Golf Digest Search Results

The Interviews They'd Like Back

Alex Myers and Sam Weinman — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Bad jokes, snubs, and fits of brutal honesty in golf history that have merited a mulligan.

The Grind: Broken windshields, too much Guan and a historic streak on the line

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:33:00 GMT

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we've had this week circled on our calendars all year. No, it's not the U.S. Open, but it is Crowne Plaza Invitational week, and that means we'll be trying to extend our improbable streak of predicting the past two winners at Colonial.

In other words, we're going for the "Grind Slam" (Copyright pending). And while a fantasy golf achievement may not garner the notoriety of the Grand Slam or the Tiger Slam or Byron Nelson's 11-tournament winning streak, it should because prognosticating the sport is only getting more difficult. Have you watched a non-Tiger PGA Tour event lately?

"Guys, this isn't even close to my ugliest jacket."

WE'RE BUYING

Sang-Moon Bae. We're especially happy for the latest surprise winner on the PGA Tour. Why? Because no one has ever been a victim of more bad geography jokes in history.

Oklahoma State golfers. First, Peter Uihlein picks up his first professional win at the Madeira Islands Open. Then another former Cowboy, Morgan Hoffmann earns his best PGA Tour finish with a T-5 at the Byron Nelson. Rickie Fowler better watch out or he might not be the most famous orange-wearing tour pro soon.

American women golfers. Stacy Lewis became the first U.S. woman golfer to win the LPGA's Player of the Year in 18 years last season, but she has company. Cristie Kerr won earlier this season and last week Jennifer Johnson picked up her first LPGA win in Alabama. Add in popular and talented players like Paula Creamer, Natalie Gulbis, Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson and there's no excuse for U.S.-centric fans not to watch the LPGA anymore.

Martin Kaymer. Remember this guy? He's German? He won the 2010 PGA Championship? He was ranked No. 1 in the world? He sunk the winning putt at last year's Ryder Cup? Well, the 28-year-old finished T-5 in Dallas, perhaps indicating a return to the glory days way back when he was 26-27.

WE'RE SELLING

Anchored putting. USGA President Glen Nager couldn't have said it any better when he stated "It can never be too late to do the right thing." Golf's founders may not have had the foresight to see this becoming an issue, but we're pretty sure they never envisioned guys putting with broomsticks tucked into their chests, either.

Cruel timing. We're happy 14-time winner and longtime golf announcer Ken Venturi was elected to the Hall of Fame before he passed away, but we're sad he was passed over long enough to the point he was unable to attend his own induction ceremony. If golf can elect players who are still in their prime, why does it wait so long to give others their proper due?

Guan's latest sponsor's exemption. It was fun while it lasted. Tianlang Guan dazzled us all by making the cut at the Masters and the Zurich Classic before finally coming up short at the Byron Nelson. But now he's getting an invite to the Memorial, a limited-field event, as well? We're sorry, but enough is enough, especially when he's taking away precious spots from tour pros. Not to mention, Jason Dufner has probably seen the inside of a classroom more than this 14-year-old over the past couple months.

ON TAP

As mentioned, the PGA Tour stays in Texas for the Crown Plaza Invitational. Last year, Zach Johnson overcame a red-hot Jason Dufner (Dufsanity!) and a brain cramp on the final hole to win. ZJ received a two-shot penalty when he didn't move his mark back to its original spot before holing his final putt. Good thing he did or we would have had #Markgate on our hands!

Random tournament fact: Like the RBC Heritage, the winner at the Crowne Plaza Invitational dons a plaid jacket. Unlike the Heritage, this event can claim that Ben Hogan wore its ceremonial piece of clothing five times. Advantage: Crown Plaza Invitational.

WEEKLY YAHOO! FANTASY LINEUP

While we have an incredible two consecutive correct predictions here, we also have a heartbreaking streak of two straight weeks our pick has shared the lead late on Sunday before coming up short. Hopefully, Mr. Hogan's spirit will put us over the top. Again.

Starters -- (A-List): Tim Clark. A former runner-up here is our pick as we look for the unimaginable trifecta. He also happens to be one of the most vocal supporters of anchored putting. Fight for what you believe in, Tim!

