Q & A with David Graham

Thirty-two years ago, David Graham became the first Australian to win the U.S. Open, the 1981 Championship held at Merion GC outside Philadelphia. He put together rounds of 68, 68, 70 and 67 to win by three shots over George Burns and Bill Rogers. His final round was described by noted writer and golf historian Robert Sommers as “one of the finest rounds ever played in championship golf...under conditions that strain the steadiest nerves, over one of the world’s most testing courses, for the world’s most important championship.” In an illustrious career spanning five decades, Graham won events on six different continents including the ’79 PGA Championship. As the U.S. Open returns to Merion for the first time since his victory, the retired Montana resident sat down recently with Terry Moore.

It’s a tradition that anyone who wins a USGA event at Merion receives one of the club’s iconic wicker baskets adorning the flagstick. Tell us about yours.

When I won at Merion I never received a wicker basket. In fact, I learned at the time neither did Trevino [who won there in 1971] nor did Ben Hogan [1950]. But then around 1989, I received a package from Richie Valentine, Merion’s recently retired Golf Course Superintendent, who enclosed a kind letter which said in part: “Dear Mr. Graham, I’m sending you three wicker baskets. Please pick the one of your choice and please give one to Mr. Hogan and one to Mr. Trevino.” And that I did. I still have my wicker basket and I know Lee still has his. True story and one I’ve never publicly shared before.

Talk about your play in ’81 leading up to the Open. You won earlier that year in Phoenix and played well at the Masters but you were feeling very fatigued.

Unbeknownst to me at that time, I had a heart condition. It wasn’t fully discovered until 2004 when I was placed on medication. I played my whole career not knowing I had a heart condition. But in 1981, after feeling tired and run down, I was diagnosed having a low potassium count. Luckily, I was in good shape and was doing a lot of walking. I was still smoking in those days which was stupid. But a potassium deficiency wasn’t the root cause of my fatigue; it was the heart condition. So with a better diet, I dealt with the low potassium count and I did feel better heading to Merion.

At Merion, you played a practice round with Gary Player. Did he say to you afterwards, “David, I don’t know why you haven’t won more major golf tournaments.”

Yes, he made that comment and I took it as a compliment, especially coming from someone of his experience and stature. It was a huge boost to my confidence on the eve of the tournament that he thought enough of my game to say something like that. It got me thinking, ‘Yes, I should be winning more tournaments.’

Describe your mindset on that last day of the Open.

You educate yourself to get into a position to win. You tell yourself, ‘I may hit a bad shot but I’m not making a mental mistake.’ And I had good role models for handling the pressure. I played in the era of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Gary Player and Billy Casper. I played a lot of golf with Jack Nicklaus. He was always well-prepared. His pre-tournament routine was religious. We all watched and learned from Jack and how he conducted himself— especially in the final round. Fortunately, I was a good student.

With a two-shot lead over George Burns on the 18th tee, what do you remember about your final tee shot?

Everything was okay until I got to the top of my backswing and then it really hit me about where I was. I had the same feeling in 1979 on the 72nd hole of the PGA at Oakland Hills. There at the top of the backswing, an “Oh my gosh” thought filled my head and I made a bad shot. At Merion, I somehow handled the moment better, knew I’d been there before, and hit a solid tee shot. And then I hit a beautiful 4-iron right next to the pin.

Talk about your relationship with Hogan. Reports say he called you after your Open victory and described your final 18 as “one of the best rounds of golf I’ve ever seen.”

He did call me and it was a special moment. Hogan was very nice to me but I can’t say we were close. I played Hogan’s Apex shaft which he designed, developed and maintained total control over. He allowed me to use it in my MacGregor clubs and it didn’t seem to bother him I didn’t play Hogan. The Apex was a state-of-the-art lightweight steel shaft. People loved it. Way ahead of the times, Hogan always felt the shaft should be light and the head should be heavy. Today, everyone wants a lighter steel shaft.

As part of Merion’s Centennial celebration in 2006, you were a special surprise guest.

Yes, the organizers arranged for me to return to Merion without anyone’s prior knowledge. They took me to the 18th fairway where with bagpipes piping I walked and appeared over the crest of the hill now to members gathered around the green and clubhouse. Everyone broke out in applause. It was wonderful; I felt like a knight in shining armor. The club gave me a beautiful presentation medal. Trevino was also invited but declined. There are two things Lee has openly admitted to me that he’d wished he could take back. One was not going to Merion’s Centennial and the other was Lee’s attitude and things he said when he was playing in the Masters. He regrets both but what’s done is done.

What makes Merion still a worthy Open venue?



Well, it’s tight. It demands precise placement of one’s shots. Well-guarded by bunkers, the greens are small with severe putting surfaces. If conditions are firm, getting up and down is tough. It’s fantastic that Merion is hosting the Open again. It’s a classic old course. Logistically, it may be difficult. It may be the last Open played there because how large the event has become outside the ropes.

Discuss the impact made by fellow Aussie and close friend Bruce Devlin when he critiqued your swing in 1971.

Bruce had a pivotal influence on me. He persuaded me to come to the United States in the first place. We played countless rounds of golf together and one day in 1971 at Colonial CC he said to me, “You stand too far away from the ball, you have too strong of a grip and that’s why you can’t get the ball up in the air.” He told me the first thing I had to do was to change the lie of my clubs, that my clubs were too flat. Bruce was a brilliant student of the game so I took all of his suggestions to heart. It took a long time for the changes to click.

Then a year later you won your first PGA Tour event in a playoff against him?

It was a life changing event to win the 1972 Cleveland Open. The course was new and the greens were just terrible. I didn’t win the tournament because of skill but because I putted better on those awful greens than anyone else. I birdied the second playoff hole against Bruce and won. How ironic. Now I was exempt on the PGA Tour and everything changed for the better.

In your prime, how would you assess your putting?

I was a streaky putter whether it be on fast or slow greens. Unlike today, Tour events didn’t all have fast and smooth greens. My key thought in putting was always maintaining good rhythm and repetition. I don’t think the body can function well when the brain has indecision. I focused on being methodical in my putting routine which helped me with my rhythm. It’s the only way to play under pressure.

Waving a magic wand, who would be in your dream foursome?

President Eisenhower, Arnold Palmer and President George Bush (Senior).

And for golfers visiting Australia what three course should be on their bucket list?

Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath and New South Wales Golf Club which is Australia’s Pebble Beach.