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Your First Major Memory?

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I don't have a specific first major memory. Way back I watched some golf on TV, 1970s. There were only a few broadcast channels and on the weekend golf would sometimes be one of the sports options. That was also the timeframe when my dad took up golf and I had a modest introduction. I only knew the stars of the time. I didn't pay that much attention. Then I tuned out. Somewhere around 2000 I jumped on the Tiger train. Again, no specific memory. Just Tiger.
 
Old guy here, so some context. When I was growing up in the 60s there were three networks, plus PBS. You were lucky if you lived in a place where you had 3 out of the 4. PBS never broadcast sports of any kind. The networks did, but golf was way down the list of priority sports to air. So the majors were about the only tournaments broadcast live, and then only 3 of them. The British Open happening in the middle of the night. Most of us found out about the results of most tournaments through reading an article in the newspaper, a 1 minute clip on the news, or by reading a sports magazine. On top of that no one in my family played golf and on the weekends dad had first priority on what channel was on. So, my first major memory didn't come until 1968 when Lee Trevino won the U.S. Open.

I just happened to catch this tournament on the weekend and while I knew next to nothing about golf (my only prior experience with golf was when a golf ball hit the windshield of my dad's car at the course next to Michigan State University) I was really captivated by some of the characters. Trevino being one. Chi Chi Rodriguez being another though he didn't play in that year's U.S. Open. Plus even on a black and white TV, you could tell these guys had a rather unique style of attire. (Yes, back then it was only doctors, dentists and attorneys that had color TVs and even then most of the programming was in black and white.

This was Trevino's first major win, and of course, he had a great back story. Jack Nicklaus was the runner up.
 
I remember Trevino tossing the snake at Nicklaus in the ‘71 US Open playoff and Jack at the ‘75 Masters, as well as particular things here or there, but the ‘77 British is my first real interest in a major I recall.



I remember the Summer of Jack in ‘80.



 
1969 US Open won by Orville Moody.
 
Another 97 masters vote. I'm sure it's been reinforced more and more over time.
 
The first one I have any memory of is Bernhard Langer winning the Masters in 1985. I knew nothing at all about golf at the time, but Sunday afternoon I was out for dinner with my parents and we were waiting in the bar for our table to be ready. Everybody was engrossed with it on the single tiny tv. The following year I paid a little bit more attention as Nicklaus won. The first memory of a major that I really followed along through the entire tournament was Daly at the PGA in 1991.
 
John Daly winning the PGA Championship
 
My fat torpedoman 2nd Class buddy made me sit with him in a pub in Plymouth England watching Tom Watson win the 1980 Open Championship.

I wasn't into golf then, but I had fun watching and seeing everyone in the pub cheering Watson like he was one of theirs.
 
I wish I knew exactly what major it was. I just remember sitting in the basement with my dad at a young age watching tiger win.
 
Hale Irwin running along the rope line high fiving the gallery at the 1990 US Open is the earliest thing that stands out.
 


Sure there were other ones, but this is the earliest one that always sticks out
 
I only started playing in 1991 at the age of 23. I don't recall paying much if any attention to pro golf that year.

But come '92, I was all-in and was fully immersed in Freddy's Masters victory. Been totally hooked ever since 1992.
 
2015 PGA championship at Whistling Straights

-Standing shoulder to shoulder with Jason Dufner as he lines up a blind approach shot. He hit it to 3 feet and comes back over to us and we tell him great shot. His response “I never saw it”
-Charlie Hoffman drives the green on a par 4 and I yell out “nice drive Charlie” to which he gives me a tip of the cap.
-I see a ball roll into some ****. There are no marshals around so I go over and find the ball. Then when the player (David Howell) approaches I signal too him I found your ball. He picked up his provisional and came over and thanked me.
-I am walking down the gravel cart path when I look up and see a ball 10 yards in front of me. I was really surprised and confused for a second. The ball was a Titleist marked with an orange dot, Rickie Fowler. It was pretty cool seeing him stripe his next shot right off the path.
-Finally a huge storm rolled in and blew down the scoreboard as we were sprinting through the Parking lot.

My first tournament and first major was pretty memorable.
 
Larry Mize chipping in to win the 87 masters over Greg Norman. I was a huge Norman fan was gutted.
 
Earliest memories were of Masters but it never hit me until I saw place in person how great is is. Worked Masters 84-86 in medical school in Augusta and last was when Jack made his great charge. The roars that day were incredible and was in an ambulance on Amen Corner. In a practice round Seve hit driver (small black headed Slanzenger) off the pine straw into 8 in an incredible shot. Got to play it 2x after. Before that watched with my dad various on TV and recall they only covered back 9 on the Masters and recall also the famous Open duel with Nicklaus and Watson where both went very low on weekend with TW winning.

Trevino throwing a rubber snake at Jack before a playoff also stands out.
 
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Watching Jack during the 86' Masters is my first memory of a Major...
And I didn't watch it on purpose, I was flipping channels as stop on the Masters because I heard the crowd noise.
I remember calling my Mom (GRHS) over to watch the back 9.
 
Corey Pavin is the oldest one that comes to mind. Pretty sure I was in high school at the time. mid 90's
 
I remember having my radio Walkman and listening to the afternoon coverage of the 97 Masters after school, because of Tiger Woods. I was in 7th grade at the time.
 
Nicklaus and Aoki playing all 4 rounds together during the 1980 U.S. Open at Baltusrol.
 
The first I can really remember was Tiger at Augusta on 16!
tiger-woods-greatest-shots-5.jpg
 
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