Unmasters – The Players

I’m not a fan of Tiger Woods, but his win in the most recent Masters is a great story.  It’s quite an accomplishment for a forty-three year old man who hasn’t won a major in   eleven years.

The players in the Unmasters may not hit the ball as far,  putt as well, or score as low as those on the PGA Tour, but we cherished our wins with the same enthusiasm.   We enjoyed our success and looked forward to our name being emblazoned on the coveted green jacket.  While the Masters bought a new jacket for each of its winners, our jacket was passed from winner to winner.  Our green leisure suit  jacket was the brain child of Jimmy Lane.

Rick Lane (Jimmy’s uncle) won the event every other year for several years in a row.  He’d build his handicap one year and clean our clocks the next.   He had his method for success honed to perfection.

I won twice.

There were other multiple year winners:   Peters, Morey,  Kemp, Lamb, Binns and  McElduff.

We had one and done winners: Phister, Wondero and Corona

And we had many wannabes: Pentecost, Prange, Goike, Caldwell, Jimmy Lane, Issom, Southard, Kelly,  Kahn and a dozen others.

My favorite win was 1992.  Each year our final round was played according to our standings.  The final foursome that year was Dick Caldwell, Mike Kemp, Dave Kahn and me.  Caldwell shot the best front nine of his life that day and had an eleven stroke lead going into the final nine holes.  As we waited to hit our second shot on the 10th hole, Dave Kahn asked where we stood in the standings

“Dave, the only way we can win is to birdie every hole on the back and have Caldwell double bogey every hole.”

Dave took aim and hit his second shot into the hole for an eagle.  A miracle.

“That’s a great start Dave!”

Caldwell got into “trap” trouble and took a seven.  Just like that Dave, Mike Kemp and I all had a chance.  Caldwell’s troubles continued throughout the final nine holes and when the final scores were posted, I beat Kahn by one stroke to take first.   Dave finished two in front of Kemp.  Caldwell finished sixth in our eight player field.

Near the end of our twenty-five year Unmasters run my oldest son, David, who was four when our run started, played and won his Unmasters title.  That was the year that sons started beating their fathers.

And a couple of years later, nine month old Michael netted a 59  on his final round and won his jacket.

The title for our final Unmasters was won by young Jon Binns.  Jon’s parents, John and Cynthia, celebrated their honeymoon during one of the first Unmasters.  Young Jon was the third of three children born to the honeymooners and the final jacket winner.

Jon is getting married in August.  I haven’t heard if he plans to honeymoon in Myrtle Beach, but if he does, I hope he wears the green jacket for a night on the town as I expect Tiger wore his last Sunday.