My first assignment as a freshman reporter for the Utah State student newspaper was to cover the Aggie Invitational Golf Tournament.
The winner was BYU senior Johnny Miller, who set the course record with a 61. I had never heard of him. Four years later, Miller won the U.S. Open with an unprecedented final-round 63.
By then, I played on the “Logan Paint” softball team, whose owner, Steve Gregoire, was Miller’s best friend while growing up in San Francisco. Gregoire had previously arranged to have Miller give a clinic and a fundraiser at the Logan Golf and Country Club in the summer of 1973. Miller had been a caddy for Gregoire’s dad at the famed Olympic Club in San Francisco.
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Imagine the surprise, three days after the U.S. Open, when Miller made good on the promise to his old San Francisco friend. Miller gave a clinic at my boyhood golf course. He was the first pro athlete I ever interviewed.
I couldn’t imagine a more personable and friendly interview subject than Johnny Miller. A year later, Miller won the first of three consecutive Tucson Opens — golf’s “Desert Fox” was born — and in 1975 had rounds of 65-69-67-61 at Tucson National, or 25-under par, which was a PGA Tour record.
Many have forgotten that Miller returned to Tucson to win again in 1981.
He spent the last 29 years as NBC’s golf analyst, forging an identity as the most candid TV analyst in golf, and perhaps any sport with the exception of the late Howard Cosell.
When NBC broadcast the 2006 WGC-Accenture Match Play championships at Dove Mountain, Miller arrived a day early and agreed to an interview, as arranged by Salpointe Catholic grad Tommy Roy, NBC’s executive golf producer.
I told Miller I covered his victory at the Aggie Invitational a lifetime earlier, and fondly remembered the day he spent the afternoon playing my hometown golf course as the newly-crowned U.S. Open champion.
“Steve Gregoire and I are still good friends,” he said. “We go fishing and duck-hunting together. I’ll tell him you said hello.”
The Miller connections to Tucson haven’t ended. Last week, BYU played in the Arizona Intercollegiate tournament at Sewailo Golf Club. His son, Todd, is the Cougars’ director of golf.
On Saturday, Miller made his final appearance as an NBC golf analyst. I will sure miss him. For Johnny Miller, it was a job well done.
