© 1996 Sports Illustrated

In golf circles Doc Giffin and Larry O'Brien are almost as well known as the two legends they represent, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, respectively. Giffin, 67, a former golf writer for The Pittsburgh Press, will observe his 30th anniversary as Palmer's right-hand man in July, while O'Brien, 69, has worked as Nicklaus's publicist since leaving Montreal, where he had been a radio announcer, in 1972. Considering how much they have in common, it is remarkable that Giffin and O'Brien had never sat down to compare notes until SI brought them together recently.

SI: You two are unique. Nelson, Snead and Hogan didn't have aides like you. How would you describe your roles with Arnold and Jack?

Giffin: The original idea was to be like a traveling secretary in baseball. My job is to make sure that everything on Arnold's schedule gets done. The people in Cleveland put together a business schedule, and I do the tournament schedule.

O'Brien: I think our biggest strength is that we've never passed ourselves off as managers.

SI: Loyal as both of you are to your man, you also seem to have a lot of appreciation for the other guy.

Giffin: When I was the PGA press secretary from 1962 through '66, Jack was just starting his career. In fact we both joined the Tour the same month. Jack's first tournament was in L.A., and he tied for the last money spot.

O'Brien: Yeah, his first check was for $33.33. I've still got a copy of it. But you know what's interesting, Doc, is that I was with Arnold when he won his first pro tournament, the 1955 Canadian Open. I was doing the broadcast and went into the locker room looking for Mr. Palmer. I was well into the interview when I found out I was talking to Johnny Palmer, not Arnold.

Giffin: Arnold was good for Jack early in Jack's career. He watched the way Arnold handled the press. Once, when the press wanted to interview Jack after he had shot a 78, he told Arnold he didn't want to do it. Arnold told him, "Look, if they invite you in there, you go.

SI: Were Arnold and Jack friends from the beginning, or is it true that they really didn't like each other all that much?

Giffin: If there was a time when there was something less than a friendship, it was when Jack left Mark McCormack and went out on his own. They had a rivalry because they were competing for the same things, but to me it was overblown.

O'Brien: It just sort of went away, and I think what happened at the [1993] Memorial had a lot to do with it. We have a committee that decides who is going to be the tournament's annual honoree. Jack had never gotten involved in choosing the honoree--that's a sacred cow--but he stood up and said, "I'd like it to be Arnold." He said that although the honoree is not supposed to still be active, he thought Arnold should get his due while he was still around to enjoy it.

Giffin: It wasn't a case of suddenly going from an enemy to an olive branch. At worst there was coolness between them. There was always great respect for each other's ability. When something important came along, they would always consult.

O'Brien: We're both on the same side of a fight with the PGA Tour, which has robbed Jack and Arnold of a title. They won the PGA National Team Championship in 1966, but the Tour claims that at the time there was a regulation making it unofficial.

Giffin: The Tour did a book, and when it came out, Larry and I both noticed that they had reduced the victory totals.

O'Brien: We're up to 99 [career pro wins], and it should be 100. The next time Jack wins, it'll be called a historic event--his 100th--but it's not.

Giffin: I can think of a plus, though. You get a double dip. You're claiming 100 now, and they'll claim it then.

SI: Today it seems that the Palmer-Nicklaus rivalry is mainly in the area of golf-course design.

O'Brien: In our exhibitions we focus a lot on overseas, where they can lead to golf-course design work. But Europe has gone flat. Our big boom now is Asia.

Giffin: They have different outlooks about it. Arnold prides himself on designing a golf course that can be played by all levels of golfers. Jack's golf courses are more severe.

O'Brien: All I know is that Jack designs golf courses to the client's pleasure.

SI: In their prime, who was the better player?

O'Brien: That's like comparing DiMaggio and Williams.

Giffin: I don't think anybody will equal Jack's record in the majors. By the same token, I can't imagine anybody with the same combination of personality, drive and talent as Arnold. I just wish there were more people like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.