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| Johnny Miller | |
|---|---|
| Name | Johnny Miller |
| Caption | Miller in 2008 |
| Fullname | John Schay Miller |
| Nickname | "The Kid" |
| Birth date | October 5, 1947 |
| Birth place | San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Death date | May 15, 2024 |
| Death place | Boise, Idaho, U.S. |
| College | Brigham Young University |
| Turned pro | 1969 |
| Professional wins | 39 |
| Pgawins | 25 |
| Masters | T2: 1975 |
| Usopen | Won: 1973 |
| Theopen | T6: 1981 |
| Pga | Won: 1976 |
Johnny Miller John Schay Miller was an American professional golfer and television broadcaster known for a powerful ball-striking style, incisive commentary, and two major championships. Over a career spanning competitive play and media work, he influenced PGA Tour coverage, equipment development, and teaching methods. Miller's 1973 U.S. Open final round and subsequent work with networks reshaped public engagement with golf in the United States.
Miller was born in San Francisco and raised in Pleasanton before his family moved to Modesto, where he developed his game at local clubs and high school tournaments; he then attended Brigham Young University in Provo. As an amateur he won the 1965 U.S. Junior Amateur and multiple state and regional events, competing against peers from programs at University of Southern California, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley. He represented the United States in international amateur competitions and left college early to join the PGA Tour in 1969.
Miller's early professional wins included multiple PGA Tour titles in the early 1970s; he broke through with his dominating final round at the 1973 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, carding a 63 to capture his first major. He won the PGA Championship in 1976 at Congressional Country Club, adding a second major to a career total of 25 PGA Tour victories. Miller competed in invitational and international events such as the World Cup of Golf and Ryder Cup-era trials, facing contemporaries including Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, and Arnold Palmer. He also played on the Senior PGA Tour later in life, winning senior events and participating in qualifiers for the Champions Tour.
After reducing full-time play, Miller joined television coverage with NBC Sports and later became a lead analyst for NBC and Golf Channel broadcasts, partnering with play-by-play announcers from networks like ABC Sports and commentators who had backgrounds at ESPN. His frank, technically detailed commentary—often referencing swing mechanics, equipment behavior, and course setup—earned him both praise and controversy with professionals and personalities from PGA Tour, USGA, and tournament host committees. Miller produced instructional segments, co-authored books with instructors from PGA of America members, and served as on-air analyst for major championships including the U.S. Open and The Open Championship.
Renowned for a low, aggressive ball flight and exceptional iron play, Miller emphasized a forward shaft lean and strong impact position taught in tandem with coaches from Brigham Young University and private instructors in California. His swing produced consistent distance and control, allowing precision approaches reminiscent of contemporaries such as Ben Hogan and Sam Snead in terms of ball-striking focus. Miller also collaborated with equipment manufacturers such as Titleist, Mizuno, and later custom shaft makers to refine clubheads and shafts; his input influenced design decisions in forgings, muscle-back irons, and cavity-back transitions that affected PGA Tour equipment standards.
Miller married and raised a family while residing in Indianapolis, Indiana and later in Idaho, maintaining ties to communities in California. He was active in charitable endeavors connected to organizations like The First Tee and regional golf foundations, and he openly discussed health issues during his later years. Miller mentored younger players and media professionals, maintaining relationships with figures from BYU athletics and the broader professional golf community.
Miller received inductions and honors from institutions including the World Golf Hall of Fame-adjacent recognitions, state sports halls of fame in California, and lifetime achievement acknowledgments from broadcasting organizations such as NAB. His 63 at Oakmont Country Club remains one of the lowest major championship rounds and is frequently cited alongside historic rounds by Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Rory McIlroy. His dual legacy as a leading ball-striker and influential analyst endures in instructional literature, broadcast standards at NBC Sports, and the careers of players and commentators he influenced. Category:American male golfers