven of us. We had 20 pieces of baggage. having a beer. Not long ago, tape recorder back to New York, on to Paris, Johan- Every time I arrived at or left an airport MODERATED BY in hand, I cornered the three currently nesburg, all over and it cost me six dollars to tip the porters. ranking pros: Arnold Palmer, the game's Southern and Northern Rhodesia, then PRICE: In all this traveling what impresses CHARLES PRICE acknowledged master; Gary Player, the Athens, Rome, Milan, back to New York you most about the game? 66 "This starter sure has everything anyone could "You have to stay within yourself ask for!" and think your shots through. Stop thinking and the wheels come of your game."

GOLF ROUND TABLE us putted to within two feet of the hole, and then all three of us missed the cup PLAYER: Without a doubt golf will be the with our next putts. As I walked off the national game of the world in another ten green some guy comes up to me and says, years. "Boy, you sure make me feel good miss- PRICE: Would you say the appeal of the ing those short putts. Are the greens game is due to the fact that golf is so— really that bumpy?" This guy was on the well, civilized? course, and he couldn't tell how bumpy NICKLAUS: Yes. Golf is still the gentle- they were. Why, it was like trying to putt man's game. on peanut brittle. BULLETIN 709 Size 2 PALMER: Pros are conscientious enough PRICE: In an ordinary round of golf most across-the-line starter. about the sportsmanship angle that they people concede themselves that six- Rated 15 hp, 220 v; incher. That's one of the differences be- 25 hp, 440-550 v. don't need somebody standing over them saying they should be penalized for this tween tournament golf and everyday or for that. If the ball moves acciden- golf. What are some more? tally, for instance, they're gentlemen PLAYER: In tournament golf you get enough to say the ball moved and that charged up. Of course he's referring to the they should be penalized a stroke. That's PRICE: Yes, but why is it some people can the great, great thing about golf. You play when they are charged up while Bulletin 709 Series K starters don't have to have a referee standing over others cannot? you and saying you were roughing the PALMER: I think we apply ourselves a II Here's a line of motor starters designed to please you and your electrical opposition or that you slid into the bag little more in tournaments. The differ- maintenance man. Easy to install, easy to inspect and easy to maintain— too late. You do it yourself. You don't ence is as simple as that. But that doesn't plus extra millions of trouble free operations. like to but you do it, without hard mean we don't play hard all the time. Our Simple in design — having only ONE moving part — there's nothing that can feelings. scores are often a little higher during cause trouble. The weld-resistant, cadmium oxide silver contacts do not re- PRICE: Is there anything in golf you do practice because we experiment or work on weak shots. We'll try these shots on quire service attention — they're good until the silver is completely worn away. have hard feelings about? PALMER: Unruly galleries. Not spectators Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but And it's so easy to inspect the contacts from the front of the starter — simply individually, but galleries collectively on Thursday we go to the shots we know. loosen two captive screws and lift off the arc hood cover. Allen-Bradley's when they aren't controlled properly. I This experimenting is true for any part of exclusive pressure molded coil is not affected by mechanical damage, and enjoy large galleries. They can get you the game, even putting. I'm sure we all is not subject to harmful atmospheres. The blindfold test below shows clearly charged up, and they can make a good use shots early in the week that we would how easy it is to remove the coil. target out of a green when they're stand- never even try when the tournament Auxiliary contacts can be fastened to the front of the arc hood in a matter ing around the edge of it. But I don't en- starts. But once we get to know these of seconds. Standard kits make it easy to add push buttons, selector switches, joy large galleries when the marshals are shots well enough to attempt them in a pilot lights, or a third overload relay out in the field. just a bunch of nice guys in red coats who tournament, we do. PRICE: In Florida a few weeks ago Sam All of the "facts" are detailed in our Publication 6100, which you can get are out to enjoy the tournament. Some of them don't even care if the galleries Snead was telling me that he used to play from a nearby, exclusive Allen-Bradley distributor. Or write to Allen-Bradley walk on the greens. 