Gene Borek Story

Sam Weiman's affecting recollection of Gene Borek, longtime head professional at Metropolis Country Club in New York who died this month, prompted this letter from Florida reader Joe Feinberg.

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Dear Editor,>

I first met Gene Borek in Barranquilla, Colombia, at the Fifth Caribbean Open, in 1978. As an amateur, I'd been invited by a sponsor who played at our same club in ,Miami.>

Staying at the Intercontinental Hotel, most of us would eat breakfast in the Gourmet Restaurant, before riding out to Lagos de Cajaraul, and it had been my pleasure to become acquainted with Gene there.

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One morning, Gene described a scary experience from the night before. He had gone to his room about 9:00 pm, written a few letters & after placing the back of a chair under the doorknob, got into bed to go to sleep. About 20 minutes later, not yet asleep, he realized someone was going through his wallet, left on the night table, just next to him! Afraid to challenge the intruder, he continued to appear sleeping, knowing that there was $1,300.00, in one-hundred dollar bills, winnings from the previous week's tourney, now being removed from his wallet. Finally, the thief was then struggling with the chair, under the door knob, trying to get out & as the door swung open, Gene had jumped out of bed to see a man in a hotel uniform, running down the outside hall.

Gene theorized that the guy had been hiding under the bed, as he wrote letters & then thinking Gene was asleep, had rifled his wallet! Of course, the hotel had made up the $1,300.00 & the story would be over except that years later, as I sat in the stands in Wellington (FL) watching the polo matches, a man sitting directly behind me, tapped me on the shoulder, saying that he knew me. It was Gene Borek & we both laughed hard, recalling Barranquilla!

Joe Feinberg

Coral Gables, FL

Thanks, Joe.

--Bob Carney