Opinion & Analysis
Stites: The greatest golfer I’ve ever known
Sorry gang, but I need a break from the Hogan nine. Can we call this a rain delay, or maybe an extra hole? My mind is on something else right now.
The greatest golfer I’ve ever known has been ill and is struggling. He is not Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus or even Tiger Woods, nor is he one of the 200+ touring pros I’ve known and worked with over the years. He didn’t even play on a professional tour, but what a game he had. I’ve never seen anyone greater.
Like many of my stories, he is an old timer. He was born in 1929. Some folks call him Junior. He had six brothers and three sisters (most gone now), but Junior is the only golfer who came from his country family.
This is no excuse for breaking the law, but times were tough in the 30s. So Junior’s father and two of his uncles made moonshine in the Oklahoma Ozarks. They called it Three Brother’s Whiskey. They even had their own logo and labels for the bottles.
Junior’s mother had a special petticoat she wore under her long dress that had pockets for the pints of whiskey to sell. Deep in the hills, the brothers made whiskey during the week, and then would travel on the weekends with Junior’s mother to the streets of Fort Smith, Ark., to sell it. The cops wouldn’t frisk women in those days, so if Junior’s mother would stand still with the whiskey in the petticoat pockets, the inventory was safe until the boys had made a sale.
Junior’s mother would then deliver the goods from under her dress when the cops weren’t looking. When the petticoat was depleted, she would go back to the truck to restock. In the 40s and 50s, Junior’s father would become a lawman. This is all a true story, and I’m not kidding. The moonshiner turned deputy sheriff was very colorful and very popular.
Junior didn’t help in the moonshine business, but he did grow up plowing behind mules and doing tough farm work. During World War II, the family moved to Point Richmond, Calif. Junior’s older brother went off to war, but Junior was a few years too young to fight. So at the age of 14, he got a job alongside his older sisters, as well as thousands of women, old men and teenage boys building warships at the Kaiser Shipyards. Most all of the fighting age healthy men were off to war.
Junior became a first-class welder early in his teenage years, making warships during the day and attending high school at night. After the war, his family went back to the hills of Oklahoma, but another war was coming and Junior would be of prime age for that one.
When the Korean War heated up, Junior got his notice from the local draft board. That war would be his introduction to the wonderful game of golf.
As a new infantry solider, Junior boarded a train to California. The train was to take him to the troop ship convoy bound for Korea and the shooting war. A major rain delay (one different than we experience in golf) put the trains off schedule and canceled several connections. When he finally arrived and reported in California, he assumed the army would have another way for him to get over to the fight. While waiting there, a first sergeant learned he had been a shipyard welder and had him transferred to Panama to work salvage and underwater welding in the structures and ships of the Canal. They said it was easier to teach a welder to dive than to teach a diver to weld. So at 22 years old, Junior then was off to Panama, where he later told me he found mosquitoes and the Fort Davis golf course. Before this assignment to Panama, he had never been near a golf club or golf ball.
Life must have been boring at times there, so Junior checked out that golf thing. He was a great athlete — I heard he once scored seven touchdowns in one high school football game in ’47 — and he quickly learned and loved the game of golf. He played as much as possible while in Panama after a few soldiers took him to the course for the first time. He said he may have never found golf without the war, the Army and his special army golfing buddy for life, Jack. I’m so glad those two became friends, and I’m so glad Junior found golf… for so many reasons.
After Panama, Junior brought his new game and clubs back to Oklahoma and the family farm. The only real golf course in the county was a not-so-groomed 9-holer, but Junior didn’t mind. He stayed connected with his new game as he worked on the rest of his life. The G.I. Bill, college, a new family and his love of learning led him to become a math teacher and then later a high school principal. He taught and led more than 4,000 kids over the years.
After his school years, he won a seat in the state legislature and became a truly honest politician. There are not many of those. Junior’s life as a true servant made him the most revered and loved man in his county. Some even have called him “our George Bailey” after the beloved Jimmy Stewart character in Frank Capra’s Christmas movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” And all the while the rest of life was happening, Junior kept smacking his Spalding’s and playing the county’s little 9-hole course.
Most of Junior’s real golf was played on that country 9-holer, but for one or two weeks each year Junior played a very special place. When the time was just right, he would cut hay on a small section of his family ranch. After the bales were hauled off, the lush Bermuda grass meadow was perfect farm turf. Isn’t that how golf got started in Scotland… goats and sheep eating off the fairways along the seaside links?