10 or a dozen shots in a round of tourna- Co., 1200 S. Third St., Milwaukee 4, Wisconsin. In : Allen-Bradley PLAYER: I was standing on the fairway of ment golf that were extraordinarily good. Canada Ltd., Galt, Ontario. the second hole at a tournament recently, Ten or 20 years ago, he said, he could looking the shot over and trying to de- count on these shots' making a round of cide what to hit, and—pow !—some guy golf successful. Today, he says, he can't walks right into me and almost knocks bring off more than one or two shots blindfolded me down. On the 15th tee I'm getting exactly as he planned them. ready to hit my when I spot some PALMER: Exactly the way he planned The coil can be changed them? That's a lot of shots, two in 18 in less than 5 minutes. guy right here with a bloody movie It takes only two minutes to camera. Right here above me in a tree, holes, I think, to come off exactly as you remove the coil—three min- not ten feet away. "Please," I said, "give plan them. utes to replace it and to re- me a chance, will you?" Well, I finally get NICKLAUS: I don't hit two a year. That is, assemble the starter. Time it the ball on the edge of the green some- two that go in the hole. and see for yourself. All parts how, and I'm getting ready to putt, and PALMER: I don't believe Sam meant that are "keyed." You can't pos- some old lady trips over my putter in the he could knock it stiff into the cup 11 or sibly reassemble the starter middle of my backswing! 12 times in a round. If you hit two shots incorrectly. PRICE: Those are things you can't ap- a round that come off the way you planned preciate if all you know about the circuit them exactly, that's exceptional. Playing is what you read in the morning papers. today I hit 18 tee shots that were on the Another thing people can't appreciate is fairway or on the green, but I didn't hit the often poor conditions of the fairways any of them exactly the way I planned. In ALLEN-BRADLEY fact, I didn't plan any of them very pre- Member of NEMA and the greens. Ntocukus: Sometimes you can't appre- cisely, and I never do unless the fairway's QUALITY MOTOR CONTROL ciate how bad they are until you play very, very narrow. I just try to drive it on them. The other day I was paired with the fairway in a position that I like in and . All three of order to get to the green. Then I think

68 NICKLAUS: Sure. hitting a five-iron. It all adds up to about PALMER: Well, I don't. I feel like I swing 12 strokes' difference in a tournament. pretty much the same all the time. This is amazing. I play an eight-iron or PLAYER: How can you change your nine-iron on every hole, and this man swing? Why would you if you could? plays a five-iron or six-iron. I guarantee PRICE: We mean that a man's true I'm going to get inside him on the green swing—a swing stripped of frills and any more times than he's going to get inside sort of fanciness he might use otherwise— me. This is one hell of an advantage. will come out when he plays the last three PLAYER: When it comes to the difference holes of a tournament he happens to be between a seven-iron and a bloody four- leading. In other words, when the pres- iron, then you're talking about a big ad- sure is greatest. That's the swing, Penna vantage. But I think that if you're playing implies, that a man is going to be stuck well you invariably feel that you can get with for the rest of his playing life. the ball as close with, say, a five-iron as PALMER: Oh, I see. Yes, I agree ab- you can with a seven. solutely. PALMER: I hate five-irons. PRICE: Later on he might add something PLAYER: You do? here or subtract something there, but his PALMER: I'd rather hit a four-iron or a basic swing will be revealed holding onto six-iron any time. the lead during the seventieth, seventy- NICKLAUS: Isn't that funny? I'd rather PLAYER AND NICKLAUS CHAT ABOUT GOLF WITH A NOTED AMATEUR. first and seventy-second holes. hit the five than the four or the six. PRICE: That's his real swing. PRICE: What do you think will be the next PLAYER: That's my best swing. big advance in the overall standards of NICKLAUS: I don't know. I try to use the tournament golf? about getting the ball close to the hole. I an internal thing, something that you same swing all the time, but I'm a lot more Ntocukus: The