(B-List): Zach Johnson. Coming off a disappointing week, it'll be nice for him to return to the site of his first PGA Tour title.

(B-List): Matt Kuchar. The "Matt Kuchar Rule" states this guy can't have two bad performances in a row. Maybe we need to change that to he can't have four mediocre performances in a row. . .

(C-List): Kevin Streelman. A winner in Tampa, he is quietly the hottest player on the PGA Tour not named Tiger Woods with three straight top-six finishes.

Bench -- Jason Dufner, Fredrik Jacobson, Bo Van Pelt and Rickie Fowler.

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

Mike Miller, an up-and-coming amateur who I had the pleasure of covering when he was in high school, had quite a day last week. Playing in a pro-am, he made two eagles and a hole-in-one that won him a two-year lease on a Lincoln. But then this happened when he tried to imitate Rich Beem's celebration for winning a car with an ace in 2007:

In the words of Ron Burgundy after jumping into the bear pit at the end of Anchorman: "I immediately regret this decision."

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Nicolas Colsaerts had to take relief from a toilet during the Volvo World Match Play. No, seriously. And yes, this will probably be the easiest video to choose for this spot all year.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

-- Zach Johnson will get penalized again for putting from the wrong spot: Million-to-1 odds

-- Tim Clark will win now that we've boasted about our streak: TEN Million-to-1 odds

THIS WEEK IN DUSTIN JOHNSON-PAULINA GRETZKY DISPLAYS OF PUBLIC AFFECTION

Two observations: 1. I think I have that shirt. 2. Is that a bracelet around her arm?

THIS WEEK IN TIGER WOODS-LINDSEY VONN DISPLAYS OF PUBLIC AFFECTION

Lindsey watches Tiger play poker during his Tiger Jam charity event in Las Vegas. Hey, it's not much, but perhaps when it comes to Tiger, Vegas and girls, the less we see and hear, the better.

THIS AND THAT

Tiger Woods doesn't plan on making nice with Sergio Garcia. Good, it gives us more to talk about. Now if only the USGA would pair them together next month at Merion. . . . This week marks the 10-year anniversary of Annika Sorenstam's historic round(s) at Colonial. Something tells me Vijay Singh isn't throwing a party at his house for people to come and watch the new Golf Channel documentary. . . . These chocolate chip/chunk cookies from Costco are the best chocolate chip cookies EVER. Um, make that second best. Sorry, mom!

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Would Ben Hogan have liked Twitter or fantasy golf? (Nope)

Does Vijay Singh have any regrets? (We hope)

Will Tim Clark make the "Grind Slam" a reality? (Not a chance)

-- Alex Myers is an Associate Editor for GolfDigest.com. Feel free to email him and please follow him on Twitter since he has self-esteem issues.

Ken Venturi, 82, dies 11 days after Hall of Fame induction

Fri, 17 May 2013 23:14:00 GMT

By John Strege

His was a life in two acts, neither of which he would have scripted for himself. It was not particularly easy, and often not fair, but Ken Venturi took his cues from its challenges.

"Fate," his friend and colleague Jack Whitaker once told him by way of encouragement, "has a way of bending the twig and fashioning a man to his better instincts."

Fate cast Venturi with "an incurable" stutter that had him seek the isolation of golf and he became a U.S. Open champion. Fate robbed him of the dexterity in his hands and he became the longest-running lead analyst in television sports history.

"The full body of work, spanning everything involved in golf, there's nobody in that Hall of Fame that's done what he's done," his friend and long-time pupil John Cook said. "Maybe some have better records, more tournament wins, but the whole thing? None. He transformed television. He's been the biggest philanthropist in golf history of the things he's involved in that people don't even know about. Lifetime achievement? That barely covers it."

Venturi, 82, died on Friday, little more than a week after his induction in absentia into the World Golf Hall of Fame. He had been hospitalized following surgery for infections in his back.

Related: The golf genius of Ken Venturi

When he was elected to the Hall of Fame last fall, he summed it up this way: "The greatest reward in life is to be remembered."

Venturi will be remembered on a variety of fronts. When he was 13, "the doctor told my mother that I would never be able to speak as long as I lived, because I was an incurable stammerer. And I went out and found the loneliest sport I could find and took up golf."

