The Secret of Golf

May 11, 2015
Posnanski, author of the bestselling Paterno, explores the relationship of golf greats Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus, as well as each man’s personal connection to the game of golf. A former sportswriter for the Kansas City Star, Posnanski has an obvious bond with the native-Missourian Watson, so most of the story is told from his perspective with Nicklaus’s role being more peripheral—a legend to be chased. But when Watson finally catches Nicklaus at the 1977 Open Championship at Turnberry in Scotland, the two players’ acquaintance becomes less one-sided and more collegial. Interspersed among remembrance of some of the players’ best battles—against each other and themselves—are “secrets” like “Expect Bad Shots” or “Overestimate the Wind” that these two champions think all players need to know to improve their games. Posnanski’s light touch is deft as he lets the players’ own words do the talking, though he could do more to explain how Watson’s drinking affected his playing. As Watson and Nicklaus’s connection shifts from dispassion to a professional rivalry to a friendship, Posnanski demonstrates the ups and down of life and sport to create a work that will resonate with avid golfers and sports fans alike.

June 1, 2015

As Posnanski (Paterno; The Soul of Baseball) notes, for golfers of a certain age, Tom Watson is an intriguing player, as he represents the generational gap between Jack Nicklaus and Fred Couples, Davis Love and others currently making their start on the Senior Tour. Focusing on Watson, this book also discusses his lifelong friendship with Nicklaus. Posnanski aligns the background of Nicklaus and Watson, though the emphasis is mostly on the latter player. In contrast to many of the luminaries on today's PGA Tour, for Watson the decision to compete at the highest levels came relatively late. While anyone who makes the tour has talent, few have worked as hard or seem to love the game as much as Watson. The narrative has two distinct thrusts: the first is largely biographical, the second is instructive. What comes through distinctly is Watson's dedication, principles (most notably loyalty and conviction), and the will to compete. VERDICT The instruction offered here is well phrased, though serious golfers have probably already heard this message. This account will have marginal appeal to fans of Watson, and already much has been written about Nicklaus.--Steven Silkunas, Fernandina Beach, FL

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2015
Posnanski, former Kansas City Star sports columnist, reprises the longtime rivalry and friendship between golfers Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus. The focus is on Watson, a Kansas City native, but Posnanski covers the early careers of both golfers before settling into the many times the pair battled head to head, most notably at the British Open in 1977, the legendary Duel in the Sun, often considered the most brilliant two-man display of excellence in championship golf history (Watson won by one shot, closing with a 65 to Nicklaus' 66). Posnanski's would-be overriding theme of the two players' search for the ever-elusive secret of golf proves less compelling than the story of the friendshiptwo ruthless competitors bonding over the awesome difficulty of the game they played. Fittingly, the book concludes with the story of the then 59-year-old Watson's heartbreaking loss at the 2009 British Open, missing a chance at victory on the last hole while Nicklaus shed tears at home in front of his television. Familiar material for golf fans but given new life through a moving retelling.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

May 1, 2015
An award-winning sports journalist charts the careers of and competition between Watson (the younger) and Nicklaus (the elder) as they dominated golf in the 1970s and beyond. NBC Sports national columnist Posnanski (Paterno, 2012, etc.) scored numerous interviews with his principals over the years, but his text leans more toward the story of Watson; hovering nearby-always-is Nicklaus, whom the author declares golf's greatest player. The author organizes the text into 18 "holes" (chapters), each of which is followed by a brief advice chapter-a sort of golfer's guide to the game. These chapters have titles like "Play with Purpose." Most feature Watson's facile commentary and seem to have wandered onto Posnanski's fairway like duffers in search of their lost balls. The principal interest here is in, well, the principals. We learn a lot about Watson: his difficult father (who never did like a shot his son hit); his obsessive, relentless practicing; his unsurpassed putting (a skill he lost later on); his right-wing politics; his bouts with alcohol when his career began to fade; his psychological makeup. We also learn about Nicklaus, though in less detail. The author reminds us of the Bear's early-career weight problems, for example, and demonstrates the adaptations he made to his game as he aged. The golf-course battles between the two are among the highlights. Posnanski is at his best when narrating events, at his weakest when waxing philosophical. Occasionally, he clutches at cliche. "The fans were frenzied, the air felt electric," he writes of the 1977 British Open battle between the two at Turnberry, a classic duel whose highlights readers can now revisit on YouTube. The author ends with Watson's near-win of the Open in 2009. Some stellar shots, a few slices and hooks, and a couple putts that hang on the lip.

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