Johnny Miller's MacGregor 915T irons

['53 Precision]

How much of the hosel did he remove from the irons used to win the '72 United States Open?

[HoganApexBlades]

Actually, it was the '73 Open at Oakmont. I'm not sure how much he removed, but I read he did it himself and then loaded up the back flanges with lead tape.

['53 Precision]

Thanks, long day yesterday :-) I can find him saying he did it, and ground the sole and top line and added lead tape, but not how much of the hosel was removed and can't find pictures showing that part of the irons in order to try to figure it out...

[Ironmaster Oddities]

When he groun down the hosels, I wonder if he hand to tip the shafts to get the flex to feel the same

[NRJyzr]

[quote name='Ironmaster Oddities' timestamp='1396548696' post='9012661']
When he groun down the hosels, I wonder if he hand to tip the shafts to get the flex to feel the same
[/quote]

Insertion depth doesn't do much of anything to flex, at least not in the way you're describing. It comes into play when you're talking about how much butt section has to be trimmed in the case of greater or lesser insertion depth (really about bore to ground line measurement).

[Skip Castaneda]

Golf magazine had pictures of the clubs about a year or so ago. I'm sure if you go to the archives at the Golf Magazine site, you can find the article.

[HoganApexBlades]

Umm, actually, the irons shown on Golf Magazine's website are Tourney Customs, not Tommy Armour 915T's as referenced.

[xgolfx]

[quote name='HoganApexBlades' timestamp='1397090223' post='9057809']
Umm, actually, the irons shown on Golf Magazine's website are Tourney Customs, not Tommy Armour 915T's as referenced.
[/quote]

Miller used 1945 915t Tommy Armour 2-7 irons
MacGregor Tourney Custom 1972 8-pw
According to 8/31/2012 Golf.com article

CHARLEY PENNA

['53 Precision]

In the photographs the irons do appear to all be Tourney Customs while the text is as Mr. Penna states...Mr. Penna, do you know how much of the hosel was removed on Johnny's irons?

[HoganApexBlades]

Charley, I concur. The original post was about Miller's 915's, not his Tourney Customs.

[xgolfx]

I don't know the answer. I hate to guess. I think he would have removed less than you would think

CHARLEY PENNA

['53 Precision]

I concur Mr. Penna, my guess (should I hazard one) would be the removal of enough of the hozel so the 915T's matched the Tourney Customs, theoretically placing the sweet spot, or CG close to the same on both groups of irons.

[tembolo1284]

Didn't he say he ground damn near half the hosel off? How long was the hosel like 2.5 inches? that's bananas.

['53 Precision]

I've not seen anything saying how much, just the statement he cut off the hosel and ground the heads so much he had to add a lot of tape to get them back to a playable weight...

[hollabachgt]

I believe the were cut off just below the pinning holes

[HoganApexBlades]

[b]FROM GOLF.COM - [url="http://www.golf.com/equipment/johnny-miller-1973-us-open-golf-equipment-macgregor-wilson"]http://www.golf.com/equipment/johnny-miller-1973-us-open-golf-equipment-macgregor-wilson[/url][/b]

[b]IRONS[/b]
1945 MacGregor Tommy Armour 915T (2-7) and 1972 MacGregor Tourney Custom (8-PW). All irons have True Temper Dynamic steel shafts, stiff flex, +0.5” shaft length
[b]2-iron:[/b] 210 yards
[b]3-iron:[/b] 200 yards
[b]4-iron:[/b] 185 yards
[b]5-iron:[/b] 175 yards
[b]6-iron:[/b] 160 yards
[b]7-iron:[/b] 150 yards
[b]8-iron:[/b] 140 yards
[b]9-iron:[/b] 125 yards
[b]PW (10-iron):[/b] 115 yard
[b]JOHNNY SAYS:[/b] “I cut the irons and reground the bottoms [soles] and the top. You didn’t have much club left, so they had to have a lot of lead tape to bring them up [to proper swingweight numbers]. An extra wrap on the right hand made the grip not so V-shaped.”

Read more: [url="http://www.golf.com/equipment/johnny-miller-1973-us-open-golf-equipment-macgregor-wilson#ixzz2ytue0je8"]http://www.golf.com/equipment/johnny-miller-1973-us-open-golf-equipment-macgregor-wilson#ixzz2ytue0je8[/url]

[rex235]

Everyone-

Johnny Miller has played and won with MacGregor, Wilson/Slazenger, Spalding, and Callaway clubs.

[i]There was a Peterson's Golf publication in 1973 which showed Johnny Miller's actual irons from the 1973 US Open....[/i]
[i]they were reversed from these photos which show newer long irons and older short irons...[/i]

The Peterson photo showed a different year '64? Wilson W/S Dyna-Powered Sand Wedge
(we'll guess Miller got that one from Billy Casper)


Miller's Acushnet Bullseye putter had a few close ups (check the old '73 Firestone Tournament of Champions telecast tape, with players Tommie Aaron, Johnny Miller, Tom Weiskopf, and Jack Nicklaus)

In the January 2009 Golf Digest publication "10 Rules for Sticking Your Irons",Rule #2, Johnny Miller says it was in 1974 that he got a set of Tommy Armour irons which were 25 years old, and were "dull gray" and with "no chrome on them", by subtraction this would mean these irons were from 1949, and would be like the MacGregor Tommy Armour 915 Stainless Steel irons...

