54th-Place Finisher Recalls ’66 U.S. Open

When Arnold Palmer blew the 1966 U.S. Open at San Francisco’s Olympic Club, Lee Trevino was making his first start in the tournament.

Trevino, of the Horizon Golf Club in El Paso, Tex., tied for 54th place with a score of 303.

“Don’t remember a shot I hit that week,” Trevino told Ken Denlinger of the Washington Post. “I do remember I was over by the clubhouse, and Arnold drove up. The people almost ran over me to get his autograph. They thought I was an elevator operator or something.”

Of his entry into the tournament, Trevino said: “Best deal I ever had. A sponsor paid my airline ticket, and for the room at a hotel near the airport. It was a 60-40 split, in my favor. Trouble is, the guy didn’t have any money.”

Add Trevino: Two years later, he still was virtually unknown when he won the U.S. Open in Rochester, N.Y.

“I was close to the lead every day, and after each round I would sit in a golf cart and drink beer,” he said. “People would walk right by. They thought I was the guy who ran the cart barn.”

Add Open: The volunteers at the Olympic Club are all wearing knickers, and that could pose a problem for Payne Stewart.

“Hopefully, nobody will be asking me for directions,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll be in the fairway, so that won’t happen.”

Said Cincinnati Manager Pete Rose, after the Houston Astros’ Mike Scott struck out 14 in blanking the Reds: “We had two guys who got the golden sombrero tonight. You know what the golden sombrero is, don’t you? It’s the hat trick plus one. Our No. 1 and No. 8 hitters struck out four times each.”

Trivia Time: What pitcher holds the American League record for lowest earned-run average, season, 300 or more innings, left-hander? (Answer below.)

Would-you-believe-it Dept.: Neal Heaton, a 27-year-old left-hander for the Montreal Expos, who pitched five years in the American League, had never batted in college, the minor leagues or the major leagues before this season.

As of Thursday, he was 11 for 36, a .306 average.

Cincinnati Bengals offensive guard Max Montoya explains why he is negotiating his own contract: “A lot of people have told me I’m crazy for not using an agent, but I think I know my situation better than any agent could.

“Besides,” he added, “I’m cheap.”

Dallas Coach Tom Landry thinks Brian Bosworth is the real goods, but Cowboy linebacker Jeff Rohrer told Jim Dent of the Dallas Times Herald: “This guy doesn’t know how tough it’s going to be, playing with world-class athletes in the NFL.

“He’s setting himself up for trouble. The expectations will be too high. I predict that after three years, he still won’t be regarded as one of the top 10 linebackers in the NFL.”

From Larry Guest of the Orlando Sentinel: “Vinny Testaverde, on the three different styles of his last three coaches, Howard Schnellenberger, Jimmy Johnson and Ray Perkins: ‘It’s just two, really. Coach Schnellenberger and Coach Perkins have a lot in common in that they both stress discipline and doing things the right way.’

“Hmmm.”

Trivia Answer: Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox in 1916, with an ERA of 1.75 in 324 innings.

Quotebook

PGA Seniors Tour golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez, on his go-for-broke style: “If they put the flag in the Titanic, I’ll go for it.”