A quick check into his background would have revealed that Laffoon was actually born in the town of Zinc, Arkansas on 23 December, 1908 and, as his name suggests, his parents were actually Belgian immigrants. The family moved soon afterwards and he did indeed spend much of his early years in Oklahoma, but certainly not on a reservation.
Perhaps as a reaction to the enforced scruffiness of his years as a caddie, Ky overdressed when he made it on tour. A forerunner to Doug Sanders, and perhaps Ian Poulter today, Laffoon was infamous for his colourful outfits, with canary yellow slacks and matching shoes being a particular favourite. He was also known for his love of chewing tobacco and notorious for his resulting copious spitting, most of which ended up – Sergio Garcia-style – in the cups on the greens. Sam Snead said he hated playing behind him, because “you spent your whole round wiping off your ball”.
Despite his reputation, Ky was far more than a mere peacock with a bad temper: he could downright play. After his maiden win in late 1933, he won again in Utah. But it was 1934 that proved to be Laffoon's "annus mirabilis". After wins in Atlanta, Pennsylvania, and New York, he won the highly regarded Eastern Open for his sixth win in seven tournaments and finished in the top-10 at the USPGA Championship. He won the equivalent of the Vardon Trophy for the lowest average score on tour and was selected for the 1935 Ryder Cup. His status as one of the game's most prominent players was underlined by the launch of a set of Spalding clubs bearing his name.
