Golfer Johnny Miller’s 1973 U.S. Open win included what was considered a scoring round for the ages on the final day of the illustrious national tournament. Now, the clubs he used to make his mark on golfing history have found a new home in St. Augustine.
Miller, a television golf analyst and member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, donated the golf clubs to his locker exhibit at the World Golf Hall of Fame, where they’ll be on display until Miller decides to reclaim them.
Miller shot his 63 at the Oakmont club near Pittsburgh, Penn., which also is hosting the 2007 U.S. Open begining Thursday. Ralph Brandewiede, a World Golf Hall of Fame volunteer tour guide, called Miller’s accomplishment “like the perfect score.” Par for Oakmont is 72. U.S. Open tournaments are among the toughest tests of golf each year for professionals, where winners typically post over-par scores.
Johnny Miller used this bag and these clubs to shoot a 63 and win the 1973 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. His 63 remains the lowest final round ever shot in the U.S. Open. MARK PETTUS/My St. Johns Sun
In U.S. Open history, no one has shot a 63 in the final round before or since Miller’s feat, although fellow Hall of Famers Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf have achieved this score in the first round, and another Hall of Fame member, Vijay Singh, has scored 63 in the second round.
Brandewiede also said the clubs on display in Miller’s locker are bladed MacGregor clubs that are very difficult to use when compared with cavity back clubs often used by today’s pros. The highlight of this display is the driver that resides in the green and white golf bag, which bears Miller’s signature and the event for which they were used.
The Locker Room Exhibit at the World Golf Hall of Fame opened in 2004 to honor the 114 hall members. Each locker displays items of importance to each member, such as golf clubs, hairspray or books. These items are on loan to the Hall of Fame and a member may switch the items in their locker as they see fit. In fact, Miller exchanged his original display clubs for the 1973 clubs just after the 2007 Players Championship.
— SARAH SIMPSON
