I’ll tee one up on Pic…
Picard won both The Masters and PGA Championship defeating Byron Nelson in his prime while it was a match play event.
McGee: True Both victories are covered almost blow by blow in The Hershey Hurricane. It is really fascinating stuff, especially considering that the PGA Championship was played at a place that is now roads and parking lots and apartment buildings (Pomonok Country Club in New York)…Below is an excerpt from the book about the 1939 PGA Championship, which featured a combined 20 birdies and 2 eagles between Picard and Nelson!!!
“The thirty-six hole match play contest lived up to all expectations.
Henry got off to a steady start, and quickly went one up
after one hole of play. “Man, Byron, you can’t start me
one up and win,” he told Nelson as they walked off the first green.
Evidently, Picard’s talk got in his opponents’ brain, because Henry
jumped out to a commanding early lead. Nelson struggled from
the beginning of the round and was forced to write down bogeys
on three of his first six holes, but he was a warrior and fought
back with the temperament of a war veteran. An eagle on the 275 yard,
par-four ninth hole, gave Nelson momentum, and the well-liked
Texan climbed his way back by the end of the morning round;
only 1 down with eighteen holes to play.”
The North and South Open was considered a major championship in its day. Therefore he did in fact win 4 majors… not just the two he is credited with in the modern view.
McGee: I found the same, and discovered a couple other Pro wins that didn’t “count.” I did not address this in the book, though, as “it is what it is” and good luck changing it……
Picard was one of the dominant players in the game in the 1930’s. Right at the birth of the age of steel shafts. Picard is credited as having one of the first classic modern golf swings, and in his later years became one of the games great instructors.
McGee: True on all fronts…. His classic modern golf swing was born out of being a great athlete who spent alot of time mastering his trade, but more importantly, came from watching Bobby Jones…There is a sequence in the book that covers this, too, and it’s a beauty!!!
Hogan dedicated his book “Power Golf” to Henry Picard… even though Picard stated he only weakened his left hand grip to stop his hook. He also explained to Hogan that if you swing on plane, the harder you hit it, the straighter you will hit it. Sounds familiar.
McGee: Sounds real familiar!
Another excerpt, this one a real beauty, too!:
“Exhausted upon his Pinehurst arrival, Henry was looking
forward to some rest. When he pulled into the parking lot, however,
there was Ben Hogan, flipping a cigarette onto the ground.
Hogan had a desperate look in his eyes. Ben insisted that Henry
play a practice round with him so he could get feedback on
his swing before the tournament. After Picard’s lesson on
how to hit a consistent fade, Hogan was now slicing the ball way
more to the right than he could tolerate.
Pic was tired and really wanted to rest, but obliged because
he was an honorable person and sincerely cared about his friend.
When the two arrived at the first tee, Henry lay down while they
waited for the group ahead of them to clear out of the way. When
he got to his feet, he pulled his wallet out of his back right pocket,
and threw it down on the expertly maintained tee box. He
fixed Hogan with a steely stare.
“I bet you all of it you can’t out drive me,” Pic told Hogan.
Hogan wound up and hit his drive far, but too far to the right,
again. Pic picked up his wallet. “Make it a little tougher on me,” he told his student.
“This time,” said Henry, as he flipped Ben another ball, and
Hogan placed it on the tee, “hit it as hard as you can—whip
it!” Ben did as he was told and his ball smashed off the clubface.
It sailed through the air both straight and far. Turning up the
power closed the clubface, which in turn helped Hogan add dis-
tance while not sacrificing accuracy with his driver.”
Picard himself credited his success to Alex Morrison whom he studied under like a golfing acolyte.
McGee: Yes, and there is basically an entire chapter devoted to Mr. Morrison, who was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay ahead of his time!
More to come as time allows, but the book basically covers most of what everyone wants to know (and then some).
Thanks for your support,
Seamus
