It’s still the greatest 4-wood shot I’ve ever witnessed. After a down-the-middle drive on the par five eighth hole in the 1966 Doral Open, Gary Player squinted in the dewy distance at a narrow green 265 yards hither, guarded in front by a huge lake. Out came the 4-wood – real wood in those days, not metal – and Player started the back swing, his body coiled like a rubber band twisted in knots, the muscles in his forearm as hard as rebar.
The ball shot from the club head as if propelled by gunpowder, rocketing skyward toward the distant flagstick until it nestled six feet from the hole.

The ball shot from the club head as if propelled by gunpowder, rocketing skyward toward the distant flagstick until it nestled six feet from the hole. The gallery ooh-ed and ah-ed, particularly a certain 16-year-old lad who would be writing about that shot 40 years later.

First played in 1962 with a purse of $50,000, the Doral Open has weathered sponsorship changes and renovations, but the Dick Wilson-designed “Blue Monster” remains an epic battlefield that’s seen more duels than the Coliseum, albeit with gentler forms of clubs. Past champs include Jack Nicklaus, Ernie Els, Greg Norman and in the past two years, Tiger Woods. Billy Casper won $10,000 for his victory in ’62 while Tiger’s winning check was that amount shy of an even $1 million.

I even once played in a Doral Pro-Am with the legendary Sam Snead. At one point Sam removed his hat, his baldness gleaming like a new trailer hitch ball. Noting my astonishment, Sam snarled, “Even the top of my head looks better than your face, kid.”

Colorful history aside, the new days of Doral look rosy. With a whopping purse of $8 million (the largest on the PGA TOUR) and a field of the top 75 players in the World Golf Rankings, this is a big year for Doral. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll finally see someone best Player’s shot.