Remembering Tom Weiskopf
Tom Weiskopf, a great PGA Tour player from 1968-1982, passed away on August 20, 2022, of pancreatic cancer. I caddied for him in the 1970 Phoenix Open and wrote a blog on my impressions of the week, which I posted in May of 2016. In light of his passing, I have updated the post with a few edits and am reprinting it.
Weiskopf won 16 times on the PGA Tour including his 1973 Open win at Troon in Scotland. He was the runner-up four times at the Masters. He won the 1995 Senior Open and was a member of two winning Ryder Cup Teams.
Following his playing career, he became a successful golf course architect working with well-known architect Jay Morrish. He designed 73 courses including TPC Scottsdale, Loch Lomond in Scotland, and Yellowstone Club in Montana. He is credited with bringing back the drivable par four, now a standard on most new courses. In addition, he was a TV analyst for several years.
Tom Weiskopf was a complicated person. He struggled with alcohol for decades, finally getting it under control in 2000. He said at the time alcohol cost him a marriage and many friends. The relationship with his father was a challenge for him.
Born in Massilon, OH in 1942, it was thought he would be equal to a slightly older Jack Nicklaus. While an immense talent, Weiskopf didn’t have the interest or discipline. He would rather fish and hunt.
Chosen for his third Ryder Cup Team, he turned down the invitation to go sheep hunting.
A Life In Golf Blog Post May 15, 2016
“I think I can get you Tom Weiskopf’s bag for the Phoenix Open,” Joe Porter, a friend, and PGA Tour player said to me in early January of 1970.
“Sounds great,” I said. It was done, I had a bag for the 1970 Phoenix Open.
During the semester break of my junior and senior years in college, I caddied on the PGA Tour. I had become friends with a PGA Tour player, George Boutell, for whom I caddied. As in past years, the PGA Tour started on the west coast with the Phoenix Open the second tournament in January.
Being from Phoenix, George had a friend who regularly caddied for him in the Phoenix Open, therefore I did not have a bag for the tournament. “Not a problem,” said George, “we’ll find someone who doesn't have a caddie.” And so it was that Joe Porter, another Phoenix resident, and friend of Tom Weiskopf’s, set me up to caddie for the week.
It was a great bag. The 27-year-old Weiskopf was a top 25 money winner in 1969 and ready to break out into the career so many were predicting. He was married at the time to a former Miss Minnesota, Jeanie Ruth, whom he had met at the St. Paul Open some years earlier.
While a top player, Tom Weiskopf never achieved the greatness that was predicted. His nickname, “The Towering Inferno” probably explains why he did not achieve more. Despite a British Open win, four Masters runner-up finishes, and 16 total PGA Tour wins, many thought he might have achieved more.
He had a majestic golf swing, hit it a mile, and hit it high, the secret to great play. With the rock hard greens the tour plays, the ability to hit the ball high, allowing the ball to stop on the green was a big advantage.
“Hi, Cal Simmons,” I said to the tall, athletic Tom Weiskopf on Tuesday morning. At about 6'3" he was one of the tallest players on tour.
“Nice to meet you," he said as we shook hands. “Let’s go hit some balls,” and we walked out to the driving range. Like everything else at the Phoenix Country Club, the range was narrow and short. A shagger was on full alert working the range at the Phoenix Open.
The course was wall to wall. There was not one area on the course to stretch it out. The perimeter holes all had out of bounds, with streets and close back yards lurking. On the other hand, the interior had parallel fairways and tees near to greens, making it somewhat dangerous for everyday play.
In addition to being short, it was flat. The only defense was that it was tight. However, if the player could drive it straight, low numbers were there to be had.
With Viet Nam in full force, Tom was serving time in the National Guard reserves. He had been on his obligatory weekend duty and unable to play in the Los Angeles Open the week before. This was to be his first tournament in almost 2 months.
After some practice, we headed for the 1st tee.
“We can get yardages today and tomorrow, then you can get the hole locations for the tournament, right?” Tom said.
“Front, middle and back yardages, plus the hole locations?” I inquired.
“Ya, right.” he said.
During an uneventful practice round, he was not unfriendly but quiet and asked me basic questions like how old I was, where went to school, did I play golf. I could sense that after the tournament ended he would never remember me.
