Author: Jeff Smith

Arguably the best ball striker of all time, Ben Hogan has become a legend. Even before his playing days ended in 1971 Hogan had become a folk hero for surviving a serious car accident and continuing to play. His 1-iron into the 18th green at Merion Golf Club is perhaps the most famous shot in golf and occured after the violent crash.

He spoke very little on the golf course and is reported to have said, “I play golf with friends sometimes, but there are never friendly games.” 1964 U.S. Open winner Ken Venturi reported Hogan said, “There’s three ways to beat somebody: you outwork them, you out-think them, and then you intimidate them.”

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If only the rest of us could pick golf up as fast as Kathy Whitworth did. She won the New Mexico State Amateur in 1957 and 1958, just a few short years after picking up a club for the first time. Her determination and natural ability put her on the fast track to success.

No other golfer, male or female, has more Tour victories than Kathy Whitworth. She set the bar at an amazing 88 victories at the United Virginia Bank Classic in 1985.

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Donald Ross (1872-1948) was born at Dornoch in Scotland. He grew up playing the famous Royal Dornoch golf links and apprenticed under “Old” Tom Morris for a year at St. Andrews. Ross’ name has become synonymous with golf and as a testament to his genius, there are nine of his courses on Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses.

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The early season standout the last few years, Stuart Appleby has become a fixture on the PGA Tour finishing fairly high on the money list with regularity. It doesn’t hurt that he’s won the Mercedes Championship the last three years.

Both Appleby’s game and his life have been forged in a fire that no one would choose for themselves. He’s emerged from his loss as a family man again and as a regular PGA Tour champion.

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Scott Verplank is another player we amateurs would do well to emulate. Hitting more than his share of fairways, putting like a man possessed, and doing it a most nonchalant fashion is what makes Verplank a dark horse in any tournament. Recipient of the 2002 Ben Hogan Award, Verplank has proven that he’s a fighter. Given by the Golf Writer Association of America, the Ben Hogan Award recognizes athletes who have remained active golfers despite a physical handicap or illness.

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A truly remarkable person passed away on February 10th, 2006. Dick Harmon, 58, was the son of golf pro and Masters champion Claude Harmon, husband to Nancy and father to Heidi, Richard, Chris, and Mary. Those closest to him say he was far more than a golf professional.” It was never about him,” said brother Butch Harmon. “It was always about someone else. He is a person that all of us are going to miss and we’re going to miss him in ways that have nothing to do with golf.”

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The media and fans alike are rabid with envy and gossip when it comes to the longest hitters in the field. Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Long John Daly, Tiger Woods, Hank Kuehne, and this year’s bomber “Bubba” Watson are center stage in the drama that is the PGA Tour. While the distance debate rages in the hearts and minds of avid golf fans some players make a pretty good living by keeping it in the first cut.

Fred Funk one such “accuracy over distance guy” who is coming off his best season ever. He hit 74.9% of fairways in 2005, second only behind Q-School graduate Jeff Hart, and earned $2,830,046, good enough for 11th on the money list.

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