At 24, he took a four-stroke lead into the final round of the Masters in a bid to become the first amateur to win at Augusta National. "For three dazzling days Venturi was within reach of a prize no amateur in the history of the Masters has ever been able to seize," the legendary writer Herbert Warren Wind wrote in Sports Illustrated. "But the Masters is a drama in four acts, not three, and on the fourth day it was exit Ken Venturi and enter Jackie Burke." Venturi finished second, still the best performance by an amateur in the history of the Masters.

Venturi would turn pro and win 14 PGA Tour events, including the U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club in 1964, when against doctor's orders he played the second 18 of a 36-hole day with temperatures upwards of 100 degrees and humidity in the 90s.

"When I came in off the 18th hole in the morning, I laid down next to my locker and Doctor Everett said, 'I recommend you don't go out, because it could be fatal,'" Venturi said last year. He defied the doctor's advice, shot 70 and won his only major championship.

Related: My Shot: Ken Venturi

Carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands ended his career in 1967 and the following year, CBS Sports Producer Frank Chirkinian offered the "incurable stammerer" a job as an analyst on its golf telecasts. He would hold the job until his retirement in 2002.

Underscoring his accomplishments on the course and in the broadcast booth was the quiet philanthropy to which Cook alluded.

"Kenny was emphatic about not getting publicity for it, but his life was dedicated to philanthropy," CBS' Jim Nantz, Venturi's broadcast partner for 17 years, said recently. "He had so many different charities he was involved with, and it was under the radar. He was building a home for abused women and children in Florida. Every offseason he traveled to Ireland to throw something for the mentally-challenged kids there. He was a huge figure in bringing golf to blind people.

"He moved mountains, and people didn't know that about him. I remember there was a piece of machinery at Loma Linda (Calif.) Hospital that was one of the forerunners to really being able to treat some forms of cancer. They had that piece of equipment in large part because of money that Kenny had raised through various charitable events throughout Southern California and the Palm Springs area. That machine by the way ended up being the machine that would reach Paul Azinger when he had cancer in his shoulder."

He was only following instructions. "I was taught by Byron Nelson and I asked him one time, 'how could I ever repay you for all you've done for me?'" Venturi said. "He said, 'Ken, be good to the game and give back.'"

Follow @JohnStrege
[Photo: The Washington Post]

The Grind: Tiger tames TPC Sawgrass, Island fever spreads & "Nelsoning"?

Tue, 14 May 2013 16:08:00 GMT

By Alex Myers

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we've got island fever and the only prescription is... more islands! Island fairways? Fun! Island tee boxes? Pretty! Island drop areas? Cruel and fun! Imagine making a player who has already dunked a ball in the drink get into a boat and row his own way out to a solitary spot to his his next shot? Johnny Miller would have a field day! Alas, for now we'll have to settle for the excitement TPC Sawgrass' 17th hole provides us on a yearly basis. And that's not such a bad thing.

WE'RE BUYING

Tiger Woods. Now he's winning on courses where he's never been comfortable? The rest of the tour is really in trouble. Woods' latest win was his biggest since his return from his 2009 scandal. It also gave him four wins in a season at the earliest point of any season in his career. Of course, Woods himself has said he only characterizes a season as great if he wins a major, but he still has three more chances to make that happen in 2013. Would you bet against him?

One word, two syllables: Swagger.

TPC Sawgrass. It may not host a major, but it always seems to provide major drama. No. 17 gets most of the attention from fans, but there are plenty of other spots on the course that get the attention of the players. How exciting is the Pete Dye track? Sunday proved that even a Tiger Woods three-shot lead on its back nine isn't safe.

David Lingmerth. Where did this guy come from?! Even as he entered the final round tied for the lead, the Swedish rookie remained an afterthought to most prognosticators. Yet it was Lingmerth who remained the last man standing in the latest Tiger vs. the field competition. If he can hang in like that under those circumstances, it would probably be wise for golf analysts to start practicing pronouncing his name correctly (Hat tip to Swedish colleague, Stina Sternberg). Johnny, like in your name, the "H" is silent.

WE'RE SELLING

Sergio Garcia. This could have been a week where the Spaniard punctuated his return as one of the game's elite players. Instead, he further solidified his reputation for both whining and coming up short in the big spot. After his controversial comments towards Woods on Saturday, Garcia had a stunning meltdown over the final two holes. We feel a little bad for him, but we feel a lot worse for his caddie, whose big payday sunk with those three water balls at the end.

