By which others are measured
An entire generation of golf fans knows Johnny Miller only as the guy who sits in the NBC-TV broadcast tower and analyzes today's players with brutal honesty.
By BOB HARIG
Published June 12, 2007
An entire generation of golf fans knows Johnny Miller only as the guy who sits in the NBC-TV broadcast tower and analyzes today's players with brutal honesty. Part of Miller's bluntness stems from his Hall of Fame career, during which he won 24 PGA Tour titles, including two major championships. His first major stands out. In 1973, at the age of 26, he became the first to shoot 63 at the U.S. Open. It was the first time anyone had scored so low in any of the four majors. That he did it at feared Oakmont made it even more remarkable. Miller had nine birdies and a bogey and had two birdie putts barely miss on the last two holes. He came from six strokes back of four players, including Arnold Palmer, to win. No player has gone as low during the final round of a U.S. Open since. No player has been as low in relation to par (8 under). And only three have matched 63. The Open returns to Oakmont this week for the eighth time. Miller, 60, will be there with the NBC-TV broadcast team.
Q&A
Do you ever get tired of talking about shooting 63 at the Open?
It's one of those things that marked my career. It is a historic round. It keeps coming up. It's the standard by which final rounds are measured. A major championship - forget the U.S. Open - there has never been a final round better than that one. So there's some history even beyond the U.S. Open.
What did you figure out from Saturday to Sunday? (His third-round 76 put him six off the lead.)
I was thinking I might have a chance, but I had left my yardage book at the hotel. I went to the first tee not knowing I didn't have my book, and (when I realized it was missing) the hair on the back of my neck stood up. It's one course you need perfect yardage for those crazy greens. It's Oakmont, and you've got to be perfect. I was really nervous, and that just put me over the edge.
Linda (his wife) went back and got me my yardage book (he was 5 over through six holes) and it wasn't like I was hacking. It was a combination of nerves, no yardage book, hitting a few crappy shots.
On Sunday, some little voice said to open your stance way up. I don't know why I listened to it. But I opened way up. And it was just the perfect round. I birdied the first four holes. I hit 18 greens in regulation. It was just a phenomenal day. Somebody was helping.
There has been a lot of speculation over the years that your round led to tougher conditions at subsequent Opens, especially the next year, the "Massacre at Winged Foot, " when Hale Irwin won at 7 over. Do you agree?
Absolutely for sure, 100 percent, no doubt it. Actions speak louder than words. They set it up as a total anomaly. Nothing like it before and nothing like it after. ... All the players wanted to kick my butt. It seemed like every tour pro was on me. "Thanks a lot, Miller, for that 63. You're the reason why we've got rough like this." It was in response to that.
Sandy Tatum, the former USGA president who was involved in the course setup in 1973-74, has said that's not true, that there was no direct correlation between your score and future course setups. Are you aware of that?
Yes, and his nose used to be shorter, too.
How much did the U.S. Open mean to you?
Everything growing up was about the U.S. Open. I grew up and the Open was the whole thing for me. I was groomed to become a U.S. Open champion. I liked the Masters, but didn't think about the PGA per se and didn't think about the British (which he won in 1976). The U.S. Open was the championship growing up.
At this year's Open, much of the attention will be on Phil Mickelson, especially after what happened last year at Winged Foot and his victory at the Players Championship. How important was his switch to coach Butch Harmon?
I think it's a huge deal. I think he's gotten so much out of it, it's a joke. ... Four seconds in the U.S. Open, of course the disastrous results at Shinnecock (in 2004) and last time at Winged Foot. He came close at Pinehurst (in 1999). He's had a lot of chances. He's due to win one. If he drives with that cut (shot) he was hitting at the Players, he probably will win the U.S. Open this year.
Johnny's 63 in '73
- He became the first to shoot a round of 63 in a U.S. Open. Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf matched the record during the first round of the 1980 U.S. Open at Baltusrol in New Jersey. Vijay Singh shot 63 during the second round in 2003 at Olympia Fields in Illinois.
- Miller's 63 remains the lowest in relation to par (8 under) in U.S. Open history, the lowest final round in U.S. Open history and allowed him to come from six strokes back, the second-largest come-from-behind victory in tournament history.
- He had nine birdies, eight pars and one bogey. He hit all 18 greens, his only bogey coming at the eighth hole, where he left a 30-footer 3 feet short and missed. He missed just one fairway.
1973 U.S. Open results
Country Total Scores Prize money
1. Johnny Miller USA -5 71-69-76-63 - 279 $35, 000
2. John Schlee USA -4 73-70-67-70 - 280 $18, 000
3. Tom Weiskopf USA -3 73-69-69-70 - 281 $13, 000
4. Jack Nicklaus USA -2 71-69-74-68 - 282 $9, 000
Arnold Palmer USA -2 71-71-68-72 - 282 $9, 000
Lee Trevino USA -2 70-72-70-70 - 282 $9, 000
7. Julius Boros USA -1 73-69-68-73 - 283 $6, 000
Jerry Heard USA -1 74-70-66-73 - 283 $6, 000
Lanny Wadkins USA -1 74-69-75-65 - 283 $6, 000
10. Jim Colbert USA Even 70-68-74-72 - 284 $4, 000
"I'm trying to be a kinder, gentler Johnny Miller. That doesn't mean I'm not going to say what has to be said. I'm still going to treat this like I'm in the living room with you and we're having pizza and I'm just letting go. Whatever I think comes out. I'm going to do the best job with the most honesty inside me to say, 'Here's what I think just happened.' The announcing is a little bit like teaching. I address a player's mistakes and sort of give a lesson on TV. When I played, I didn't play down the middle and I don't' announce down the middle. That would be boring but I'm trying to maybe be a little more careful with the way I say things."
Johnny Miller
63s in majors
Masters
Nick Price, 1986, third round
Greg Norman, 1996, first round
U.S. Open
Johnny Miller, 1973 (Oakmont), fourth round*
Jack Nicklaus, 1980 (Baltusrol), first round*
Tom Weiskopf, 1980 (Baltusrol), first round
Vijay Singh, 2003 (Olympia Fields), second round
British Open
Mark Hayes, 1977 (Turnberry), second round
Isao Aoki, 1980 (Muirfield), third round
Greg Norman, 1986 (Turnberry), second round*
Paul Broadhurst, 1990 (St. Andrews), third round
Jodie Mudd, 1991 (Royal Birkdale), fourth round
Nick Faldo, 1993 (Royal St. George's), second round
Payne Stewart, 1993 (Royal St. George's), fourth round
PGA Championship
Bruce Crampton, 1975 (Firestone), second round
Raymond Floyd, 1982 (Southern Hills), first round*
Gary Player, 1984 (Shoal Creek), second round
Vijay Singh, 1993 (Inverness), second round
Michael Bradley, 1995 (Riviera), first round
Brad Faxon, 1995 (Riviera), fourth round
Jose Maria Olazabal, 2000, (Valhalla), third round
Mark O'Meara, 2001 (Atlanta Athletic Club), second round
Thomas Bjorn, 2005 (Baltusrol), third round.
* went on to win
On his broadcast style