Junior would set up his farm holes and tee boxes. Until the grass, the mama cows and their dung piles took over again, the hay meadow was his own private “country” club. Only very special people were invited to play there. That cow pasture is where I first saw Junior hit a golf shot. I lived very nearby, and one day he invited me to come out to the hay meadow and play. Junior was so long, and I was mesmerized when he hit the ball. How did he do that? Wow! I’ve got to do that just like him.
Junior helped me grip the club and gave me my first few lessons. A few weeks later, I joined him when he played the real 9-holer. He was very patient, and wanted me to know what he knew. He was my hero. I was young and absorbing everything. Later, when the cows came back into the meadow, I learned the meaning of a really bad lie.
Junior had an Arnold Palmer-style, herky-jerky finish, so I tried to do the same for years. Only after I saw Tom Purtzer and Fred Couples years later did I appreciate a smooth, fluid finish. Until then, I thought Junior’s violent “Palmer The King of the Army” form was the best. Maybe it still is, but my shoulder now likes something closer to Purtzer.
Back to Junior.
Because I grew up and lived so close to that pasture, I was blessed to learn the first part of my game there from him. That hay pasture was where I first saw a glimpse of the game. Life has never been the same since, because that’s when I fell in love with golf. That love and the many rounds that followed would lead me to seek a job with Mr. Hogan, which made Junior proud. Ben Hogan was an army veteran, too, and served during WWII. Junior had been an avid fan of Hogan, and vividly remembered the ‘53 slam. He was happy that one of his students was working for Bantam Ben.
Junior came to visit me several times in Fort Worth. He loved the factory and Ben Hogan’s Shady Oaks. I showed him Hogan’s locker, and the place I first met Mr. Hogan, too. Junior beamed.
These last few weeks have been tough for Junior. It is really hard to watch such a strong man struggle and grind so hard. I’ve never known a man or golfer who has changed more lives for the better than my hero, Junior.
The really old timers who called him Junior are mostly gone now. Most people today call him J.T. My brother and I call him Daddy. My kids call him Papa. He is the greatest golfer and man I have ever known. No one is even close. His steady, guiding hands and humongous giving heart have guided me and many in life. That guidance and his long ball swing I watched way back then in that pasture sent me in search of other life courses and people that love the game too. That has made all the difference.
Thanks Junior. You gave me the game and so, so, so much more!
Related
- Introduction: Why I’m writing 18 stories for GolfWRX
- Hole 1: The Day I Met Ben Hogan
- Hole 2: Gene says, “Let’s go see Ben”
- Hole 3: Ben Hogan: “I had a dream”
- Hole 4: Ben Hogan had his own math
- Hole 5: Ben Hogan’s “Prototype” fly swatter
- Hole 6: The night Henny Bogan fired me
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The PGA TOUR heads to New Orleans to play the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In a welcome change from the usual stroke play, the Zurich Classic is a team event. On Thursday and Saturday, the teams play best ball, and on Friday and Sunday the teams play alternate shot.
TPC Louisiana is a par 72 that measures 7,425 yards. The course features some short par 4s and plenty of water and bunkers, which makes for a lot of exciting risk/reward scenarios for competitors. Pete Dye designed the course in 2004 specifically for the Zurich Classic, although the event didn’t make its debut until 2007 because of Hurricane Katrina.
Coming off of the Masters and a signature event in consecutive weeks, the field this week is a step down, and understandably so. Many of the world’s top players will be using this time to rest after a busy stretch.
However, there are some interesting teams this season with some stars making surprise appearances in the team event. Some notable teams include Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala as well as a few Canadian teams, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners.
Past Winners at TPC Louisiana
- 2023: Riley/Hardy (-30)
- 2022: Cantlay/Schauffele (-29)
- 2021: Leishman/Smith (-20)
- 2019: Palmer/Rahm (-26)
- 2018: Horschel/Piercy (-22)
- 2017: Blixt/Smith (-27)
2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks
Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2500 (DraftKings)
Tom Hoge is coming off of a solid T18 finish at the RBC Heritage and finished T13 at last year’s Zurich Classic alongside Harris English.
This season, Hoge is having one of his best years on Tour in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach. In his last 24 rounds, the only player to top him on the category is Scottie Scheffler. Hoge has been solid on Pete Dye designs, ranking 28th in the field over his past 36 rounds.
