Bert Yancey

[Skip Castaneda]

I read a book about The Masters by Dick Schaap and it was called The Masters. The book discusses a golfer named Bert Yancey. He seemed like he was going to be a future champion. But he suffered a mental disorder. Does anyone remember Bert Yancey?

[super20dan]

he also was struck by lightning along with lee trevino

[Bella Woods]

When I first started following golf (1966) and for the first few years after that - Bert Yancey and
Dudley Wysong were the young, talented, up and coming rising "stars" in golf. Both were winning
golf tournaments during the period 1966 to 1968/69.

Neither lasted in the limelight though, and neither one of them lived to be 60 years old, a shame.

[Shallowface]

[quote name='super20dan' timestamp='1391599987' post='8602083']
he also was struck by lightning along with lee trevino
[/quote]

At the 1975 Western Open, the three golfers struck by lightning were Trevino, Jerry Heard and Bobby Nichols.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19750629&id=aswwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CAYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6604,5350527

But Yancey was struck by lightning.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1978&dat=19690605&id=TmkiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5qoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3433,4288548

[paparoy43]

If I remember correctly, he was also diagnosed as bipolar.

[DavePelz4]

He suffered from manic depression. They gave him the drugs of that time but they gave him the shakes so bad that he couldn't putt. Once they developed the next generation drugs, it reduced the shakes and gave him the ability to play again on the senior tour. He used to hold the tour record for fewest putts in a tournament with just around 100, IIRC.

[HoganApexBlades]

[quote name='Shallowface' timestamp='1391606899' post='8602345']
[quote name='super20dan' timestamp='1391599987' post='8602083']
he also was struck by lightning along with lee trevino
[/quote]

At the 1975 Western Open, the three golfers struck by lightning were Trevino, Jerry Heard and Bobby Nichols.

[url="http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19750629&id=aswwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CAYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6604,5350527"]http://news.google.c...pg=6604,5350527[/url]

But Yancey was struck by lightning.

[url="http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1978&dat=19690605&id=TmkiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5qoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3433,4288548"]http://news.google.c...pg=3433,4288548[/url]
[/quote]

I remember this happening about a week or two after the '75 U.S. Open @ Medinah. The summer weather around here can be quite dangerous for golf. Then again, the weather around here all year long can be dangerous no matter what you are doing!

[Shallowface]

As far as I know, Yancey is the only Champions Tour player to die while competing (or in his case about to compete, as he was stricken in the scorer's tent prior to his round) in an event.

I find that remarkable considering the 34 year history of that tour with a group of people that age. Statistically that has to be way below what would be normal for a group of that age, size and time frame.

Feel free to use this next time someone gets on you about playing too much golf. Golf is good for you!

[wingedfoot97]

A graduate of West Point and made clay replicas of the greens at Augusta.

[stixman]

He was regarded as an authority on the golf swing and, according to Peter Alliss, counted Tony Jacklin amongst his pupils

In considering the hook as the most destructive of golf shots, he is supposed to have said, 'I don't even want to drive a car that turns left !'

[HoganApexBlades]

[quote name='stixman' timestamp='1391708107' post='8610035']
He was regarded as an authority on the golf swing and, according to Peter Alliss, counted Tony Jacklin amongst his pupils

In considering the hook as the most destructive of golf shots, he is supposed to have said, 'I don't even want to drive a car that turns left !'
[/quote]

HAHA! I would agree entirely...isn't it ironic that playing partners always make a "quack, quack" noise after you hit a nasty hook, but are usually silent when you slice a ball???

[super20dan]

as some one who has fought a nasty hook all my life i have to agree. fixed it this year-ala hogan-grip change

[KevCarter]

Great story told me by a rules official on the Champions Tour, geez, over 20 years ago...

The official is riding around, nothing exciting happening. Bert Yancy is standing in the middle of the fairway, arms folded and looking around with a quizzical look on his face. The official drives over:

Official: Hey Bert, what's going on? Can I help you?
Bert: Yeah, I don't know what to do.
Official: Well Bert, tell me what's going on.
Bert: I'm pretty sure I forgot to hit a tee shot.



According to this official, when Bert didn't get his meds right in the morning, you just didn't know what to expect. Fortunately, the official said Bert could always laugh about it when these things happened, and he was one of the greatest guys out there.

BTW, don't ask me how his caddie and fellow competitors didn't notice, I never thought to ask. :-)

Kevin

[Ironmaster Oddities]

As Lee Trevino said, "you can talk to a slice. But a hook won't listen".

[Ironmaster Oddities]

[quote name='Shallowface' timestamp='1391606899' post='8602345']
[quote name='super20dan' timestamp='1391599987' post='8602083']
he also was struck by lightning along with lee trevino
[/quote]

At the 1975 Western Open, the three golfers struck by lightning were Trevino, Jerry Heard and Bobby Nichols.

[url="http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19750629&id=aswwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CAYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6604,5350527"]http://news.google.c...pg=6604,5350527[/url]

But Yancey was struck by lightning.

[url="http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1978&dat=19690605&id=TmkiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5qoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3433,4288548"]http://news.google.c...pg=3433,4288548[/url]
[/quote]

if I remember correctly, the big connection to Trevino was that Trevino Beat Yancy in the first US Open that lee won. 1968?
Bert's putting couldn't hold up over the last couple days.

[DavePelz4]

[quote name='Ironmaster Oddities' timestamp='1391729876' post='8612267']
As Lee Trevino said, "you can talk to a [s]slice[/s] fade. But a hook won't listen".
[/quote]

Fixed.

[Hork]

When I arrived at West Poiint Yancey was going to be starting his senior year. As we were both golfers and from Florida he sort of took me under his wing (much appreciated as new Plebes at West Point needed all the friends he could get). Unfortunately for both he and I, at the end of the summer Bert had the attack which resulted in his medical dismissal from the Academy. Great guy!

[Skip Castaneda]

The book portrayed him to be a great guy. I found myself rooting for him throughout the book. Billy Casper won the tournament. After reading the book, I Googled him and read some stories about him that made it seem life was hard for him at times. Mental illness is no laughing matter.