Remember when: Memorial Tournament’s 1976 debut delivered for Dublin

Linda Deitch
·1 min read
Jack Nicklaus and fans follow the flight of his shot on the 15th fairway in 1984. He went on to win that year, becoming the Memorial’s first two-time winner. Several golfers have won more than once; Tiger Woods has won the event five times.
Jack Nicklaus and fans follow the flight of his shot on the 15th fairway in 1984. He went on to win that year, becoming the Memorial’s first two-time winner. Several golfers have won more than once; Tiger Woods has won the event five times.

The Memorial Tournament teed off for the first time this week in 1976 at the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin. It has since carved its niche as a challenging tournament featuring star golfers and a lush, meticulously groomed course.

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Unfortunately, poor weather has plagued the event at times. “Rain” and “Muirfield during the Memorial” are synonymous in local lore.

One of the fivesomes playing in the 1976 Pro-Am: From left, Jack Nicklaus, Flip Wilson, Pandel Savic (tournament co-chairman), Jack Curran (sporting goods executive) and Ohio Gov. James A. Rhodes. Savic was a stand-in for Bing Crosby.
One of the fivesomes playing in the 1976 Pro-Am: From left, Jack Nicklaus, Flip Wilson, Pandel Savic (tournament co-chairman), Jack Curran (sporting goods executive) and Ohio Gov. James A. Rhodes. Savic was a stand-in for Bing Crosby.

Upper Arlington High School graduate Jack Nicklaus envisioned and built Muirfield, which he named in honor of a Scottish golf course where he played in the Walker Cup as a 19-year-old amateur. Along with golf competition, each year the Memorial honors the sport’s legends (whether living or deceased) and benefits several local charities.

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During the Memorial’s first year, the winners’ prize-money pot was $200,000 and all-tournament tickets were $40. The current prize fund is $12 million, and a weekly patron badge is $220. (Junior tickets, for fans 18 and under, are free with a ticketed adult.)

The Leaderboard at the 1976 tournament would eventually show Roger Maltbie as the champion.
The Leaderboard at the 1976 tournament would eventually show Roger Maltbie as the champion.

Pro golfers playing there in 1976 included Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf, Hale Irwin, Hubert Green, Ben Crenshaw, Lee Trevino and Ed Sneed. Roger Maltbie was the winner.

Celebrities participating in the first Pro-Am, a day of fun prior to the actual tournament, included Jackie Gleason, Bob Hope, Evel Knievel, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Don Shula and Flip Wilson.

Bing Crosby was scheduled to play in the Pro-Am but ended up spending the night in Riverside Hospital to have “a piece of meat dislodged from his gullet,” The Dispatch reported. He still showed up the next day to see the course.

The 2022 Memorial begins May 30 and runs through June 5.

Contributor Linda Deitch was a Dispatch librarian for 25 years. 

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Memorial Tournament: Golf's 1976 debut delivered for Dublin