I've told this story before, some of you guys will recall. I'll still tell it again. 😝
My wife, daughter and I attended the 2009 Women's US Open at Saucon Valley in Lehigh, PA for one of the rounds. Miller and Dottie Pepper were there at a booth to sign autographs prior to the start of their coverage.
So we're in Johnny Miller's line, probably 10-15 people deep. And the last couple of people ahead of me, I hear, "well.... Jack always said that I was the best wedge player he ever played against." I just kinda chuckled and it (to me) reinforced how full of himself he was.
We finally get there. My daughter (who was 13 yrs old at the time) had a program she wanted him to autograph. Keeping in mind that she'd only been to a driving range twice in her life. (it was more for me than her or my wife.. it's not every day you get to meet a guy who shot a 63 on Sunday to win a major championship!) So Johnny says, "Hey, young lady. How's your golf game?" My daughter, who has never been anything but honest regardless of who she's talking to, says, "My dad has worked with me at the driving range, and I think I'm doing okay." Johnny looks at her, all serious like, and grabs a sheet of paper on the booth desk and starts drawing an illustration of a golf ball, and draws a line through the bottom part of the ball and another line at the end of the ball. "Well," he says, "Here's the secret. You want to impact the ball here (pointing to the botton of the golf ball) and you want your divot taken after you've struck the golf ball (pointing to the line after the golf ball). That's the goal."
My daughter, who has likewise never been full of herself as well, replies: "My dad already taught me this. He's a scratch golfer, won the club championship last year... so he knows what he's doing." I just cringed at her comment and smiled in a humiliating manner.
Johnny's reply? "Well, sounds like your dad is a very good player. I'd keep listening to him." He gave me a wink and a nod and said to her, "Keep listening to your Dad."
Miller has always been full of himself, but I'll never forget that day that he put my daughter's interests above his own. He shook my hand and said, "keep up the great work, Dad."
I'll never forget that. A definite feel-good moment.