"Goodbye, Mister"

It was somewhat difficult to remember that until last week Jack Nicklaus, 22, the country's No. 1 pro, was still the U.S. amateur champion (having beaten Dudley Wysong, 8 and 6, in 1961's final). He wasn't on hand to defend his title last week at Pinehurst, N.C., of course. But there were still enough big names to make a big list of favorites. Deane Beman, the 1960 winner, was there. So were Charles Coe (winner in '49 and '58), Harvie Ward ('55 and '56) and Ted Bishop ('46). There was North Carolina's own Billy Joe Patton, a perennial gallery favorite, and at 40 certainly the best amateur never to win a major tournament. And then there were scores of kids, respectful of their elders, to be sure, but slamming golf balls with devastating irreverence.

Learning Manners. On the very first day of the rugged match play on the 7,051-yd. course, a 19-year-old youngster named Ronnie Gerringer, from Newport News, Va., set the tone of the tournament. Paired with 38-year-old Charlie Coe, Gerringer was the picture of polite deference. "I told my daddy before I left home that I considered it a privilege to play a gentleman like Mr. Coe," said Ronnie shyly. "I thought maybe I would just learn some good manners about how to play in a major match."

Gerringer learned more than good manners and sent Coe home, 3 and 2. He basked for a moment in the victory, then saw Coe walking back to the clubhouse. "Gee, Mr. Coe," he called out. "Goodbye." Turning to the reporters, he added: "I'm sorry it had to be Mr. Coe."

Then, on succeeding days on varying holes, it was goodbye Mr. Beman, goodbye Mr. Ward, goodbye Mr. Chapman (and, along the way, goodbye Master Gerringer), all beaten by smooth-swinging youngsters who were in turn beaten by better ones. By the fifth round, only Mr. Patton was among the eight quarter-finalists. The others were all 25 or under, and the fact that Patton had come that far suddenly seemed a marvel of geriatrics. Billy Joe even made it through to the semifinals.

But waiting for him there was Labron Harris, Jr., a 20-year-old graduate student in statistics at Oklahoma State University and son of the university golf coach. Twice Billy Joe whittled down Harris' lead to stand all even after 32 holes of the 36-hole match. Yet this was match-play elimination golf, not the usual 72-hole stroke-play tournament. Both had already played close to 100 holes, and it was Billy Joe who went to pieces--into the trees on the 34th and a sand trap on the 35th--leaving Harris to face Downing Gray, a 24-year-old insurance man and weekend golfer from Pensacola, Fla., in the finals.

Getting It Out. Against Gray, a steady newcomer playing in his first U.S. Amateur championship, Harris proved that his win over Billy Joe was no fluke. He had a horrendous first 18 holes, bogeyed his way to a five-hole deficit after the morning round. At lunch, Harris' father phoned. "You can do it, son," he rooted. "You've got it in you." Returning to the table, Harris laughed. "I've got it in me." he said. "Now if only I can get it out." After lunch the scholarly young mathematician clicked off a spectacular series of pars and birdies, won five straight holes to even it up at the 27th, and closed out the match to win 1 up on the 36th hole.

And where was Jack Nicklaus while all this scrambling for his amateur crown was going on? That first-year pro, master of Arnold Palmer in both the U.S. Open and the recent World Series of Golf, was out West demonstrating the extraordinary power, discipline and consistency that have won him $107,818 so far this year. He copped the Seattle Open with a 15-under-par 265, beating Palmer by 6 strokes and Gary Player by 5. The victory was worth another $4,300. Then he went on to lead the Portland Open (first prize: $3,500) by a stroke after three rounds with a 16-under-par 200. despite a two-stroke penalty for slow play.

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