1966 - 1973. US Open. New talent emerges.
Johnny Miller first caught the eye when finishing as the leading amateur
in the 1966 US Open at the Olympic Country Club,San Francisco.
Remarkably,the 19 year old Miller had only gone to the event to caddie
but he instead qualified and went onto finish in a highly creditable
eighth place. It seemed that a new golfing star was emerging and between
the years of 1973-76 Miller was,along with Jack Nicklaus,the dominant
force in golf. He did not turn professional until three years after that
fine performance at the US Open and first tasted success with his win
at the 1971 Southern Open. In the Masters of that year Miller finished
at seven under par and tied for second with Nicklaus,two strokes behind
the winner Charles Coody.
He opened the tournament with rounds of 72 and
73 and closed with two 68's but it was a case of what might have been
as with just four holes remaining he led fellow American Coody by two
shots. He won his second tour event at the 1972 Sea Pines Heritage
Classic and the following year he landed his first major with a
thrilling victory at the US Open. Oakmont was the venue for that triumph
but going into the last day a Miller win had seemed a rather remote
possibility thanks to his disappointing third round 76. That left him
six strokes back on the leaders but a scintillating final round 63,that
included nine birdies,saw him claim that first major title ahead of
Schlee and Weiskopf. (David Scranage) |
Johnny Miller is pictured above at the 1975 Open Golf Championship. Photo G. Herringshaw. ©
1973 Open-75. Leading money winner in '74 & near misses.
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Miller continued his fine form into the Open at Troon later that summer
where his nine under par total left him level with Englishman Neil Coles
but three strokes back on the champion Tom Weiskopf. His rounds of
70,68 and 69 meant he went into the final round just one stroke behind
his fellow American but a final round 72 compared to Weiskopf's 70 saw
the chance of a second major of the year slip through his fingers.
Miller had enjoyed his best year yet and pocketed $127,833 on his way to
finishing 9th in the US Money List but the following year was to prove
even better. The Californian tasted success in no less than eight tour
events,including five of the first eleven tournaments of the year,on his
way to topping the Money List with a total of $353,021.
Miller's
winnings were in excess of $100,000 clear of Jack Nicklaus in second
place and this despite missing two months during the season. Miller's
splendid form sadly did not extend to the major
championships,however,and his best performance during 1974 was his 10th
place finish in the Open at Lytham St. Annes. At the 1975 Masters he
was pipped by one stroke by Nicklaus after closing the tournament in
superb fashion with rounds of 65 and 66. Miller left himself just to
much to do after his opening rounds of 75 and 71 had left him ten shots
behind Nicklaus and in the Open later that year there was to be another
agonisingly close-call. Rounds of 71,69 and 66 left him in fine fettle
going into the final day but a closing effort of 74 saw him miss out by
just one shot to Tom Watson. (David Scranage).
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Johnny Miller is here pictured at the 1981 Open Championship. Photo George Herringshaw. ©
1976 onwards. Glory at 1976 Open
Royal Birkdale was the venue in 1976 for Miller's first Open win in what
proved to be his second and last triumph in a major championship. His
rounds of 72,68 and 73 saw him start the last day one stroke behind
Spaniard Seve Ballesteros but he then produced his best form of the four
days to close with a 66 to canter to a six stroke victory. There were
successes at the NBC Tucson Open and Bob Hope Desert Classic that same
year but over the next few years Miller faded from the picture to such
an extent that he finished in a lowly 111th in the money list in 1978.
Part of the reason for his fall from grace was his decision to spend
more time with his family but he had,undoubtedly,lost some of his hunger
for the game.
To his credit Miller bounced back to win the Lancome
tournament in Paris in late 1979 and the following year he triumphed for
the first time in four years on the US Tour in the Gleason Inverary
tournament. He finished that year in a creditable 30th place on the
money list and he continued the improvement into 1981 with a 12th place
finish on the list. That was sufficient to see him into the Ryder Cup
team but it was not the most memorable of weeks for the man from
California as he managed only a half point from his two games as the
Americans strolled to a 18 1/2-11 1/2 victory. That was Miller's second
Ryder Cup appearance six years after his debut where he enjoyed a rather
more successful event and contributed two and a half points from four
in a 21-11 success. There was the odd victory during the remainder of
the decade and then in 1994 Miller enjoyed one final hurrah with his win
at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. (David Scranage) |