McNealy is also having a solid season. He’s finished T6 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T9 at the PLAYERS Championship. He recently started working with world renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, and its seemingly paid dividends in 2024.
Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +4000 (DraftKings)
Keith Mitchell is having a fantastic season, finishing in the top-20 of five of his past seven starts on Tour. Most recently, Mitchell finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and gained a whopping 6.0 strokes off the tee. He finished 6th at last year’s Zurich Classic.
Joel Dahmen is having a resurgent year and has been dialed in with his irons. He also has a T11 finish at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass which is another Pete Dye track. With Mitchell’s length and Dahmen’s ability to put it close with his short irons, the Mitchell/Dahmen combination will be dangerous this week.
Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500 (DraftKings)
Taylor Moore has quickly developed into one of the more consistent players on Tour. He’s finished in the top-20 in three of his past four starts, including a very impressive showing at The Masters, finishing T20. He’s also finished T4 at this event in consecutive seasons alongside Matt NeSmith.
NeSmith isn’t having a great 2024, but has seemed to elevate his game in this format. He finished T26 at Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, which gives the 30-year-old something to build off of. NeSmith is also a great putter on Bermudagrass, which could help elevate Moore’s ball striking prowess.
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After having four of the top twelve players on the leaderboard at The Masters, LIV Golf is set for their fifth event of the season: LIV Adelaide.
For both LIV fans and golf fans in Australia, LIV Adelaide is one of the most anticipated events of the year. With 35,000 people expected to attend each day of the tournament, the Grange Golf Club will be crawling with fans who are passionate about the sport of golf. The 12th hole, better known as “the watering hole”, is sure to have the rowdiest of the fans cheering after a long day of drinking some Leishman Lager.
The Grange Golf Club is a par-72 that measures 6,946 yards. The course features minimal resistance, as golfers went extremely low last season. In 2023, Talor Gooch shot consecutive rounds of 62 on Thursday and Friday, giving himself a gigantic cushion heading into championship Sunday. Things got tight for a while, but in the end, the Oklahoma State product was able to hold off The Crushers’ Anirban Lahiri for a three-shot victory.
The Four Aces won the team competition with the Range Goats finishing second.
*All Images Courtesy of LIV Golf*
Past Winners at LIV Adelaide
- 2023: Talor Gooch (-19)
Stat Leaders Through LIV Miami
Green in Regulation
- Richard Bland
- Jon Rahm
- Paul Casey
Fairways Hit
- Abraham Ancer
- Graeme McDowell
- Henrik Stenson
Driving Distance
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Joaquin Niemann
- Dean Burmester
Putting
- Cameron Smith
- Louis Oosthuizen
- Matt Jones
2024 LIV Adelaide Picks
Cameron Smith +1400 (DraftKings)
When I pulled up the odds for LIV Adelaide, I was more than a little surprised to see multiple golfers listed ahead of Cameron Smith on the betting board. A few starts ago, Cam finished runner-up at LIV Hong Kong, which is a golf course that absolutely suits his eye. Augusta National in another course that Smith could roll out of bed and finish in the top-ten at, and he did so two weeks ago at The Masters, finishing T6.
At Augusta, he gained strokes on the field on approach, off the tee (slightly), and of course, around the green and putting. Smith able to get in the mix at a major championship despite coming into the week feeling under the weather tells me that his game is once again rounding into form.
The Grange Golf Club is another course that undoubtedly suits the Australian. Smith is obviously incredibly comfortable playing in front of the Aussie faithful and has won three Australian PGA Championship’s. The course is very short and will allow Smith to play conservative off the tee, mitigating his most glaring weakness. With birdies available all over the golf course, there’s a chance the event turns into a putting contest, and there’s no one on the planet I’d rather have in one of those than Cam Smith.
Louis Oosthuizen +2200 (DraftKings)
Louis Oosthuizen has simply been one of the best players on LIV in the 2024 seas0n. The South African has finished in the top-10 on the LIV leaderboard in three of his five starts, with his best coming in Jeddah, where he finished T2. Perhaps more impressively, Oosthuizen finished T7 at LIV Miami, which took place at Doral’s “Blue Monster”, an absolutely massive golf course. Given that Louis is on the shorter side in terms of distance off the tee, his ability to play well in Miami shows how dialed he is with the irons this season.
In addition to the LIV finishes, Oosthuizen won back-to-back starts on the DP World Tour in December at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the Mauritus Open. He also finished runner-up at the end of February in the International Series Oman. The 41-year-old has been one of the most consistent performers of 2024, regardless of tour.