present way of playing think I'm fortunate if I can get two of can't explain. You just can't put it here careful with it during the last three holes was pioneered by , I think. these shots where I can make the putt on the table and analyze it. I try to find a of a tournament I'm leading. Hogan perfected every shot except the with no problems. In other words, the solution to it within myself, and then 1 go PRICE: What do you think is the one ab- putter, but somebody's going to perfect putt will be almost a "gimme." try and play. If somebody else can tell solute essential to this swing? the putter too. Ben perfected the drive, PLAYER: I think another reason why we you how you can conquer this thing, I'd PLAYER: Nobody can say what it is. the fairways woods, the irons, the pitch, sometimes play better in a tournament love to hear the solution. Whatever the You've got to use what suits you. A man the chip—everything. than we do in practice is the fact that solution is, I'll practice it. like Arnie might think of his hands. I PALMER: That's right. You have to per- we're conscious of the tournament a long PLAYER: Also, in golf the ball is abso- might think of keeping my head steady. fect every shot in the bag. You just start time before we start. A practice round we lutely stationary. It kind of hypnotizes Another guy might think of turning his playing a lot of bad shots with any one don't give any preliminary thought to. you as you stand over it, and you're con- hips. No two people swing a golf club club in your bag today, and you don't We just play it. But a tournament is some- scious of it being stationary and - alike. That's why a man's style to me is win tournaments. thing exceptional. We make an effort. PALMER: Don't bring up any theories I never impressive. If the man is great at PLAYER: The standards of play today are And we have four goes at it: four days haven't heard of! impact, that's all that really counts. too good. At the St. Petersburg Open two when the excitement's big. PLAYER: You know what I mean. Under pressure, that's the big thing. years ago, 276 wasn't even in the money. PALMER: Basically a golfer's life is lived NICKLAUS: I don't. My ball's always mov- NICKLAUS: We're all different. Gary's That's an average of four 69's. four days a week, Thursday through ing. I can't even catch the thing sometimes. head goes down at impact. He gets be- PALMER: There's about 10 million people Sunday [tournament days]. The rest of PRICE: Groat complained that it was the hind the ball that way. Arnie takes his in the who play golf. Out of the time he's just working on his game. loneliness of tournament golf that both- hands through differently. It almost looks 10 million just think how small 200 golf- NICKLAUS: Existing. Just existing. ered him. as though he doesn't even break his ers—the number of touring pros—are. PRICE: , one of the most wrists going through the ball. He does, PRICE: Most of these 200 players are go- perceptive golfers on the circuit, recently Easy shots look hard but it almost looks as though he doesn't. ing to be at the . said that he thought you, Jack, were go- I might look like—I don't know what I Who's going to win it? ing to be unquestionably the next big PALMER: If a golfer is truly concentrating look like. NICKLAUS: Well, Gary says he is, and player in the game—meaning, I suppose, he doesn't feel the loneliness. He's there, PRICE: Where do you get all your power Arnold says he is, and I say I am. in the image of Snead or Hogan. Then he and he's got a job to do. from, Jack? For a big man you have PALMER: No, I didn't say I would. I added, "But I hope he doesn't think him- PRICE: But the effects of blowing a short awfully small hands. never will be quoted as saying I'm going self out of his game." putt - NICKLAUS: I think everybody gets his to win a tournament. NICKLAUS: I hadn't heard that, but Dutch PLAYER: That's what makes golf tough. power from different places. I think Gary PLAYER: But you're going there to win, probably means that the more and more The strain is on the simple shots even gets his power because he's got his aren't you? a fellow plays, the smarter he thinks he more than on the difficult ones. If you're hands - PALMER: But I would never say it, think gets. I have to take a lot of time now, playing in front of 10,000 people, and PALMER: He's flat. it or anything. which I do. But - you have a three-foot putt, let's say—in NICKLAUS: He's flat, and he's got such PLAYER: Now wait a minute, Arnie. PALMER: Not