Hollis Stacy - Part 2 (Winning Back-to-Back Women's U.S. Opens

There is a certain magic that makes a Major Champion. Being at the doorstep of history brings a powerful, almost unquantifiable kind of pressure. Some players respond to it, others can’t. This kind of moxie can’t be bottled or easily explained. For some, like Phil Mickelson, it is learned through hard lessons. For the rare, lucky few like Jack Nicklaus, it is a natural gift.

Hollis Stacy is one of the lucky ones.

There was something about brutal courses and dire circumstances that brought out her best.

“When I get on a course that’s not very good, that’s not tough, I fall asleep,” Stacy once said. “Mentally I must be lazy, like a little kid, but I always seem to do well when there’s a tough situation.”

“When I get on a course that’s not very good, that’s not tough, I fall asleep.”
This gift, along with a wonderful short game, earned Stacy four Major Championships in her career, including three U.S. Women’s Opens. In total, she won 18 LPGA titles, six of which came in playoffs.

Both talents were on full display in 1978, when Stacy was on the cusp of her second consecutive U.S. Women’s Open title. The Country Club of Indianapolis proved to be a beast of a course and going into the final round, Stacy led the tournament by one over JoAnne Carner at 4-over 217.

After two rain and lightning delays and six lead changes, Stacy still led Carner by one going into No. 18. It looked like the pressure finally got to Stacy when she hit a terribly fat 1-iron off the tee. But she kept battling and got her second shot near the green. Sh… Read More