Turning his attentions to the professional circuit in 1930, aged 22, he quickly gained a reputation for his iron play and, ironically enough given his later treatment of his flatstick, his chipping and putting prowess. He was close friends with Ben Hogan, and they shared a car to drive between events; their families even vacationed together during the off-season. In later years, Laffoon was renowned as a master of the golf swing, and worked with Hogan in creating the “hook-proof” swing that led him to greatness.
It was common in those days to drive huge distances to the next tour stop, and Laffoon was infamous for carrying several handguns and rifles in his trunk, alongside multiple sets of clubs, wads of cash, chewing tobacco and whisky.
When Ky burst into the national consciousness by winning the Nebraska Open in 1933, the press corps were left scrambling to fill their columns with information about this deeply tanned mystery man. One of the hapless hacks heard that Laffoon came from Oklahoma and decided he was a Native American. Ky played along, inventing a Cherokee background and soon became known as “Chief”. The name stuck and for years the press ran endless stories of how remarkable it was to have a Native American in the golf pro ranks. Laffoon even took to wearing a feather warbonnet – a traditional Native American headdress – to keep the ruse going.
