By Fred Altvater
Over the past two years Tom Weiskopf struggled with pancreatic cancer, but continued to work on course renovations and design, until the very end.
He was born November 9,1942, attended Benedictine High School in Massillon before attending Ohio State. As an amateur he won numerous Public Links Championships, plus the Western Amateur.
He achieved All-American Honors in 1962, his lone season with the Buckeyes and was inducted into the Ohio State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1985.
After turning professional in 1964, he won the 1965 Ohio Open and was enshrined into the Ohio Golf Hall of Fame in 2004.
Always in the shadow of Jack Nicklaus, his contemporary in amateur golf, as well as on the PGA Tour, Weiskopf was a curious study throughout his professional career. He could be moody and quiet, but as a golf announcer, his insight and intelligence was clearly evident.
He competed with Jack Nicklaus his entire golfing career and sometimes it seemed like being in the Golden Bear’s shadow was a bit too much to bear.
He was famous for saying of Nicklaus, “Jack knew he was going to beat you. You knew Jack was going to beat you. And Jack knew you knew, he was going to beat you.”
Weiskopf’s golf swing was a thing of beauty, he did have 16 career PGA Tour victories, but under the heat of major competition it failed to produce wins. Tom possessed mental demons that seemed to prevent him from achieving greatness.
He did win his lone major championship title at the 1973 British Open at Troon over Johnny Miller, who had just won the U.S. Open one month earlier and Jack Nicklaus, who finished fourth.
Ultimately, he became known more for the majors he didn’t win. He finished runner-up at the Masters on four occasions. Most famously in 1975, when Jack Nicklaus once again slipped past both Weiskopf and Johnny Miller to don his fifth Green Jacket, while Miller and Weiskopf were to be denied ever experiencing a Green Jacket Ceremony in Butler Cabin.
‘Tom Terrific’ came close at the other two majors as well, finishing runner-up in the 1976 U.S. Open and third in the 1975 PGA Championship.
After his playing days were over, he took to the broadcast booth, but primarily is known for his 40 brilliant golf designs. He is credited with adding the Ocean and Cliffs Courses to the Olympic Club in San Francisco. His work at Troon North in Arizona and Loch Lomond in Scotland have been lauded worldwide.
He is credited with designing two great Ohio courses, Double Eagle, north of Columbus and Quail Hollow near Painesville.
Tom Weiskopf was somewhat of an enigma as a golfer, but his golf course designs will live on as a testament to his love of the game and appreciation for providing the best elements of golf course design.
