Dave Stockton - "GMO or The Open?" SHORT TRACK

Intro Music 0:07

Straight down the middle. It went straight down the middle. Then it started to hook just a little bit.

Mike Gonzalez 0:16

You guys mentioned uh uh in terms of traveling to places like the British Open where it was uh some guys couldn't afford to go over there because of time and money. Uh I'll take you back to the GMO, Dave, in 1968, because that was the first one. And it did, as you said, it ran up uh right against the British Open. And uh it wasn't a difficult choice, probably, for players of your era when you consider the the costs in terms of travel, time, and money to get over to the British Open. But uh the GMO that year had a purse of 200,000. Uh when you won, and by the way, that was the second highest purse on the PGA tour that year. Uh when you won, you won$40,000 for first prize. You guys remember what the winner's share was in the British Open that same week?

SPEAKER_03 1:05

I have no idea. Not not that much, I know that. I'd say six or six or ten or something.

Mike Gonzalez 1:12

You won forty thousand dollars. Uh the winner at the British Open, uh, which happened to be at uh Carnoustie, I think that year, three thousand pounds, seventy two hundred dollars.

SPEAKER_03 1:24

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Good good pick, David. Yeah, yeah.

Mike Gonzalez 1:29

Um and the other problem was uh they played the PGA championship the following week.

unknown 1:36

Right.

Mike Gonzalez 1:36

A lot of guys you know probably couldn't even have gotten back for it. Now that was the last time, I think, that the the PGA and the British Open were played back to back. But uh the other issue that you guys ran into was the open uh didn't really count in official PGA stats or dollars until 1995.

Dave Stockton 1:54

Yeah, wow, wow well it and and you know, when we came up, I mean it you know, Arnold obviously and Jack were the one that made it where they would, you know, they go over there, make the effort. Of course, they could fly their own plane or do whatever they were doing to get over there. And um it just it wasn't it wasn't a practical thing. I mean, that's just you're right. Uh it's because it was it was tough. I mean, it was it was it's hard golf. It's an interesting golf. I liked the I like the link style. I mean, that was phenomenal. The two I played, I played at Muirfield and Burkedill, and it was phenomenal. But it just it wasn't home and I couldn't bring my my entourage, so to speak, Kathy and both boys, with me. And it it it was just not it wasn't fun. And it, you know, and and it was impractical. Now it's not. In fact, now the way they have it scheduled is great for the for the open to be the last one now. And I think the PGA is in a better spot rather than being really hot in the summertime like it was in August. It's much better to have it let the British be the last one before they get into the playoffs.

Mike Gonzalez 2:59

So if you were if you were in your prime playing today, uh would you probably go over there and play in the in the open championship more often?

Dave Stockton 3:07

Not necessarily, not if I had young kids. I mean, it's just I had too much fun because I, you know, when I'm out there by myself and Kathy can come out every couple, three weeks or something, uh I, you know, I'd still wouldn't want to sacrifice my kids, and I don't want to take them over there. It'd be a good experience for them to go and and see it. But of course, we've gone the other way because we've done a lot of exhibitions over there around the Ryder Cups and stuff. Um we've we've taken the kids over there and done corporate outings with Merrill Lynch and American Airlines and stuff. Uh, and they've had a opportunity to see it and get a feel for it. But uh I'm sure if I was in the top 10 or top 20, like I was there for a while on the regular tour back in the 60s and 70s, uh, yeah, I would play. But it it it it was a hardship. And uh I got to the point where I enjoyed, you know, I was doing corporate outings as well as playing, and I just couldn't see taking that time and effort. So I would probably play now if I was a top 20 player, sure, absolutely. But uh I would I wouldn't, it just didn't work for me.

Mike Gonzalez 4:13

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Intro Music 4:33

Whack down the fairway. It went smack down the fairway. And it started just like just smack off line. It headed for two, but it mounts off nine. My cadets, as long as you're still in the state, you're okay. It went straight down the middle, file away.