Article
from The Nashville Tennessean, The Sports Showcase by the late
John Bibb. Published in 1961.
Transcription
of the Article:
"QUIET BOB
GREENWOOD HONES 'LOUD' GAME"
On the putting
green in front of the clubhouse at the Augusta National golf
course last April, Bobby Jones leaned toward a microphone used
during presentation ceremonies at the conclusion of the Masters
Tournament.
"Jack
Nicklaus", Jones began, "is the most promising young golfer in
the country. He will win this tournament and many other major
championships before he's through". Jones then presented
Nicklaus his award as second low amateur in the Masters which
was won by Gary Player after Arnold Palmer's bladed sand shot at
the 72nd hole.
In June, the
husky Nicklaus was low amateur in the National Open, finishing
three strokes back of the winner, professional Gene Little, with
a total of 284 shots.
LAST WEEK IN
the first round of the Memphis Colonial Invitation, Nicklaus
rammed home a 40-foot putt for a birdie on the 17th hole. The 3
put him 1-up and sighs of "That's it" whispered through the
gallery. But the one man most involved, Sparta's Bobby
Greenwood, didn't hear the whispers, or if he did, they made no
impression.
Minutes after
Nicklaus had made his birdie, Greenwood smashed a 245-yard
three-wood shot four feet from the pin on the par 5 finishing
hole. He made the down-hill, breaking putt for an eagle 3 and
forced the match into sudden death. On the first extra hole,
Greenwood made a birdie, and Nicklaus was sidelined in the first
match of his bid to repeat as Colonial champion.
Less than 24
hours after scoring this upset, Greenwood left the Colonial
course a 2 and 1 winner over Signal Mountain's Ed Brantly. Ed
has a string of area, regional and national golfing
accomplishments including the honor of finishing as third low
amateur in the 1961 National Open at Birmingham, Mich.
WHERE DOES ALL
this leave Greenwood?
Well,
yesterday it left him on the practice tee at the Sparta Country
Club where he's polishing his game for Tuesday's National
Amateur Trials at Belle Meade. It'll be Bobby's final tournament
bid before returning to his studies at North Texas State College
where he'll be a junior this fall.
* * *
Not Conceited, Just
Misunderstood
A nerveless,
22-year-old blond, Greenwood is perhaps the most misunderstood
golfer in these parts according to Hubert Smith, professional at
the Sparta Country Club.
"Extremely
quiet, Bobby's aloofness has been interpreted as snobbishness by
many," Smith commented yesterday while discussing Greenwood's
golf game and personality. "Nothing could be further from the
truth. He is unusually modest. He is devoted to improving his
game and nobody works harder or is more determined to succeed."
Many people
misunderstand Bobby's quietness. He gives you a lot of one word
answers and some folks figure this conceit or that he has a chip
on his shoulder. In reality, he's strictly first-class. For
instance, few people know he doesn't smoke or drink or gamble on
a golf course. Those certainly are admirable characteristics.
* * *
Always Remains
Calm and Cool
"From an
absolute golfing standpoint, the No. 1 feature of his game is
the fact the he seldom has the ball out of play. This year he's
lengthened his back-swing and is getting 15 or 20 more yards off
the tee.
He has always
been a fine putter. The additional length has been a big factor
in his success on the various championship courses he's played
this summer.
"Psychologically, nothing seems to disturb Greenwood. I've seen
him scramble for 12 or 15 holes, missing almost every shot,
before finally settling down. But, there's never any show of
temper or emotion. The putt Nicklaus made to go one up on him
would have finished me. It didn't faze Bobby one bit."
* * *
Practice Makes
Perfect
Greenwood has
been playing golf for 10 years. He started in Cookeville and
still plays and lives there although he registers from Sparta.
Until this season, Bobby was perhaps the most tournament-active
player in the area. Now, he's elected to spend his time
practicing during the week, concentrating on fewer, larger
tournaments.
"I've
practiced more this summer than ever before," Greenwood said in
discussing his new tactics. "I may have practiced too much,
because I know a man has to play some, too, if he is to realize
the full benefits of practice. There is a happy medium, however.
In 1959 I played in 22 tournaments and last summer I played in
18. That's too much playing. This year I've played in about a
half-dozen."
If Greenwood
doesn't smoke, what does he do to lighten the tension during a
round?
"Well, I think
about the next shot or maybe even say a little prayer before I
hit the ball," Greenwood said. "As a matter of fact, I guess I
leave home with a little advantage. The last thing I hear going
out of the house is my grandmother (Mrs. Viola Greenwood):
"I'll say a
little prayer for you, Bobby."
(Sports Editor
Raymond Johnson is on vacation.)
* * *
Transcribed by
Elma Greenwood, Cookeville, Tennessee, August 17, 2004.
