Lanny Wadkins - Part 1 (The Early Years)

Fasten your seatbelts as World Golf Hall of Fame member Lanny Wadkins joins Bruce & Mike for a rollicking ride through his early Amateur career, his first Masters at age 20 playing with Gene Sarazen and his love for the team competitions of golf. Learn about his "Trackman" of the 60's, how Arnie hit into him on the last hole while Lanny was putting for his first win and how he played with a "plan" when leading. Lanny and Bruce reminisce about the Bob Hope Classic and the Crosby Clambake paired with the likes of Telly Savalas and Dean Martin. Lanny Wadkins tells his early story in golf, "FORE the Good of the Game."

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About

"FORE the Good of the Game” is a golf podcast featuring interviews with World Golf Hall of Fame members, winners of major championships and other people of influence in and around the game of golf. Highlighting the positive aspects of the game, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by PGA Tour star Bruce Devlin, our podcast focuses on telling their life stories, in their voices. Join Bruce and Mike Gonzalez “FORE the Good of the Game.”

Thanks so much for listening!

Wadkins, Lanny

Golf Professional and Broadcaster

Tenacious and fiercely competitive, Lanny Wadkins has always been supremely confident in his abilities on the golf course. With a quick pace of play, Wadkins won 21 PGA TOUR events including the 1977 PGA Championship.

A native of Richmond, Virginia, Wadkins showed marvelous ability as a junior golfer. Attending Wake Forest University on an Arnold Palmer Scholarship, he proved to be one of the finest amateurs of the day. He played on the Walker Cup Teams of 1969 and 1971 and on the World Amateur Team in 1970.

In the years that the U.S. Amateur was played at all stroke play (1965 – 1972), Wadkins set the all-time record of 279 with his win by one over Tom Kite at Waverley Country Club in Portland. It was a portent of great things to come.

“It was only the most important shot of my life, Jack. There’s nobody I’d rather have hit it for.”
He joined the PGA TOUR in 1972 winning the Sahara Invitational in Las Vegas and was later voted the 1972 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year. After two wins in 1973, his game went into a swoon as he did not win again for three years.

But in the 1977 PGA Championship at Pebble Beach, Wadkins regained his form. Beginning the final round six shots behind the leader Wadkins made two front nine eagles but was still five shots behind entering the final nine. When the leader bogeyed five of the first six holes on the back side, Jack Nicklaus bogeyed the 17th to fall out of contention. Wadkins proceeded to birdie 18 for his only birdie of the day to force a tie. The first sudden death playoff for a major championship ensu… Read More

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