People complaining about TPC Sawgrass. There was a lot of talk about how there weren't a lot of drivers hit there, especially over the weekend. While that's true, guess what? It's 2013 and players can now hit 3-woods farther than they used to hit the Big Stick. Hey, no one is stopping these guys from pulling out the driver. Also, doesn't this somewhat contradict the complaints that these guys are hitting it too far off the tee?

Vijay Singh. Here are the bullet points: Singh admits to using a banned substance, the PGA Tour comes under fire for not acting quickly, Singh is eventually cleared of a doping violation on a technicality, then sues the tour for damaging his reputation. Say what? Sorry, Vijay, but A) This doesn't seem to make much sense (Or does it?) and B) What reputation?

Male Hall of Famers. None of them showed up to this year's Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which takes place a short drive from TPC Sawgrass. None. Not even for Mr. Cool, Freddie Couples? Weak effort.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour heads to Dallas for the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Last year Jason Dufner won. Of course, he became much more famous when he returned last month for media day and by accident started a craze that became known as "Dufnering."

Random tournament fact: The late, great Byron Nelson tried to start a fad called "Nelsoning"* in which he would show up to parties randomly posing like he'd just struck a perfect golf shot. Sadly, it never caught on since none of his fellow pros at the time could tweet about it.

*Not true. But maybe we could start that. . .

WEEKLY YAHOO! FANTASY LINEUP

It's great to see our jinxing power is in full effect. First, Tiger Woods made it four-for-four in 2013 when we don't pick him. Second, unbeknownst to Sergio Garcia, we picked him to win at TPC Sawgrass, just adding to the list of things working against him. In other words, he had NO chance when he stood on that 17th tee tied for the lead.

Starters -- (A-List): Jason Dufner. The defending champ also finished T-8 in 2011.

(B-List): Keegan Bradley. Coming off a disappointing week, it'll be nice for him to return to the site of his first PGA Tour title.

(B-List): Marc Leishman. The Australian has contended at the two biggest events of 2013. It's time to take notice, especially at a course where he has three top 12s in four appearances.

(C-List): Jason Day. Has finished in the top 10 all three times he's teed it up at the TPC Four Seasons, including earning his lone PGA Tour title in 2010.

Bench -- Padraig Harrington, Jimmy Walker, Matt Kuchar, and Jordan Spieth.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

We enjoyed this clip of journeyman PGA Tour pro Todd Fischer having fun with the fans at No. 17 during a practice round. Fisher purposely shanked multiple balls into the pond, while a stunned crowd probably wondered how the heck this guy ever got into the field. Our favorite part is when someone else on the tee says, "Give him a bad [ball]." Fischer also wins our award for "Well-Orchestrated Ruse of the Week."

THIS WEEK IN DUSTIN JOHNSON-PAULINA GRETZKY DISPLAYS OF PUBLIC AFFECTION

A sore subject this week. I was hoping to see the two in person, but after missing them on Day 1, what did DJ do? He withdrew for a second straight week (this time for his back, last week it was his wrist) and took off before I had a chance to stalk..um, make that follow them.

THIS WEEK IN TIGER WOODS-LINDSEY VONN DISPLAYS OF PUBLIC AFFECTION

That didn't look awkward or anything. . . Hey, don't feel bad, Lindsey. Tiger's post-victory celebration with caddie Joe LaCava wasn't very smooth, either.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

-- Sergio Garcia will ever willingly watch a replay of Sunday's finish: Million-to-1 odds

-- Official odds Tiger Woods will win the U.S. Open: 3.5-1

-- Unofficial odds everyone is giving Woods to win at Merion: LOCK

THIS AND THAT

For a second straight tournament, Tiger Woods is having a drop he took questioned. Weird. Controversy never seems to follow this guy. . . . Billy Horschel's PGA-Tour best cut streak of 23 came to an end when he didn't make it to the weekend at the Players. However, I ran one of the great (disturbing?) streaks in the world to 15. I ate at the same Chili's all FIVE nights for a THIRD year in a row during my stay in Ponte Vedra Beach. Top that, Cal Ripken! Pictured are the tasty "Wings over Buffalo," which only have 68 grams of fat.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Why isn't there a Chili's within an hour of me?

