The Origin of “Leaky”

There is a misunderstanding as to how Bruce Lietzke got the nickname "Leaky."  I suspect that most people think that it is because he almost always hits a shot that “leaks” from left to right.  For example, Sports Illustrated wrote,

“That fade became the source of Lietzke’s enduring nickname—‘Leaky’—in reference to the way his ball always leaks to the right.”

However, that is apparently not the origin of the nickname.

Here’s how Lietzke’s brother, Duane, explained it:

“It was in college and it started when somebody couldn’t pronounce his name,” Duane said. “Everybody thinks—and he let’s them think that — that it came from fading the ball. His roommate in college was Phil Rodgers. And he liked for everyone to have nicknames and so he called him Leaky.”

So there you have it.