Do you believe in astrology?
The final round Sunday of the 1972 PGA Team Championship came and my player, John Schlee, and his partner, Bob E. Smith, had a great front nine.
As I was walking to the tenth tee, I heard someone calling me. I saw it was my friend Mike Hafera, who I mentioned was caddying for Gibby Gilbert and partnered with Lanny Wadkins. He was in the last group since they were leading the tournament.
He was so excited. He said that Wadkins was knocking down flagsticks on the practice range and that they were going to win for sure. I told Mike I was rooting for him as I headed to the tenth tee.
This is the fifth in a 10-part series of recollections by Ed Wieszczynski, who caddied at Oakmont Country Club near Puttsburgh from 1967 to 1975, including at the 1973 U.S. Open. While looping, he encountered the likes of Arnold Palmer, Byron Nelson, Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle
My team continued to play well. We were part way through the back nine and a par 4 hole came up where all the caddies forecaddie – or went ahead of the players to spot their tee shots part way down the length of the hole.
The previous hole was a par 3 and the next tee was about a 75-yard walk back, so the players took their drivers and the caddies walked out in the rough adjacent to the fairway and waited for the drives to come our way.
John Schlee hit it in the middle of the fairway, but Bob E. Smith pulled it towards the lake that guarded the left side. I walked over with Bob E. Smith’s caddie and we saw that the ball was not in the water, but it was sitting in dirt inside the hazard line.
I saw the caddie set the bag down next to the ball. Now this caddie had not said two words to me the entire week. There were a number of Laurel Valley caddies who were mad that the course had called in caddies from Oakmont. I guess there were some younger kids that were denied jobs, but that was not my fault.
nyhow, as the golfers were walking towards us, I told him that I did not think he was allowed to put the golfer’s equipment (bag) down in a hazard. He just looked at me with a smirk as if to say I didn’t know what I was talking about. OK, I just waited. Finally the golfers arrived and Bob E. Smith screamed at his caddie that he could not have his bag sitting inside the hazard line. He picked up his ball and angrily threw it in the lake. He was out of the hole. So it was up to John Schlee by himself. Fortunately, he hit a beautiful iron shot two feet from the hole and the team made birdie anyhow. I thought the other caddie might say something to me, but he didn’t. OK, I was just trying to be constructive.
The team of Schlee and Smith finished the round making more birdies and made a big move up the leaderboard – from around 25th place to a tie for ninth. All that was left was for me to pack Mr. Schlee’s clubs and wait for payment. Mr. Schlee cleaned up in the locker room and then came out to find me. He gave me a check for $175. Not bad for six days work in 1972.
Unfortunately for my friend Mike, Gibby Gilbert and Lanny Wadkins crashed and burned and finished well out of the lead. The tournament was won by Kermit Zarley and Babe Hiskey. Second place went to two newcomers Grier Jones and Johnny Miller.
Coming Saturday
‘Confessions of an Oaknont caddie’
Caddying fpr Mickey Mantle
and Whitey Ford
John Schlee stayed and talked to me for a few minutes. After the rough start we had, he was very nice to me. He told me that he was a protege of Ben Hogan and he told me many stories about him. I enjoyed them greatly.
hen the big news. He asked me if I believed in astrology. I was trying to be nice, so I said that I had an open mind. He said that he was a firm believer and that all of his positive signs were all aligned for June of 1973, the same month of the U.S. Open which was set for Oakmont Country Club.
He knew I was an Oakmont caddie and he told me that if I had the chance, I should caddie for him because he was going to win it. I told him if I had the chance I would. But deep down, I didn’t want to because I didn’t think his game suited Oakmont under U.S. Open conditions.
Besides, if the caddie drawing was fixed, which I had heard that it always was, I wanted to caddie for Chi Chi Rodriguez. I wished him good luck for the rest of the season and hoped to see him at Oakmont in June. More on the amazing story of John Schlee later.
Featured photo illustration of Ed Wieszczynski at Oakmont wearing his 1973 U.S. Open jumpsuit created with ChatGPT
Ed Wieszcznski lives in Pittsburgh
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