“He’s a great player and could win this week,” Joe said later that night. “Volatile. In college, he was as good as Nicklaus but could not keep it under control.”
“He hits it very long,” I replied. “Plus he hits his irons high and is a decent putter.”
Wednesday, pro-am day, was not something most professionals enjoyed, but they all knew it paid the bills. Slow play and partners that only played a few times a year were typical situations experienced on pro-am day.
Someone said, there are three types of tour professionals in a pro-am; half are great guys and perfect to be with, 25% are ok and the balance are pretty much jerks.
As we walked up to the first tee shortly before our starting time, Tom’s amateur partners were gathered somewhat forward, near the tee marker where they would play from. The back tee from which the professionals played, was back about 25 yards. Tom walked up and stood by his tee waiting for the starter to announce his name.
One by one each of the amateurs walked back and introduced himself to Tom. It would be some of the few words he would speak to them the rest of the day.
There is a story about a professional who acted like Tom. The team had played well, no thanks to the professional, and on the 18th green the pro said to one of the amateurs, “If you make this putt, we will win the event and I will win some money.”
“Really?” said the amateur. And with that, he turned around and whacked his ball back down the fairway.
That story might have applied to Tom. But with the combination of Tom and his amateur partners’ good play, the team finished second and Tom got a check. There was never any joy in the round. It was a job.
I have told the story to a few people who were on tour at the time. The response was the same from each of them. "Oh, that must have been when he was drinking." That may well have been true but he did not show up intoxicated or appear to drink on the course.
Thursday proved that even the best player cannot sit on the sideline for two months, come out on tour, and expect to play well. Driving it in the trees several times, Tom shot 73, which was not a good score by any measure. No “towering inferno”, just disgusted reactions. Another 73 would have him missing the cut.
Friday morning came and with it a new attitude. Tom played well, shooting 67, one of the low rounds of the day. But even with a good round, Tom was not a joyous guy. Perhaps he was just staying focused, not getting too high when a great round was underway or too low with a bad one.
I was happy. Tom made the cut and I had a bag for the weekend.
Saturday, Tom fired the lowest round I ever saw as a caddie in a tour event, 63. A flawless round from a great player, on top of his game, with perfect weather conditions. The result? A course record. It lasted one-half hour as Johnny Miller posted a 61 just as Tom was being interviewed by the press.
Johnny Miller, eight months on tour, fired his lowest round by six shots.
Sunday found Weiskopf in the second to last pairing with Homero Blancas, tied with Paul Harney, one shot behind Gene Littler and one ahead of Johnny Miller and his 61.
As with every PGA Tour event, it is difficult to win. On a course like the Phoenix Country Club someone would usually shoot a low score on Sunday and win. And that is just what happened, Dale Douglass shot 66. Tom played only fair, under the circumstances of having to play well. By the 16th hole he needed to make some magic.
He drove it long and straight down the fairway leaving himself 105 yards to a very accessible hole location. Making a beautiful swing, he hit a wedge that landed some 10 feet behind the hole and spun to three feet. He then slammed the club back in the bag in anger.
"What's wrong?" I said.
"Son of a bitch, I was trying to make that one! It should have spun more!" he spit out.
Finishing par, par at 17 and 18, he captured fourth place, three behind Douglas. It was the best finish of any PGA Tour event I ever caddied in. For that, I have to thank him.
Was he trying too hard to make a score? Did the fact that this was his first tournament in two months cause him anxiety on Thursday and Sunday, shooting 73 and 70 respectively? Nobody had a lower Friday- Saturday score of 130.
Walking to the clubhouse, we exchanged perfunctory plaudits on the week. He then said, "Jean will send you a check next week." The check showed up just as he said. I was paid what I expected, five percent of his $3,710 in winnings and the standard rate of $20 per day for six days.
I have not been around him since that week. He reportedly stopped drinking in 2000 and claimed to "be a different person."
Tom Weiskopf had a world of talent that was muffled by his emotional stability and alcohol abuse. However, his lasting legacy following sobriety is in the great courses he designed. The 1970 Phoenix Open with Tom Weiskopf was a great memory in A Life In Golf.