only playing golf, either. everybody's mind they're expecting you good hand action, so much whip at the PALMER: But I wouldn't play if I didn't PLAYER: Jack needs three alarm clocks to to make it. And you know that you should ball. Arnold gets his power through his think I could win. get himself out of bed in the morning. make it. If you miss it you're going to feel shoulders. I think where I get most of my NICKLAUS: And if you don't win you'll NICKLAUS: Quit interrupting. As you foolish. The prospect magnifies the three- power is from my legs. chew the grips off your clubs. find more and more things to think about, foot putt out of all proportion to what the PALMER: Take Jackie Burke. Here's a guy PLAYER: Nobody goes into a tournament and more and more things to do, pretty shot actually is. who isn't particularly powerful anywhere, knowing that they're going to win it. You soon, as Dutch says, you're going to out- PALMER: In golf there is no way to release and this guy can hit a ball pretty well. got to go there hoping you're going to think yourself. I'm aware of that. your energy except through your golf He's very well coordinated. He has every- win it. PRICE: Dick Groat, a former All-American shots. And if you release it through your thing working for him, everything. His NICKLAUS: Naw, Palmer doesn't have a player and a star major-league shots you run the risk of releasing the ball toenails are working for him. chance anymore. shortstop, is also a four-handicap golfer. right out of bounds. In golf you've just NICKLAUS: His swing's as good as PLAYER: I'll say this about the Masters: In other words, he's a pretty good club got to stay within yourself and think your Snead's, I think. There has never been a in the player. Anyway, he's said that there is shots through. You've got to think. When PALMER: I think so, too, frankly. history of the game that suited a man nothing in sports to compare to the con- you stop thinking on the golf course, NICKLAUS: Can you imagine a man the more than Augusta National suits Arnie. tinuous pressure of tournament golf. that's when the wheels usually come off size of [six feet five, 250 Never! He's got a four-stroke bloody ad- PALMER: I played with Groat in a tourna- your game. pounds] swinging like Jack Burke does? vantage before we tee off. Almost every ment. Actually he was pretty good under PRICE: Toney Penna, a good judge of golf PALMER: You'd never find the ball. He'd hole is dogleg left. pressure, and, frankly, I don't know why flesh, once said that every golfer in the drive over every green. PALMER: You don't like Augusta Na- he let the tournament bother him so much. world has two swings: the one he uses PLAYER: It's a pity that a man has got the tional—is that right? But he did. He didn't sleep any night he during the last three holes of a tourna- strength of Bayer, really, and doesn't re- PLAYER: No, that's my favorite golf was there. He was in bed early, but he ment he's winning and the one he uses lease on the ball the way he should. Here course in the world. wasn't sleeping. He let the tournament the rest of the time. he's got this power, and he's cutting ev- Niciu_Aus: It's my favorite golf course keep him awake. of Okla- PALMER: I disagree. ery shot, throwing away the power. too. But I don't like dogleg lefts. homa says the same thing. He's played NICKLAUS: I agree with him, sort of. In NICKLAUS: Jack Burke made a pretty PLAYER: It's a hooker's course. football and coached football, but he other words, when you're leading a good point the other day about power. PALMER: I've practiced for years to be thinks golf is much tougher on you. In tournament and - He said that every time we start out in a able to fade the ball toward the left dur- football, he says, a man can get nervous PALMER: May I interrupt? I think I know tournament together I automatically start ing the Masters. and excited before a game, but then he what you're going to say. You agree with out about 12 shots ahead of him. I can PLAYER: Fade! I'll tell you one thing— can relieve all that tension by going out Penna only because you feel that you reach all the -fives in two shots, and that fade is for the birds. Fade the ball on the field and busting somebody's head. swing a little freer the last three holes he can only reach two of them maybe. out on this circuit, and you'll fade right But in golf what are you going to do? It's where you're leading a tournament. Every time I'm hitting an eight-iron he's out of the picture. THE END 69