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Tommy Bolt says U.S. Open in the major to win

What's it like playing in the U.S. Open? Most never will know. Black Diamond resident Tommy Bolt is one of the exceptions. Bolt, 88, played in 17 Opens, winning in 1958 at famed Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. The native Oklahoman led after every round with 71-71-69-72 for a 3-over-par 283, and won by four over 22-year-old Gary Player. Ben Hogan, one of Bolt's closest friends, injured his left wrist in practice and finished in a tie for 10th at 294. For his efforts, Bolt won $8,000.

How tough is the Open? Bolt, dubbed "Terrible Tommy" and "Thunder Bolt" by the press, is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, but he was under par only twice in 48 Open rounds. When this year's Open begins next week at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., Bolt, like many, will watch the action from the living room.

BOLT: It's the major. You have all of the pros trying to win this. Everybody is trying to win the national open. All the good players try to qualify. To me, it's just the biggest tournament of all. When we were kids coming up, we used the national open as a goal.

QUESTION: How was the Open's rough back when you played?

BOLT: It was worse than today.

QUESTION: Seriously?

BOLT: Oh yeah. It was much higher. If you missed a fairway in Tulsa, you had to chip back into the fairways with a sand wedge. You couldn't play to the greens. Today, they're able to play out of the rough to the greens.

QUESTION: Is that because the grass isn't as high or is the equipment that much better?

BOLT: They're just not making (the rough) as tough as years ago.

QUESTION: In an Open, can you let up mentally at any point?

BOLT: No. You've got to keep your mind on what you're doing the entire tournament.

QUESTION: Is it a Catch-22, though? Can you think too much in this event?

BOLT: Yes. You can't put too much pressure on yourself by making the golf tournament the most important thing in your life. You've got to be at peace with yourself and in control of your emotions.

QUESTION: Really, what makes the Open so tough?

BOLT: It's a combination of the narrow fairways and the high rough and the slick greens and the pressure of being the Open. You've got to be able to drive the ball. You've got to be a good driver to win because you've got to keep it in play.

QUESTION: Who is the greatest Open player of all time?

BOLT: I'd say Jack Nicklaus or Hogan. It's a tossup, really.

QUESTION: What's the feeling like coming up 18 at the Open knowing you're going to win?

BOLT: There's none like it.

QUESTION: How well do you remember your victory in 1958?

BOLT: Very well. All the (writers) were coming up the fairway with me. It was just a happy occasion. It's just something that you dream of when you're a kid.

QUESTION: Any butterflies that week?

BOLT: Not really. When I won the Open, I never let it get on my mind. I just went to the course and did my work. I was at peace with myself and at peace with the world.

QUESTION: When did you feel like you had a shot?

BOLT: After I birdied the first hole of the first day. I just had that . . . it's really hard to describe . . . I had that feeling that I was wondering who was going to finish second.

QUESTION: Describe that final hole.

BOLT: I knew I had it sacked up. All I had to do was hold on to the golf club. I hit a 5-wood 15 feet past the hole, then I ran my putt three feet by. I made the three-footer coming back.

QUESTION: After winning, where was the party?

BOLT: We all went out to a nightclub and celebrated. We had a couple of drinks. We danced and had a good time with my friends. That's as good as you can get, winning the Open.