Colorful and cool, just when the PGA Tour needed it

Doug Sanders leaves an impression with his winsome look and play that should rival that missed putt in 1970 at St. Andrews

We lost a great one in Doug Sanders (“Doug Sanders, 20-time PGA Tour winner, dies,” April 13). He wasn't Arnold Palmer – of course – no one is or was – but Sanders was cool when cool was just not the thing on the prim-and-proper PGA Tour in the late 1950s through the 1960s.

He died on Sunday, and it did not go by me so fast. I thought, How cool was this guy wearing matching wild-colored clothes, having a manufactured swing and being a top player? He was flashy, flamboyant and could play.

I saw Sanders in person a few times, and he truly was a ball-striker with the best of them. Twenty PGA Tour wins; drove the ball 260 dead straight every hole; crispy iron player and solid short game. He was best-known for missing a 3-footer to win the 1970 British Open at St. Andrews and then losing in the playoff the next day to Jack Nicklaus.

Oh, well. You can't have everything in life. Boy, was he cool.

Bob Geismar
Boca Raton, Fla.

Nicklaus’ 1986 Masters victory stands out
I certainly wouldn’t claim to know which is the greatest Masters ever, but my favorite definitely is Jack Nicklaus’ win in ’86 (“ ‘Masters Rewind’ gives golf fans what they want,” April 13).

I made sure I didn’t miss it and, like Morning Read’s Mike Purkey, was reminded of Ben Wright’s “Yes, sir!” call. But watching also made me wonder how Steve Melnyk lasted as long as he did as a commentator. Wow! I particularly enjoyed how Gary Player put him in his place when Melnyk asked what he thought about Nick Price and all of the “foreign” players in contention.

Kevin Scannell
St. Louis

Morning Read invites reader comment. Write to editor Steve Harmon at steve@morningread.com. Please provide your name and city of residence. If your comment is selected for publication, Morning Read will contact you to verify the authenticity of the email and confirm your identity. We will not publish your email address. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and brevity.

Sign up to receive the Morning Read newsletter, along with Where To Golf Next and The Equipment Insider.