I have talked a little bit about the strength of the Twin Falls High School Golf Team and I have another story that relates to that period of time. As I started my Junior year of High School I had yet to qualify to play in a match (remember Dave Warner shot 26 to “steal” the fifth man spot when I was a Sophomore). I had a very good summer between my Sophomore and Junior year as I qualified as one of two players in the state of Idaho to play in the National Youth Insurance Classic at Crestview Country Club in Wichita, Kansas. Somehow I made the cut and got to play one round with PGA Tour player Charlie Sifford and another round with PGA Tour player Ken Still. I remember that Charlie Sifford hit a ball out of bounds on a long par 4, hit a poor tee shot with his third shot and then holed a 2 iron for par. Through a clenched cigar he said, “That’s how it’s done son.” I played with Ken Still in the final round and I was somewhat in the hunt at least for a top ten finish. Unfortunately for me Mr. Still decided to try a new putter that day. I am pretty sure it was called the Flim Flam putter and Ken Still actually birdied the first 8 holes of the day as every putt he hit dove in the hole. Of course this attracted a gallery and a local news crew for the back nine and seeing as I had never even played a High School match this was a bit overwhelming for me. I choked like a dog on a chicken bone the final nine holes of the event and Ken still missed every putt on the back nine to shoot something like 28-40 for a 68. I recall that I had a 74 and an 80 in the championship rounds and records show that Bob Rosburg won the professional division of the competition with a 9-under-par 135, while Johnny Elam, a 17year-old from Wake Forest, N.C., took a one-stroke win in the junior division. Elam shot an opening round 71 for the best round of the championship followed by a 77 for a one stroke win over several players. I was competing on a national level with greater success than I had with my Twin Falls Bruin High School Team.
I couldn’t wait for the first high school qualifying as I was going to really put up some good numbers. The day arrived and I was ready. Hole number one, Par 5. A solid drive, a good five wood and a pitch to 3 feet above the hole. A putt, a putt, a putt, a putt, a putt, a putt. I turned to ask my playing partners how many putts I had taken only to find Sonius, Packard and Duncan rolling on the ground laughing so hard they were crying. I am pretty sure that it was Dave Sonius who finally was able to talk. Bruce that was a si, si, si, six pu, pu, pu putt!! Hoping to be famous for a low scoring average and I am stuck with the legend of the six putt. The next hole was a par three and I hit a nice shot about fifteen feet away and you guessed it…I three putted. I did one putt the next seven holes and salvage a score of three or four over par for the day but the six putt in the spring of 1973 will never be forgotten. If you ever have the chance to play Twin Falls Municipal Golf Course be careful of that first green. It is brutal.
