A Masters Memory
I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. — Psalm 11:11
This week officially begins Spring with the hosting of the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. I grew up one hour from Augusta in Columbia, South Carolina. I was fortunate to have a man in my life who stepped into my life after the death of my father when he was killed in an airplane crash he was piloting when I was 14 years old. He had 4 tickets to the Masters every year so we attended the Masters every Friday for many years.
Later, after he died, I no longer had access to tickets, but one could still attend practice rounds. Now days those tickets are only available via a lottery that I have never won.
I always enjoyed taking someone who had never been to the practice rounds. I had a standing bet with every guest that if they could find one weed on the entire property, I would buy them a steak dinner. I never lost that bet.
My Dad loved to play golf. He played every Saturday and I became the caddy for two of his four players with one bag on each shoulder. I recall getting $5 for each bag. I thought I was rich after getting $10 for those two bags every Saturday.
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Dad started me playing golf at 11 years old. I picked up the game very quickly and by the time I was 14 I had won many junior golf tournaments and had 3 hole-in-ones. And we won the 4-A SC State Championship in golf and also basketball. (I have now had 8 hole-in-ones!)
I played in the 1967 US Junior Amateur at Brookline Country Club in Boston where Francis Ouimet won the US Open and Curtis Strange would later win. The first two rounds I played with Gary Koch, who was medalist that year and later played on the tour and was an NBC golf analyst for several decades. My first college match was against Billy Kratzert, who later became a PGA Tour winner and later a Golf Channel analyst. I also played against Curtis Strange and Jay Haas on two occasions during my college days.
I went to school on a 4-year golf scholarship to the University of SC and turned pro out of college but never made it to the PGA Tour. That failure was the catalyst for me becoming a Christian.
Hootie Johnson was president of Augusta National during this time. Mr. Johnson lived in the community where my golf club resided. His daughter was my age and was a cheerleader for our high school state championship basketball team that I played on. The week before Christmas I received a phone call from Mr. Johnson. “Os, how would you like to go play Augusta National with me on December 26?”
I was blown away! “Absolutely!” I said.
That was a most memorable day in my life. I shot 77 that day and recall that day like it was yesterday.
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