Why aren't there more island greens?

Where can I place a bet on Tiger?

-- Alex Myers is an Associate Editor for GolfDigest.com. Feel free to email him and please follow him on Twitter since he has self-esteem issues.

Golf's Greatest Streaks

Alex Myers — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 04:00:00 GMT

In honor of the NBA's Miami Heat's recent run of 27 straight wins, we examine the best consecutive performances in golf.

Pros like Hunter Mahan realize swing changes may require adjustments to their sticks

Derek Evers — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:59:00 GMT

By E. Michael Johnson A few weeks ago during a commercial shoot in California, Hunter Mahan was admiring Bubba Watson's new Ping Tour Gorge wedges. At the Farmers Insurance Open, Mahan had a pair...

Costliest Rules Mistakes

Alex Myers and Sam Weinman — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Slideshow: A look at some of the most costly mental mistakes in golf history

Fields: Venturi finally gets deserving Hall of Fame nod

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 18:53:00 GMT

By Bill Fields

Longtime observers of the World Golf Hall of Fame often have a field day critiquing the selection process and who gets in and who doesn't -- I raise my hand here -- but from my perspective, this is simply a time to salute a good man who, come May 6, 2013, will finally be where he should be.

Monday's announcement that 81-year-old Ken Venturi had been selected through the shrine's Lifetime Achievement Category and will be inducted next spring was a fitting tribute for the player-turned-broadcaster who has been an important part of the game's fabric for so very long.

"The greatest reward in life is to be remembered," Venturi said, "and I thank the World Golf Hall of Fame for remembering me."

Being grateful has never been difficult for Venturi, for whom golf was a refuge before it became his life.

When Venturi was a boy in San Francisco, words came with extreme difficulty if at all, a doctor telling his mother that her son "was an incurable stammerer." But at 13 he "went out and found the loneliest sport I could find," setting forth on a course that would see him become a national champion and, later, after carpal tunnel syndrome shortened his competitive career, a familiar voice for 35 years on CBS' golf telecasts.

If Venturi's golf life had begun in 1968 when he made the unlikely climb into a television tower for the first time, it would have been a remarkable run. But he had been a headliner on the ground for years. Tutored by Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan, owner of a stylish and effective swing, Venturi nearly made history as an amateur at the 1956 Masters but squandered a four-shot lead in a windy final round to lose to Jack Burke Jr.

That tough loss -- and subsequent valleys along the way to 14 PGA Tour victories -- probably had something to do with Venturi's gentle rather than pointed criticism from his TV perch. But he knew the game, and had walked the walk -- a sapping 36 holes on the final day of the 1964 U.S. Open at Congressional CC in Bethesda, Md. Exhausted from the brutal heat and humidity, a down-on-his-luck Venturi was warned by a physician that going out for the final 18 holes could jeopardize his life.

Venturi played on, persevering for one of golf's most hard-earned victories, forever etching a spot in sport's history. The USGA abandoned the double-round conclusion. Before too long, his health would force Venturi off the tour for good.

"I wouldn't trade being anybody in the whole world," Venturi said Monday. "[But] the one thing I think about is, I wonder what I could have done if I hadn't lost the use of my hands."

Related: The most grueling U.S. Opens

Venturi made the most of his life away from competition, as a talker and a giver -- helping various charities, from raising money for guide dogs for the blind, a children's hospital and the mentally challenged. Nelson, long ago, had given his protege some advice.

"Be good to the game, Ken, and give back," Nelson said.

"That's what I've tried to do," Venturi said, "because I've said many times, the world will never remember you for what you take from it, but only what you leave behind."

When the U.S. Open returned to Congressional in 2011, it was a chance for people to appreciate anew what Venturi had achieved that unforgettably steamy Saturday in 1964. Venturi met with reporters, many of whom weren't born when he won the Open, and looked back.

"I remember a phrase again from my father," Venturi said last summer. "I was at the dinner table one night telling him how good I was. 'I'm the best there is, Dad,' the whole thing. And I ran out of accolades. And he said, 'Are you through, Son?' I said, 'Yeah, Dad.' He said, 'Well, let me tell you something, son. When you're as good as you are, you can tell everybody. When you're really good, son, they'll tell you.' "

In being honored by the Hall of Fame, that's exactly what they're telling him.

