Q&A: Wayne Grady on the 1990 PGA at Shoal Creek

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Wayne Grady recalls the difficult Shoal Creek rough being a primary topic of conversation in 1990.

Wayne Grady is best known for winning the 1990 PGA Championship at Shoal Creek. He was also a runner-up at the 1989 British Open, being defeated in a playoff, along with fellow Australian Greg Norman, by Mark Calcavecchia. Grady, one of only nine Australians to win a major championship, spent most of his career playing the PGA TOUR where he made 338 starts. He posted one other win to go with his major victory, the 1989 Manufacturers Hanover Westchester Classic. Grady also competed on the European Tour, collecting a win in the 1984 German Open.

Grady

After turning 50 on July 26, 2007, Grady made 42 starts on the Champions Tour with a tie for fourth at the 2008 Turtle Bay Championship his best finish. His last start on the Champions Tour was at Carnoustie Golf Club in the 2010 Senior British Open, where he finished tied for 50th. Grady currently owns a golf course design business and works as a television golf commentator while occasionally playing on the European Senior Tour. Mark Williams, Champions Tour Director of Communications, caught up with Grady recently and asked about his win at Shoal Creek.

Q. Having won the 1990 PGA Championship at Shoal Creek, what are your thoughts and emotions regarding a return after 21 years?

I would really like one more opportunity to play at Shoal Creek again. It would be a nice walk down memory lane.

Q. How often do you relive moments of your win in 1990? Is there a specific moment that you recall most often?

Not very often. The second shot on the 18th, when I saw the ball going at the green, I knew I had won it as I had a three-shot lead.

Q. You've played many PGA Championships, and other majors, on some great courses. How does Shoal Creek compare to the other major venues you've experienced?

I think it stands up very well against the other Major venues. The rough that week was the toughest I have ever played and was the biggest topic of conversation.

Q. What was the secret to your success at Shoal Creek in 1990? Did you discover something in your swing, or learn something about the course during your preparation that contributed to your win?

I had been playing quite well without anything good happening. I found a key at the start of the week and a putting tip from Dave Stockton also helped. I also drove the spots off it.

Q. I know you've been playing some events on the European Senior Tour. What else have you been doing in the past couple of years?

I've been doing very little actually. A bit of commentary, a few tournaments, but I really enjoying spending time in Australia

Q. The rough was brutal in August of 1990. It might not be quite as brutal in May for the Regions Tradition, but who do you think the course will favor? Who of the current Champions Tour players has the game required to succeed there?

The Champions Tour is so strong now with the addition of the newcomers like Couples, Lehman, Calcavecchia, and so on, as well as the established stars like Watson, Price, O'Meara and Haas just to name a few. That makes it too hard to pick but if my memory serves me right, Couples, Roberts and Gil Morgan played well that week.