For the season, Louis ranks 4th on LIV in birdies made, T9 in fairways hit and first in putting. He ranks 32nd in driving distance, but that won’t be an issue at this short course. Last season, he finished T11 at the event, but was in decent position going into the final round but fell back after shooting 70 while the rest of the field went low. This season, Oosthuizen comes into the event in peak form, and the course should be a perfect fit for his smooth swing and hot putter this week.
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Of all the clubs in our bags, wedges are almost always the simplest in construction and, therefore, the easiest to analyze what might make one work differently from another if you know what to look for.
Wedges are a lot less mysterious than drivers, of course, as the major brands are working with a lot of “pixie dust” inside these modern marvels. That’s carrying over more to irons now, with so many new models featuring internal multi-material technologies, and almost all of them having a “badge” or insert in the back to allow more complex graphics while hiding the actual distribution of mass.
But when it comes to wedges, most on the market today are still single pieces of molded steel, either cast or forged into that shape. So, if you look closely at where the mass is distributed, it’s pretty clear how that wedge is going to perform.
To start, because of their wider soles, the majority of the mass of almost any wedge is along the bottom third of the clubhead. So, the best wedge shots are always those hit between the 2nd and 5th grooves so that more mass is directly behind that impact. Elite tour professionals practice incessantly to learn to do that consistently, wearing out a spot about the size of a penny right there. If impact moves higher than that, the face is dramatically thinner, so smash factor is compromised significantly, which reduces the overall distance the ball will fly.
Every one of us, tour players included, knows that maddening shot that we feel a bit high on the face and it doesn’t go anywhere, it’s not your fault.
If your wedges show a wear pattern the size of a silver dollar, and centered above the 3rd or 4th groove, you are not getting anywhere near the same performance from shot to shot. Robot testing proves impact even two to three grooves higher in the face can cause distance loss of up to 35 to 55 feet with modern ‘tour design’ wedges.
In addition, as impact moves above the center of mass, the golf club principle of gear effect causes the ball to fly higher with less spin. Think of modern drivers for a minute. The “holy grail” of driving is high launch and low spin, and the driver engineers are pulling out all stops to get the mass as low in the clubhead as possible to optimize this combination.
Where is all the mass in your wedges? Low. So, disregarding the higher lofts, wedges “want” to launch the ball high with low spin – exactly the opposite of what good wedge play requires penetrating ball flight with high spin.
While almost all major brand wedges have begun putting a tiny bit more thickness in the top portion of the clubhead, conventional and modern ‘tour design’ wedges perform pretty much like they always have. Elite players learn to hit those crisp, spinny penetrating wedge shots by spending lots of practice time learning to consistently make contact low in the face.
So, what about grooves and face texture?
Grooves on any club can only do so much, and no one has any material advantage here. The USGA tightly defines what we manufacturers can do with grooves and face texture, and modern manufacturing techniques allow all of us to push those limits ever closer. And we all do. End of story.
Then there’s the topic of bounce and grinds, the most complex and confusing part of the wedge formula. Many top brands offer a complex array of sole configurations, all of them admittedly specialized to a particular kind of lie or turf conditions, and/or a particular divot pattern.
But if you don’t play the same turf all the time, and make the same size divot on every swing, how would you ever figure this out?
The only way is to take any wedge you are considering and play it a few rounds, hitting all the shots you face and observing the results. There’s simply no other way.
So, hopefully this will inspire a lively conversation in our comments section, and I’ll chime in to answer any questions you might have.
And next week, I’ll dive into the rest of the wedge formula. Yes, shafts, grips and specifications are essential, too.
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2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
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Sam Burns WITB 2024 (April)
Sam Burns’ what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond S (9 degrees...
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19th Hole2 weeks agoDave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
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19th Hole2 weeks agoTiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
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19th Hole22 hours ago‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
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19th Hole3 weeks agoReport: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
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19th Hole1 week agoTwo star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
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19th Hole1 week agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
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19th Hole1 week agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
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19th Hole6 days agoBrandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
Hawks
Sep 23, 2015 at 8:44 am
Tom, you are quickly becoming my favorite writer to read on WRX. I look forward to the Hogan stories and was pleased reading your latest. It is a great story, and I’m glad he avoided a war that allowed him to be such a great teacher of life and golf. I hope the best for your dad.