Follow @BillFields1

(Photo by Getty Images)

Arnold Palmer becomes sixth athlete to be honored with the Congressional Gold Medal

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:36:00 GMT

By Stephen Hennessey

After amassing countless accolades on the golf course during his storied career, Arnold Palmer joined a Mount Rushmore of American heroes, including George Washington and Neil Armstrong, when he was honored for his far-reaching lifetime contributions on Wednesday.

"He didn't set out to change the game. But he did. Arnold Palmer democratized golf. And made us think that we too could go out and play, and made us believe we could do anything really. All we had to do was go out and try," said Speaker of the House John Boehner, one of a number of politicians who helped honor Palmer in a cermony in the Rotunda of the Capitol building.

"You've struck our hearts and our minds, and today your government and fellow citizens are striking the Gold Medal for you."

Palmer became the sixth athlete to be honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, "the highest honor that can be bestowed upon any living citizen," following the iconic Roberto Clemente of the Pittsburgh Pirates, track and field Olympic champion Jesse Owens, Brooklyn Dodger pioneer Jackie Robinson, boxing legend Joe Louis and fellow golfer Byron Nelson.

"It's interesting that two of the six [recipients of the honor] have been golfers," Palmer said in a short acceptance speech that capped the ceremony. "I like to truly believe that golfers promote some sort of human value that symbolizes so many Americans, such as characteristics of honesty, hard work, dedication, responsibility, and respect for the other guy."

Jack Nicklaus, a competitor of Palmer's on the course and later in business and golf design, joined in honoring his close friend, with a heartfelt speech built around the theme of "the Arnold Palmer I'll never forget."

Nicklaus, in tears toward the end of the speech, recounted the now-famous first time he watched Palmer hit a ball at age 14, standing and watching in awe at Sylvania C.C. outside Toledo, Ohio as Palmer hit "piercing long irons into the rain," on the driving range before the 1954 Ohio Amateur Championship.

A century after his birth, Ben Hogan still fascinates

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 16:59:00 GMT

By Bill Fields

A century since his birth, on Aug. 13, 1912 in Stephenville, Texas, Ben Hogan still fascinates.

He was a man -- and most especially a golfer -- different from most. Hogan came up hard and played hard, and he saved his soft side for a few.

To think of Hogan is to think of a quest to get better and the effort, the physical and mental sweat, that it took. Writers (James Dodson, Curt Sampson, even the LPGA player Kris Tschetter in a memoir of the "Mr. Hogan" she knew) have effectively probed behind the curtain to reveal the man in recent years.

We know more now than did those who marveled at his technique and perseverance -- his singularity -- in the middle of the 20th century, but some things still cause pause. How could Hogan have won six of his nine majors after the 1949 car-bus accident that nearly killed him, devastating his body? It doesn't seem possible, yet he did so by applying himself to a pursuit of perfection that wasn't a slogan, but a way of life.

There was no mystery nor secret to the toil on the journey to the trophies. As Lanny Wadkins says on "American Triumvirate," a solid Golf Channel documentary about Hogan, Byron Nelson and Sam Snead that premieres today at 9 p.m. EDT, "I never saw him take a shot off." That's simple praise for a complicated man, advice as valuable in this century as the last.

I was lucky enough to spend a bit of time around Nelson and Snead in their later years, more with the latter, as they happily got more recognition for their groundbreaking achievements. The two men, as different as Texas and Virginia, were pleasures in their distinctive ways to be around, proud someone wanted to poke around their accomplishments and acknowledge the way it had been.

As for Hogan, I regret I never got the chance to talk with him, shake his hand, sense the powerful presence, get fixed in his stare. The closest I got to him was in Pinehurst, 1974, at the opening of the World Golf Hall of Fame, when I was kid standing amid pine trees observing a man in suit who had dressed up competitive golf as few ever have.

On the centennial of Hogan's birth, I have to be content to know people who knew him.

A hundred years from now, no one will be able to have even that opportunity. But golfers will still care about the golfer who cared so much.

Follow @BillFields1