Mason Rudolph, a pretty good tour player back in the 1960’s was playing a tournament. Back then nobody had personal caddies except Arnie or Jack. Mason’s caddie that day had carried Arnold’s bag the day before in a pro-am because Arnie’s guy could not make the tournament till the first day.
Mase was 2 under going in to number 14 a short par 3 with water and the pin up front near the edge of the lake. He asked his caddie for a club recommendation. The conversation went like this:
Caddie: A seven iron
Mason: You caddied for Palmer yesterday didn’t you?
Caddie: Yes Sir
Mason: What did he hit?
Caddie: An eight
Rudolph got angry, if Palmer can hit an eight well so can I! Taking an eight he swung a lot harder than he normally would. Catching the ball absolutely flush he followed the path of the ball as it sailed into the air. He gazed as it descended straight at the pin. That will show him, he thought, then he watched in horror as the ball splashed into the water, a few feet short of the green.
Enraged he turned to the caddie, “I thought you said Palmer hit an eight iron?”
“Yes sir, he was in the water too”
Over heard from a Waxo Green 19th hole story telling session.