From any and every angle, the 1982 U.S. Open was pure alchemy, a dramatic turning point in the lives and fortunes of everyone involved. Watson underscored his status as the top player in the world. Nicklaus began to age before our eyes. Pebble joined the ranks of the most beloved golf courses on the planet.
ABC Sports began its slow descent toward obsolescence, and ESPN took an enormous step toward its new-media manifest destiny. As one ABC Sports producer who worked that storied Open said, “After that week nothing was the same.”
New York Times-bestselling author Chris Millard looks back at this pivotal moment, deftly explaining how one chip-in changed not only the sport of golf, but the future course of golf media.
Excellent Book — I Didn’t Realize Golf Architecture Could Be So Interesting
I bought two copies of this book, one for my fellow golf-obsessed buddy, and one for myself. I very much enjoyed the content, lots of good history nuggets and plenty of insight into the world of professional golf. This book sent me on a handful of YouTube and Wikipedia rabbit holes to do additional research on the people and courses mentioned—to me, the mark of an interesting and engaging narrative.
My only complaint is the editing. I felt it was well edited for content, but numerous typos throughout were distracting. I assume this is the first printing—once the type mistakes are shored up I will have zero complaints.
Overall, my complaints didn’t really affect my experience. Nice work, and thanks for the signed copy, Mr. Millard!
D
Donald Potter
The Shot and a Treasure Trove
Loved the book. Millard's style is so readable and enjoyable, and takes historical detail and distills it ways that make facts exciting. His book opened a Treasure Trove of facts and historical knowledge that any avid golfer or golf historian will savor.
V
VS
Such a cool story. Well written too.
Loved the book. I was happy to read the true story. Way to go Chris.
m
mark wagner
Millard's The Shot
This book is a treasure and brings to life the heroes of the game we all love.
“Chris Millard has long been one of the most thoughtful and connected observers of the game. With rare insight and soul, he now tackles a seismic week in golf. Exhaustively researched and beautifully told—Millard paints a nuanced portrait of a historic week. I was there. I remember it. Chris took me back as if it was yesterday.” —Jimmy Roberts
NBC Sports
“In an ancient game filled with iconic moments, few rival the changing of the guard both on and off the golf course at Pebble Beach’s unforgettable U.S. Open of 1982. Chris Millard, one of the game’s most agile and gifted writers, takes us on an insider’s tour of the battle royale between an aging Jack Nicklaus and an ascendent Tom Watson in a setting many consider to be the most heavenly layout on Earth. Maybe best of all, as these two towering figures of modern golf chase immortality by the sea, we see the internal gears of how the game was being shaped and forever changed behind the scenes by groundbreaking moves that announced a new era of broadcasting golf and sports in general. The greatest shot in golf framed by the engaging story of Pebble Beach’s fascinating creation makes The Shot a book to savor and share—and read again.” —James Dodson New York Times best-selling author of Final Rounds, Faithful Travelers, A Golfers Life, and Dewsweepers
“If Pebble Beach is ‘the most felicitous meeting of land and sea,’ Tom Watson’s chip is just as surely the most felicitous meeting of man and the moment. But behind that moment lies a much broader, richer story, and Chris Millard has told it with characteristic thoroughness and grace.” —George Peper Former Editor-in-Chief of GOLF Magazine, author of True Links, St Andrews Sojourn, and Rainmaker (with Hughes Norton)
Chris Millard’s book, like the shot it captures for eternity, exudes joy. This book is the thrill of victory (Watson!) and graciousness in defeat (Nicklaus). It’s a tribute to Pebble Beach, Bruce Edwards, a certain Wilson wedge, and all the things that make golf golf. In the YouTube clip of the shot, you hear the crowd. In The Shot, you hear the flagstick rattle. This book is golf!” —Michael Bamberger New York Times-bestselling author of To the Linksland, Men in Green, and Ball in the Air
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
New York Times-bestselling author CHRIS MILLARD is a veteran observer of the American sports scene. He has covered golf as an editor and columnist at Golf World Magazine and as an executive editor at GOLF Magazine Properties. His work has appeared in Golf Digest and the New York Times and has been recognized on five occasions by the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA). In 2012 he was awarded the GWAA’s first prize for magazine feature articles for his retrospective on the 1986 Masters.
In addition to his work as a sportswriter, he has been a contributor to Golf Channel and served for several years as director of communications for Jack Nicklaus. His books include: Nicklaus By Design: Golf Course Strategy and Architecture (with Jack Nicklaus, 2002), Golf’s 100 Toughest Holes (2004), Awesome Bill From Dawsonville (with Bill Elliott, 2006), My Life Was This Big … And Other True Tales From a Fishing Life (with Lefty Kreh, 2008), The Golf Book: Twenty Years of the Players, Shots and Moments That Changed the Game (2014), and The National Golf Links of America: A History (2017).
A New York-area native and a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, Chris lives with his wife and two children in Atlanta and spends summers in Connecticut.
Honestly, I'm not such a super fan of golf that I would normally pick up a book on the topic. But this book by Craig J Gill is about so much more than golf! It's a fascinating, and also challenging, deep dive into the lives of Black caddies in the South. It's a book about American History, Black History, the South, White Supremacy, the human spirit, and factors driving societal change, as well as an entrée into the worlds of the premier golf clubs in the South. This is such a valuable and deeply researched book, and I highly recommend it to anyone even vaguely interested in golf, or those who want to learn more about the complexity of America.
Caddying On the Color Line
Justin Tobe
Wonderful addition to any golfer’s book collection
Great content and photographs, quick shipping, wonderful addition to any golf book collection, especially those who love Seth Raynor courses
The Golf Courses of Seth Raynor
Dennis Weber
Great combination of travelogue, sports book, human interest and business intrigue. Well crafted and well written.
Playing Dirty
Brian Hickey
Playing Dirty
I enjoyed how the author weaved the evil influence of money and power (the LIV vs. PGA struggle) with the beauty of the role of golf in Scottish life. The simple virtues of the golfer interacting with what nature has provided will hopefully survive, while the divide within the professional golfing ranks is not sustainable in the long term.
Playing Dirty
Christine C.
Interesting, well written, and relevant
I wish more people knew the history of black golf caddies - and how relevant it is to understanding golf today! I learned so much reading this excellent book and it struck the hard to find balance between informative and interesting. I hope to see more from Dr. Gill!
