Making The Shot by Chris Millard.The 1982 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach was a seminal moment for Golf in America and on TV. Tom Watson was at his peak, Jack Nicklaus was beginning to age before the world's eyes, and a single chip-in on the 17th hole changed not just the outcome of a tournament but the future of golf media. ABC Sports began its slow decline. ESPN took a decisive step toward dominance. As one producer who was there put it, nothing was the same after that week.
Working with Back Nine Press I helped shape the manuscript, focusing on making sure the moments captured during that extraordinary week—the tension, the personalities, the institutional stakes—carried through every chapter. The result is the kind of sports narrative that transcends the sport: a story about power, transition, and the rare moments when everything turns on a single swing.
“Chris Millard has long been one of the most thoughtful and connected observers of the game. With rare insight and soul, he now tackles a seismic week in golf. Exhaustively researched and beautifully told—Millard paints a nuanced portrait of a historic week. I was there. I remember it. Chris took me back as if it was yesterday.”
—Jimmy Roberts
NBC Sports