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How'd you get your first loop?
Well, in Oakmont, if you were a young kid and you wanted to make any money, the only place you could do that was on the golf course, caddying. There was an article about me in the paper, a kid, 8 years old, carrying these bags. Nobody could hardly believe it!
How much did you make?
Well, it was just a little spending money, plus money for my mother. The players would give me a dollar, and I'd bring the dollar on home to my mother and she'd turn around and give me 10-15 cents back. And then I'd take off to the candy store.
You still caddie, right?
Well, through the later part of last year, I went up three or four times, did some light caddying, just mainly driving the cart and raking the traps. I have a hard time balancing. I'm 90, fer chrissakes!
What are your fondest Oakmont memories?
I caddied for Jack Nicklaus in the '73 Open, and that was an honor for me, and then I caddied for Babe Zaharias. At the 1935 Open, she played a practice round with two of the pros, Ky Laffoon and Dick Metz, both top golfers in their day. Babe just played a practice round because it was the Open, but it was an honor for me because she was real good.
You also caddied for Dave Marr when he won the 1965 PGA Championship at Laurel Valley Country Club in Ligonier, Pa., right?
Right, and let me tell you, every caddie's ambition is to caddie for a winner in a major tournament. I was fortunate. ... Jack Nicklaus was in that group, and we beat Jack! The thing Dave didn't know was that I worked at Edgewater Steel Company [in Oakmont] during that time. I was working the midnight shift, and that's midnight to 8 a.m., and when I was done there, I drove 50 miles up to Laurel and 50 miles back every day to caddie for Dave. That's 100 miles a day to caddie, and no break in between. He still doesn't know I did that, and he never will, 'cause he's dead.
What do older caddies like yourself know that younger kids don't?
This is gonna sound mean, but it's true: All these young kids, they don't know when to keep their mouth shut. Some golfers like advice, and some don't. When a golfer wants advice, they'll ask you. I always waited for them to ask.
How were you treated at Oakmont over the years?
I wouldn't have stayed this many years if I wasn't treated right. In fact, when I got married — I married me a nice girl named Pat, a secretary in Pittsburgh, and a damn good one, too! — whenever the members saw me at dinner with my lovely wife, they'd tip their hats to me. If I ever needed a favor, they would help me. They respected me. I wasn't just a caddie, know what I mean? I was more.
What's your favorite thing about the course?
Well, I love the greens. If you can master the greens at Oakmont, you're all right. They're real tough to read.
Can you share any Oakmont secrets?
I'll tell you this: They would water some fairways more than others at night, and some of the greens, too. They'd water them when nobody could see it, and in the morning you'd wonder why it was tougher. I don't think they do it anymore. But back years ago, that was one of my jobs!
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