Dave Stockton of Westlake, Ca., watches the ball drop into the cup on the fourth hole for a par 4 in the fourth round of the PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. on Aug. 16, 1970. The entire week in Tulsa was the fans displayed. The eventual champimemorable. Wife Kathy, pregnant on had to endure a hazard not part of the with son Ronnie who was born course. On every hole there was yelling in a month later, spent much of her support of Palmer and catcalls to disrupt time in the clubhouse out of the Stockton’s concentration. He particularly heat and the question of where remembered a scream from the gallery to eat was solved after finding an after he three-putted the fifth, “You’ve all-you-can-eat buffet featuring got’em now Arnie!” Along with other anMexican food. Both Stocktons noying instances, Stockton remembered it love south of the border food, and made him play harder vowing to “stand up it gave them a relaxing place for to Arnie’s Army.” And he did. At the sixth, Stockton made meals during their stay. Fortune was smiling on Stockton a long birdie putt followed on the seventh although it may not have seemed by an eagle after holing out a wedge. Stumso at the time. He related, “That bling to a double bogey on No. 8, he comweek was the first and only time I pleted the nine with another birdie putting fired a caddy. On Monday, the one everyone on notice he was in control. There was a final opportunity for Palmer they assigned me, the son of a bar owner the caddie master knew, I on the long 13th when Stockton hit into don’t think had ever the water guarding the green. Palmer had a been on a golf course. birdie putt, but Stockton’s wedge to inches In the practice round, gave him a tap-in bogey slamming the door right on the very first on his pursuers. Palmer’s second place was his third in a hole, he put my bag down in a bunker, PGA Championship and turned out to be so I knew there was his final bridesmaid finish and his last top a problem. I couldn’t 10 in the PGA. As most golf fans know The wait to finish the nine King never did win a PGA which kept him from achieving a career Grand Slam. to get someone else.” by ed travis Stockton was never a long hitter and Stockton continued, “The new caddie’s I asked Stockton about the equipment he name was Jed Day and Jed was a Southern used that week 52 years ago. “The Dave Stockton model by Spalding,” Hills member and had a low handicap, he certainly knew the course. He has since passed he said. “That’s persimmon woods and irons away, but this was one of the few times I you wouldn’t want to have to play today." Stockton also contrasted the ball back ever had my caddie read the greens. He was then, a Spalding Top Flite, that good and a lot of help, a big with those used today telling part of why I did so well.” me, “The game is different, At that time the PGA rechanged. The ball comes off quired players to use caddies the face so much faster dissupplied by the course, not tances are much greater.” their regular caddies they had The impression I received week-to-week on Tour. The was he wasn’t lamenting the fortunate teaming of Stockton modern equipment but simply and Day was a significant faccommenting on the facts. tor in the victory. Stockton, who had 10 wins “I had a good third round (a Jed Day during his career, received a 4-under 66) and had a nice lead going into Sunday. I was feeling pretty good 10-year exemption on the PGA Tour for his 1970 PGA but four years earlier, prior to a for Sunday’s last round,” Stockton said. The lead was three strokes over Ray- change in the rules, his friend Al Geiberger mond Floyd and by five over Palmer. How- had been given a lifetime exemption for ever, no one anticipated the drama that his 1966 PGA win. Stockton told me after his second PGA in 1976 he asked the Tour, would occur the final day. On Sunday, Stockton played with Palmer I’m sure with tongue in cheek, if he could in the last pairing. He pointed out, “Arnie add the six years between his two chamwas best of any of us with the galleries,” pionships to the 10-year award for 1976. and quick to say Palmer was always apolo- Needless to say, the answer was no but it getic about the often-boisterous favoritism does give us a sense of Stockton’s attitude
Local assist Stockton credits Jed Day for 1970 PGA
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ome of us remember the 1970 PGA Championship when Tulsa’s Southern Hills Country Club hosted the event for the first time with the result being a first-time major winner and The King missing another opportunity for the one major championship needed for a career Grand Slam. As everyone knows, the winner was a young Californian named Dave Stockton and The King, Arnold Palmer, finished in a tie for second at 281, two strokes behind the winner’s score of 1-under par. We caught up with the 80-year-old Stockton at the offices of Stockton Golf in Redlands, Calif., to ask him about his memories of the win and Oklahoma in August, when in Saturday’s third round the temperature reached 101 degrees. Stockton told me that as he completed his Monday practice round at Southern Hills while walking up the fairway to the 18th green he could visualize thousands of fans behind the green, just as they would be on Sunday. The 28-yearold, three-time winner in the preceding three years, was sure the vision was a great sign for his victory. 30
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