Watch the US Opens and Masters from the 1980s

[freddiec]

I recently realized somebody loaded some great footage (mostly original ABC coverage) of the early 80s US Open and Masters tournaments on youtube. I've watched the 84 Masters, 80 and 81 US Open this week. One I really enjoyed was the 84 Masters and 81 US Open where David Graham the winner on Sunday hit all 18 greens as Marion. The video is good quality. If interested, check them out, you'll find them with quick searches of 1981 US Open

[HoganApexBlades]

I loved listening to Dave Marr do his color commentary back then.

[wingedfoot97]

Marr was a classy guy who wasn't full of himself!

[Hot Rod 71]

I love the announcer from that era. They knew what to say and when to say it without a bunch of useless jibberish.

[stixman]

+1 on Dave Marr, great loss to golf both sides of the pond.

[freddiec]

I agree w all the above comments. It's funny how players from that era spoke during interviews. Much more humble and relaxed and less rehearsed. The announcers also spoke as if they did not know what was going thru the players mind unlike today they tell you what they r thinking as if they r expert wizards... Dave Marr and Rossie were a great team broadcasting. Jim McKay was also great IMO. I love watching these old films especially from the mid 80s where the course retains the appropriate look and feel. And players play the course as it was designed. Persimmon ....

[NRJyzr]

[quote name='freddiec' timestamp='1419171324' post='10624007']
It's funny how players from that era spoke during interviews. Much more humble and relaxed and less rehearsed.[/quote]

We can blame modern media for this. Every comment is over-analyzed, over-dissected, and especially creates over-reaction.

[dbuck47]

I have watched a few of those and enjoyed them very much.

[scruffynick]

I watched them all last week, the 84 masters was cracking stuff. But I forgot how long and willowly faldos swing was back then

[dbuck47]

The 1980 US Open was good stuff for many reasons. The back and forth with Jack and Aoki. Jack's first major since '78. Many more sub-stories, but the big one, "Jack is Back".

[Kirasdad]

Watched the '81 US Open, and I completely agree about the course and it's set up and the strategy therein. The golf clubs looked like...well, golf clubs IMHO. Watching David Graham plot his way around Merion with Hoganesque precision was impressive. Two things I noticed right away was in the final 4 or 5 groups,which is essentially the only players we saw, there wasn't a single Anser putter. Considering Julius Boros won the Phoenix Open in 1967, fourteen years previous with an Anser, and now probably 75% of guys on tour use a variation of one, it was surprising to me not to see even one. Almost all the leaders in '81 had 8802 type flatsticks, Graham was wielding a bullseye and George Burns a TP Mills. The other thing that struck me is with the exception of Jack Nicklaus, the swings, at least to me anyway, seemed to be more of the 80% effort variety rather than the full out manner we see today. Jack was going after his driver certainly, the irons not so much.

On another note, I actually like modern announcers, Johnny Miller in particular, whom lots of people like to potshot. If anyone knows what's going on in their mind's it's him. He has been there, innumerable times, in their shoes, hitting those shots under pressure. I have also heard him on air saying how he himself has "choked" so he's not immune to calling out himself. Miller says things that old school announcers like Dave Marr would never say for fear of being controversial. Not his fault, simply the way things were done then. I find Miller's style refreshingly candid.

[scruffynick]

[quote name='stixman' timestamp='1419166207' post='10623857']
+1 on Dave Marr, great loss to golf both sides of the pond.
[/quote]

Yeah, I liked Dave marr mainly in the masters coverage, had good wit with allis

[jmck]

[quote name='scruffynick' timestamp='1419266395' post='10628531']
I watched them all last week, the 84 masters was cracking stuff. But I forgot how long and willowly faldos swing was back then
[/quote]

Agreed. So different pre- and post-Leadbetter. Amazing really that he won with both, though he certainly won more after the change.

[HoganApexBlades]

[quote name='scruffynick' timestamp='1419957781' post='10660359']
[quote name='stixman' timestamp='1419166207' post='10623857']
+1 on Dave Marr, great loss to golf both sides of the pond.
[/quote]

Yeah, I liked Dave marr mainly in the masters coverage, had good wit with allis
[/quote]

I'm not sure Dave Marr or Peter Allis did The Masters telecasts. They were ABC and The Masters was CBS.

[freddiec]

I just watched the last round of the 1980 US Open. Jack was so steady and solid that last round. He hit driver alot on the par 4's, hit the rough twice (right) , but most of the times was very long and straight. He also hit a lot of really good iron shots. There was a lot of great play on Sunday and there were a few guys who could have really taken a run at Jack like Keith Fergus and Tom Watson, but nobody made any putts.. It was great to see classic golf played at that level on a great course.

[rayrobinson]

Golf back then was so pure , blades , persimmon woods and real rough.