Vinny Giles simply couldn’ t sit still two weeks before the 1968 Masters.
by LEONARD SHAPIRO
G
LOSE
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Vinny Giles simply couldn’ t sit still two weeks before the 1968 Masters.
He’ d qualified to play after finishing runner-up in the’ 67 U. S. Amateur, but there he was, stuck in a lecture hall as a second-year law student at the University of Virginia, day dreaming far more about birdies and eagles than briefs and torts.
He’ d initially planned to head to Augusta on the Saturday before the tournament week started. But he knew his game needed a whole lot of work. He hadn’ t been playing much in wintery Charlottesville, and when he did venture out for a chilly round, it took three layers of clothing just to walk on threadbare fairways and putt on frozen greens.
“ I woke up that Thursday before I was supposed to leave and I just said I can’ t stand this anymore,” Giles recalled.“ I was up at 6, loaded up the car by 8 and got to Augusta at 2:30 that afternoon. I played 18 that day, then 18 or more every day in the practice rounds.”
In the end, it paid off handsomely. Giles was the Masters’ low amateur that year, tied for 22nd. The upcoming 2018 Masters marks the 50th anniversary of the Lynchburg native’ s memorable week at Augusta National, though truth be told, Giles— who is retired and splits time between homes in Virginia and Florida— didn’ t even realize it until a reporter called for an interview.
That Masters will always be remembered as the tournament where Roberto DiVicenzo of Argentina, who thought he won, signed an incorrect scorecard after his final hole and was penalized, allowing Bob Goalby to claim the green jacket.
Giles’ amateur medal received scant attention that day, and probably forever more. And yet he, his wife, Key, and all the friends and family who saw it up close and personal will never forget the first of Giles’ three appearances in the tournament he dreamed about playing almost from the first time he picked up a golf club.
Giles spent his first five days at Augusta National living with his fellow amateurs in the spartan“ Crow’ s Nest” in the upper reaches of the clubhouse. He describes it now as like living in a military barracks, in a room that had a curtain for a door, and only one bathroom. Still, the price certainly was right. They paid $ 1 for breakfast, $ 1 for lunch and $ 2 for dinner in the clubhouse and were charged $ 2 a day for the room.
When Key and other family members arrived, Giles moved to more comfortable accommodations away from the course. He also seemed extremely comfortable in Thursday’ s opening round, despite being paired with former Masters champion Doug Ford, who was not particularly pleasant to his young playing partner.
Giles, avoiding a harsher description, just as you’ d expect from a perfect southern gentleman, said,“ He didn’ t really talk to me, always walked ahead of me or stood at the edge of the green in my line while I was putting. He wasn’ t much fun to play with, I can tell you that.”
Giles manufactured his own fun, with a birdie at the first hole despite hitting his drive left onto the ninth fairway. His 6-iron approach left him a tricky 30-footer, but he made that putt, sank an impossible 45-footer over a swale for birdie at the fifth and birdied the par-5 8th to go 3 under.
After he parred the ninth for a fabulous front-side 33, a red-coated Masters official on the putting surface, there to announce the names of
M ARCH / A PRIL 2018 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 19