Thirty-one years ago at Troon, Tom Weiskopf won his only major. Then he lost his desire. He drank too much, squandered his talent... and became a happy man
Are you tuning up your game?
I started practicing in April, and I've seen enough progress to know I won't embarrass myself. Making the cut is a possibility, and that's my goal. I'd also like to see Tiger play. I admire him so much, especially for the way he handles himself, and I've never seen him hit a shot in person. I heard he likes to play at six in the morning. I do too.
Maybe you should call him and ask to play a practice round.
I would love to. If I had one wish, that would be the wish. I wonder if he would accept that invitation from me. I wouldn't ask him about his game unless he wanted to talk about it. I really respect him, and while he says there's no pressure, there is outside pressure. He has to answer all those questions: "Why aren't you winning?" That's pressure. It wore me out.
You're also going to play the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond Golf Club, one of your best course designs.
It is without a doubt my proudest work, and I am proud of them all. This was a blank canvas on one of the world's great properties. The site was so perfect it required moving only 100,000 cubic yards of earth. It was one of my greatest experiences—living and working for two summers in Scotland as part of the first American architectural team to design a course in Scotland.
What's more fun, winning tournaments or building winning courses?
As a player you're as good as your last win. Design is everlasting—a work of art on the ground. It isn't going to go away.
All I'm looking for is a compliment. I am trying to avoid controversy—I had enough of that as a player. It's wonderful to see someone hit a semiblind shot and then run up the hill to see the ball come to rest just where it should be.
You were introduced to the classic designs of Alister Mackenzie when you played the Scarlet Course at Ohio State.
I had access to Mackenzie's papers there. I studied his routing and how he seamlessly incorporated natural features. Invaluable, fascinating stuff. Then I began studying the work of the greats:.Donald Ross, A.W. Tillinghast, George Thomas and Charles Blair Macdonald. Pete Dye was great about sharing his knowledge with me, and Nicklaus adopted some of my suggestions when he built Muirfield Village. My first course with Jay Morrish, right here at Troon, was well received. That helped give us instant credibility. And I've never changed my philosophy. My firm never takes on more than three to five projects at a time, and our attention to detail, from routing to grand opening, is meticulous and caring.
What do you think of Jack Nicklaus-designed courses?
I didn't like his change to the 3rd hole at Augusta National. He took away the wonderful angles Mackenzie and Jones built into the hole.
Jack's course presentations can be severe because they are lateral. The greens are built on the diagonal, like the 12th green at Augusta National, which is a one-club green. It's a shallow green that calls for a very precise shot. When Ross or Mackenzie built shallow greens, they'd require two clubs to cover the green from front to back, not one. That's all I say about Jack's courses.
In 1972 you beat Lee Trevino in a 36-hole final match in the Piccadilly World Match Play Championship at Wentworth, England. Any gamesmanship that day?
He had played Tony Jacklin the day before and they were a zillion under par. As we stood on the 1st tee, Lee was spouting off, telling me how tired he was and how draining the match was and how the food was no good, the whole "woe is me" deal. Just on and on. I said, "You know what, Lee? It was an exciting match. Good luck. Play well. And don't try to talk to me anymore." I threw it right back in his face.
He tried to catch up to me. Well, he can't walk as fast as I do. I just out-walked him the first two or three holes and he knew I was serious. I wanted to wax him because he was the man then—he was at the top of his game.
He was pretty tight-lipped. I got to him. And I beat him.
He and Tommy Bolt and Sam Snead are just behind Hogan in my vote for best ball striker. Trevino was the best ball striker of my era, an era with perhaps the largest number of great players.
What did you learn from Tommy Bolt when you went to see him in your early 20s?
So many things. One, I learned to shorten my backswing and quiet my hands. Then he taught me how to hit a soft, high cut. And he taught me about tempo. He encouraged me to hit pitching wedge instead of sand wedge from 80 to 95 yards. Taught me how to dress too. Just by watching him. Two colors are easy, but he had three or four colors. It could have been two colors in his shoes, but those colors would spin off everything else. He could contrast three colors and make it blend. Tommy's fantastic.
Are you sorry you went hunting instead of accepting an invitation to play on the 1977 U.S. Ryder Cup Team?
Absolutely. That is one of my regrets. The hunt could have been done another time. I made a decision. As I look back, it was the wrong decision. But that is stubborn Tom—the German, stubborn personality. I was tough to live with.
I got crucified for that. Rightfully so.
Wised Up 
