State favorites:
Stricker, Niebrugge make Wisconsin proud.
Exactly 50 years ago Sunday, Jack Nicklaus won his second U.S. Open title, overtaking 23-year-old amateur Marty Fleckman in the final round at Baltusrol Golf Club.
The leader board was a who’s who of 1960s golf. Arnold Palmer finished second, Billy Casper was fourth and Lee Trevino was fifth. Ben Hogan, playing in his final major championship, tied for 34th.
Meanwhile, a young assistant club professional from Mequon was savoring the experience of playing 72 holes on golf’s grandest stage.
Carl Unis of Brookfield, then the assistant pro at Ozaukee Country Club and later the longtime head pro at Brynwood CC (now the Wisconsin Club), made the cut and finished in a tie for 54th.
“I made $615,” Unis said. “I feel like Panasonic. I was born ahead of my time.”
A Cleveland native and an Ohio State Amateur champion — a tournament Nicklaus never won — Unis had just taken the job at Ozaukee when he qualified for the U.S. Open.
He watched Hogan hit balls on the range and played practice rounds with Jack Fleck, Chi Chi Rodriguez and Tom Strange, Curtis Strange’s father.
When Unis strode onto the first tee Thursday, he heard somebody in the gallery say, “Who is this guy?” The announcer said, “Now on the tee, from McKe-on, Wisconsin …”
“I had never been there, so I didn’t know how nervous I could be,” said the 79-yearold Unis. “One of the things that stood out is that I was playing with the big names of golf — Arnold Palmer, Julius Boros, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player. I saved the pairings sheet.”
Unis shot rounds of 74, 72, 75 and 77 for an 18-over-par 298. He was the longest hitter in the field with a 285-yard driving average.
“I’m just happy to be out there playing now,” he said. “If I clock one, it goes 200.”
Unis, who still gives lessons and is highly regarded as a teacher, has another claim to fame.
“Arnold Palmer and I have our names on two trophies,” he said. “He won the Ohio State Amateur when he was stationed in the Coast Guard. And he and I both won the 72hole Cleveland District tournament.”