David Graham

The outspoken Australian, winner of the 1979 US PGA Championship and 1981 US Open, talks to Paul Prendergast about his major wins, his continued omission from the Hall of Fame and the infamous player mutiny that lead to his resignation as the International team captain at the 1996 President's Cup

The Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne is looming. I know this tournament probably brings out a mixed set of emotions for you given your history with it [in 1996, Graham was ousted as captain of the International side at the eleventh hour following a player mutiny] but do you take a strong interest in the fortunes of the Internationals in the Cup?
I do and it’s not the Presidents Cup itself that’s a sore point in my life at all; actually, I have very fond memories as I was the inaugural president. Hale Irwin and I played a major part to help get the Presidents Cup off the ground. Unfortunately, in those days, a couple of players decided to act very inappropriately and very vindictively towards me. They happened to be very prominent players at that time. The Australian PGA and even the PGA Tour commissioner – they didn’t show any support for me so the players got what they wanted at the time and I stepped down. It was very embarrassing and a very personal thing towards me and it’s sad that it happened. I’m now on the Executive Committee of the Presidents Cup, which I just got nominated to, so I think I might come back.

With your health [Graham suffers from congestive heart failure], are you able travel and be there during the Cup?
I think so, yeah. I’ll make every effort to be there. I don’t know what my duties will be other than stand around, but that’s fine. If I do come back and I hope that does happen, I want to see my mother-in-law and have my wife spend as much time with her as possible. I will definitely want a meat pie and some really good fish & chips. I would like also to drive by and see the house that my mother raised me in. Plus, I would like to go to Riversdale Golf Club, they planted a tree there for Mr Naismith and I would like to see it. And one last thing, I would like to tell Peter Thomson what a fantastic influence he had on my life. I have never said that to him in person and I would like to do that.

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Written by Paul Prendergast

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