Aren't these 915s the iron set that Callaway staffer Johnny Miller gave to fellow Callaway staffer Juan "Chi-Chi" Rodriguez on TV a few years ago?

[rex235]

[quote name=''53 Precision' timestamp='1396495212' post='9008461']
How much of the hosel did he remove from the irons used to win the '72 United States Open?
[/quote]

Remember, Jack Nicklaus won the 1972 US Open at Pebble Beach...after winning the Masters...
Sports Illustrated Cover "Two Down....(Nicklaus)..Two to Go"

['53 Precision]

[quote name='rex235' timestamp='1397593162' post='9098813']
[quote name=''53 Precision' timestamp='1396495212' post='9008461']
How much of the hosel did he remove from the irons used to win the '72 United States Open?
[/quote]

Remember, Jack Nicklaus won the 1972 US Open at Pebble Beach...after winning the Masters...
Sports Illustrated Cover "Two Down....(Nicklaus)..Two to Go"
[/quote]

Thanks, I was corrected in the 1st reply to this post ;-) and Jack never got either of the other "two" in '72...thanks Hollabacht! I found a picture which I think I can extrapolate how much was removed from the irons with but this knowledge will help tremendously.

[astamm8]

[quote name=''53 Precision' timestamp='1397599141' post='9099493']
[quote name='rex235' timestamp='1397593162' post='9098813']
[quote name=''53 Precision' timestamp='1396495212' post='9008461']
How much of the hosel did he remove from the irons used to win the '72 United States Open?
[/quote]

Remember, Jack Nicklaus won the 1972 US Open at Pebble Beach...after winning the Masters...
Sports Illustrated Cover "Two Down....(Nicklaus)..Two to Go"
[/quote]

Thanks, I was corrected in the 1st reply to this post ;-) and Jack never got either of the other "two" in '72...thanks Hollabacht! I found a picture which I think I can extrapolate how much was removed from the irons with but this knowledge will help tremendously.
[/quote]

Can you post the picture?

['53 Precision]

Sure, it is from the pics of his clubs in the SI article...the five iron in the lower right of the pic shows the complete head.

[HoganApexBlades]

Those all appear to be Tourney Customs. I've searched high and low and have yet to find a clear pic of his 915's.

[T308]

On 4/14/2014 at 7:10 AM, hollabachgt said:

I believe the were cut off just below the pinning holes

That's correct.  The 915s have a 3.5 inch hosel and the pin hole is @ 2.5 inches.  I'm not convinced that all his clubs were shortened.  This is from 1973 at Troon and the hosel looks long to me.

[T308]

On 4/16/2014 at 12:55 PM, HoganApexBlades said:

Those all appear to be Tourney Customs. I've searched high and low and have yet to find a clear pic of his 915's.

 

This is 1972 at Muirfield.  They're not 915's as those have boxed grooves.  These may be Customs.

[T308]

1972 with what looks like a short hosel Tommy Armour.

[Shallowface]

In the book "The Magnificent Masters," which was about the 1975 tournament, it says that those 915T irons were altered by Lou Ortiz, the founder of Orlimar.  

 

I believe Miller started using them in 1974, the year after the U.S. Open win.  Miller has mentioned having a fear of the hosel rocket after hitting one while in contention early n his career.  It's been a while since I've seen one in person, but didn't that 915T have a blade that was a bit longer from heel to toe than most MacGregor irons of that time?

[Swingingk]

It's great to see this old thread resurrected again with fresh pictures flowing in.

 

Has anyone tried to do this on their own and attempt to build a repro or "homage" set like this?  That sounds like a fun project.  I did a quick ePay search for the irons and it looks like they're basically Unobtainuim so I'm guessing that it'd be a bit of sacrilege to mess about with a complete set but still, it'd be pretty nifty to feel what an iron like this plays like.  Maybe even put together a Johnny Miller full bag for the era. 

[last snowstorm]

this thread might have photos of the modified 915t irons:

https://forums.golfwrx.com/topic/1845629-johnny-miller-witb-1973-us-open/

 

if you scroll down to mat562's post you see these photos from the USGA museum:

 

[HoganApexBlades]

19 hours ago, Shallowface said:

In the book "The Magnificent Masters," which was about the 1975 tournament, it says that those 915T irons were altered by Lou Ortiz, the founder of Orlimar.  

 

I believe Miller started using them in 1974, the year after the U.S. Open win.  Miller has mentioned having a fear of the hosel rocket after hitting one while in contention early n his career.  It's been a while since I've seen one in person, but didn't that 915T have a blade that was a bit longer from heel to toe than most MacGregor irons of that time?

[T308]

11 hours ago, last snowstorm said:

this thread might have photos of the modified 915t irons:

https://forums.golfwrx.com/topic/1845629-johnny-miller-witb-1973-us-open/

 

if you scroll down to mat562's post you see these photos from the USGA museum:

 

 

 

Gotta believe that Spalding Wedge is a stowaway.  Johnny Miller started playing Spalding in 1980 so maybe it jumped in the bag in Miller's garage before the USGA got it.  The museum has made errors with their Hogan display and has likely done so here too.  Too bad they don't ask anoraks like us for the details!