Almost 50 years ago no one expected the unknown to best Ben Hogan for the U.S. Open. At 82, he's still surprising.
By BOB HARIG
Published February 12, 2004
SARASOTA - If he were inclined to do so, Jack Fleck could have a heck of a time hustling unsuspecting golfers who come upon him at the TPC of Prestancia.
At age 82 and with a slight build, Fleck from afar appears to be like many senior citizen golfers who enjoy the fresh air, knock the ball around the fairways, and don't much care what they shoot.
Looks, of course, are deceiving.
Fleck can still drive a ball with authority and knock down pins from the fairway. His putting isn't as great as he would like, but that always was his nemesis.
And who among the possible pigeons knows Fleck's past, that he once pulled off one of the greatest upsets in history, a stunning accomplishment that happened in the era of wooden clubs and limited television coverage.
In fact, Fleck's 1955 U.S. Open victory, when he defeated the legendary Ben Hogan in an 18-hole playoff, has gotten a lot of attention recently. Fleck said there have been several inquiries because the 50th anniversary is approaching.
And he got numerous phone calls after Ben Curtis' British Open victory last summer, considered an upset on par with Fleck's - except for a couple of things Fleck notes.
"I think I was far more unknown as far as fans or press or anything else," said Fleck, who at the time of his victory ran two municipal courses in Davenport, Iowa. "And remember, I had to go play off with Ben Hogan. If you want to make a complete comparison, have Curtis come from behind to tie Tiger Woods, then beat him in a playoff. That was the comparison.
"But the fact that I was so unknown, and (Curtis) was an unknown, that's why it is considered similar."
Curtis, a rookie last year on the PGA Tour, had been ranked 396th in the world coming into the British Open. He only qualified for the tournament two weeks earlier by tying for 13th at the Western Open. That was his only top-25 finish of the year.
While Curtis held off some of the top players in the world to win the British Open, including Woods, Vijay Singh, Davis Love and Thomas Bjorn, Fleck's accomplishment was just as surprising.
Hogan had won four of the previous seven Opens and was bidding for a record fifth title. Fleck, then 33, had to qualify for the U.S. Open.
But with Hogan considered a sure winner, sitting in the Olympic Club clubhouse after a Saturday 36-hole conclusion while some were congratulating him, Fleck was still on the course. And he played the last four holes in 2 under par, including a 7-foot birdie putt at the 18th, to shoot a final-round 67 and force an 18-hole playoff.
NBC-TV, which broadcast the tournament for one hour, went off the air declaring Hogan the winner.
Playing alongside Hogan the next day in an 18-hole playoff would surely doom Fleck. Instead, Fleck shot 69 to defeat Hogan by three.
How improbable was it?
Fleck, a pro since 1939, was playing his first summer on tour and had won just $2,700 in 15 tournaments in 1955. His best finish had been eighth.
To get to the Open, Fleck had to qualify in Chicago, then drive 49 hours from Davenport to San Francisco to play the tournament. At the time, his victory was compared to amateur Francis Oiumet's 1913 playoff victory or Sam Parks Jr.'s win at the 1935 Open. Parks was also a club pro.
Fleck is still bothered that some consider his victory a fluke. He recently wrote a book, The Jack Fleck Story - with no help from a ghostwriter, writing it in long hand - in which he explains some of the myths about his victory. There is also a video, with grainy footage of the tournament.
For Fleck, there was some fallout for beating Hogan. Fleck came off as the villain.
"You have to remember, he had an automobile accident and they didn't think he'd live," Fleck said. "Everybody forgets that if it weren't for that accident, he would have won all kind of U.S. Opens. But he won his second, third and fourth Opens afterward. There's no doubt about it; he was a revered player.
"But he was exceptionally nice to me. There are a lot of stories about Hogan, but he was great to me. He was very reserved, very determined."
Though Fleck never won another major championship, he did come close, tying for third at the 1960 U.S. Open, where even today he says "I let (Arnold) Palmer win." He added two more PGA Tour titles, at Phoenix in 1960 and Bakersfield, Calif., in 1961.
Fleck played in 11 U.S. Opens, later had some success on the Senior PGA Tour and still plays in the annual Legends of Golf tournament.
Fleck spends the winter with his wife, Carmen, in Sarasota, where he plays or hits balls nearly every day at Prestancia. He then returns to his home in Fort Smith, Ark., where he is always looking for a game. But not because he wants to hustle someone.
"No, I wouldn't do that," he said. "I just love to play. And there's always something to work on."
