Say What? with Bob Rosburg
 
Oct. 11, 2007

Editor's Note: Bob Rosburg was winning the PGA Championship before most of today's PGA TOUR golfers were even born. The 80-year-old has some unique stories to share about his career in golf so PGA TOUR Media Official Phil Stambaugh sat down with him to pick his brain.

PGATOUR.com: What's your most memorable moment in golf?

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Bob Rosburg won the 1959 PGA Championship. (Condon/PGA TOUR Staff)

Rosburg: Well, there are two of them. When I won the 1959 PGA Championship, I came from eight shots back in the last round. Also, hitting the first ball for the United States at the 1959 Ryder Cup.

PGATOUR.com: Anything that stands out about the eight-stroke comeback in the PGA at Minneapolis Golf Club?

Rosburg: I thought I was just playing to try and finish good. I shot 30 on the front nine and got within reach. Jerry Barber was nice to me and bogeyed the last two holes to let me win by a stroke. It made a tremendous difference in my life. I was exempt from then on and was a big moment.

PGATOUR.com: What's the best advice you ever received?

Rosburg: I wasn't much of a lesson-taker. My dad started me in the game when I was young. Probably the best advice I ever got in golf came late in my career. I thought I was finished and couldn't hit it at all. I went to see Claude Harmon and he changed my right-hand grip. After that, I ended up having three of the best years I ever had.

PGATOUR.com: What's your favorite golf course?

Rosburg: I've always said that if somebody made me play golf every day for the rest of my life and let me choose the course, it would be Cypress Point. It's not exceptionally hard when the weather's good but can turn really hard if the weather's bad. It's just so beautiful. I played quite a bit there when I was growing up and it had a lot to do with my life. There and The Olympic Club in San Francisco are probably the two best places I've ever played.

PGATOUR.com: Did you have a favorite club in your bag?

Rosburg: It was really the putter. I putted as well as anyone and without the putter, I could have never made it. I made a lot of putts in my career.

PGATOUR.com: Did you stick with the same putter for most of your career or were you constantly changing putters?

Rosburg: I switched quite a bit. I used a model like a Wilson 8802 for a long time and then went to a center-shafted putter for awhile. Probably the best putting stretch of my life was with an odd-looking thing. When I won the Bob Hope event, I went all 90 holes without three-putting and then I think I used it two other tournaments and threw it away.

PGATOUR.com: Any mulligan's you'd like to take in your life?

Rosburg: Probably the putt on the last hole at the 1969 U.S. Open at Champions. I missed it from three feet and Orville Moody beat me by a stroke. That's the biggest one. I also wouldn't have been quite as hard on myself on the golf course as I was. My temper was not exactly the greatest. I don't think I hurt anyone else but I hurt myself and I'd like to have that over again.

PGATOUR.com: Who would be in your dream foursome?

Rosburg: I loved Ben Hogan. He was a good friend and a great guy. I'd also have to say Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods. I think that would be a good group.

PGATOUR.com: Who's your best friend in golf?

Rosburg: I was probably as close to Fred Hawkins as anyone. I love the guy and still talk with him quite a bit. We both liked to do the same things and didn't exactly train very well. He liked to laugh and I liked to laugh so we hit it off. I also traveled with Arnold Palmer and Raymond Floyd when he was a youngster. I think now my best buddy is Dow Finsterwald.

PGATOUR.com: If you were PGA TOUR Commissioner for a day is there anything you'd change?

Rosburg: When I was the chairman of our Tournament Committee, I tried to put something through that no player could miss the same event more than three years in a row. I have always thought that would help the PGA TOUR immensely. I know that I couldn't get it passed because of a few players who wouldn't play in certain places. I still think it's wrong and it hurts certain tournaments. As much money as these guys make today, I don't see why they can't play once every four years at a stop they haven't played.