Gorden
Oct 3, 2015 at 2:01 am
Tom is very good, but sure miss Barnie Adams stories about the ins and outs of the OEM golf companies..
Ryan
Sep 22, 2015 at 7:16 pm
What’s Junior’s real name ? Would love to read more about him. I think there was a Golf Digest article about him a while back.
Zachary jurich
Sep 17, 2015 at 1:35 am
Inspiring is really the only way to put this. He sounds a lot like my dad & I can’t imagine that loss. I hope he’s painless soon and thank you for sharing his story, it’s greatly appreciated.
Sam
Sep 15, 2015 at 12:12 pm
As of this comment 12 people are heartless evil people hiding behind the anonymity of the internet. Please show me the person that would sit through a story of someone talking about the life story of their ailing dad and would say “meh, that sucked” to their face.
Tom my best wishes go out to you and your family.
tom stites
Sep 15, 2015 at 4:56 pm
Thanks Sam. I appreciate you and the call out. This WRX group (when considered as a whole) is a wonderful caring and great community. We share a love for the game and for golfers. Wouldn’t trade you guys and gals for anything.
HG Wells
Sep 16, 2015 at 2:39 pm
Indeed, 12 miserable souls who clicked that button to get just a tickle of self-satisfaction out of their wretched day. For some reason these pitiful creatures do seem to love the internet, and always seem to pop up like roaches wherever something positive or inspiring is being said!
TinWhistle
Sep 13, 2015 at 9:48 am
Best wishes Mr Stites. My brother and I had our dad join us last week, as he has for the past 10 years, at my member guest event. He’s slowing down but we’re blessed he can still join us on the links.
Dennis Clark
Sep 12, 2015 at 6:56 pm
http://youtu.be/qsocZrEcp0Y
Karen Hiser
Sep 12, 2015 at 6:30 pm
Tommy, Your dad has always had a special place in my heart. He and my mom (Ruth Knight), butted heads a few times at school, but it was always in the best interest of the kids. They had great respect for each other, and spent lots of time together outside of SHS as personal friends along with your sweet mom. Thank you for a side of “Junior” that most of us never saw. Enjoy your stories. Will keep you and Kirk and your dad in my prayers.
michael
Sep 12, 2015 at 1:24 am
My father and grandfather both introduced me to the game of golf. I was very lucky to have them both teach me the game. I lost my grandfather before I finished high school and lost my father 4 years ago. I still remember the lessons that he taught me not just golf but about life too. I always have them with me when I play.
Sean
Sep 11, 2015 at 5:25 pm
You are a lucky man.
Steve Grimmer
Sep 11, 2015 at 12:36 pm
I lost my “Junior” 11 years ago; he taught me the game, he taught me about life, and he showed me how to die. I try, and fail, to be him every day. Thanks for sharing your story, Tom. You and your father are in my thoughts and prayers.
Ryan
Sep 11, 2015 at 12:21 pm
Great story! Good twist at the end.. honestly didn’t see that coming. All the best to you and your family Tom!
Gordy
Sep 10, 2015 at 4:22 pm
Great article, my father is no longer with us, he passed away when I was 21(im 28 now). He taught me the love for the game and he’s the greatest golfer I ever saw as well.
Gordy
Sep 10, 2015 at 4:20 pm
Great article, my father is no longer with us, passed away when I was 21..i am 28 now. But he taught me the game, taught me the love for the game. He’s the greatest golfer I ever saw as well.
Mike
Sep 10, 2015 at 8:43 am
awesome story……very well put together. Your very luckly to have found Junior in your life! most are not that lucky!
Philip
Sep 9, 2015 at 11:19 pm
Very special moments – thanks for sharing and all the best to Junior.
Tim McCarty
Sep 9, 2015 at 1:03 pm
Praying for Junior and your family, Tom. Thanks for sharing.
Christestrogen
Sep 9, 2015 at 10:55 am
“Leader of the Band” by Dan fogelberg should auto load with this article…
Excellent story….junior sounds awesome.
Tim Timpsy
Sep 9, 2015 at 10:52 am
Wow…lump…throat…
Ian
Sep 9, 2015 at 11:13 am
Agreed… Nobody would dare vote “Shank”
Glen Koeske
Sep 9, 2015 at 10:08 am
Now that’s a great “golf” story. Tom, thanks so much for your stories on Ben Hogan – and especially for this one that’s not. I hope Junior all the best and of course, “get well soon.” All GolfWrxers will be thinking and praying for him.