As March winds down and we in the northeast take the brunt of yet another Nor’easter I can’t help myself from doing what all golf fans do this time of year: look towards The Masters.
It’s just two weeks away and the thought of Augusta National laid out in its emerald green azalea laden best does a golfer’s soul good, no matter where they sit.
My Masters tradition always starts with the Masters Journal, the Official Program of The Masters Tournament, or toonament if your from Augusta. It’s the best ten bucks you will spend on golf this season.
It is packed with facts, stories and special features that will thrill even the most knowledgeable Masters aficionados.
Harmon, right with Bobby Jones, center.
One of the articles I found intriguing this year was Guy Yocum’s piece on the 1948 Masters Champion, Claude Harmon. Of course the name is recognizable as Claude’s first born, Claude Harmon Jr, has earned his place in golf as arguably the best golf instructor ever. He’s otherwise known as Butch,,,coach to some of the greats in the game. And the senior Harmon’s three other boys, Craig, Bill and Dick all found their way into dad’s profession: club professional.
The eldest Harmon spent most of his professional life as the club pro at Winged Foot Golf Club and Seminole Golf Club where he taught the rich and wealthy, raised his boys and played some great golf.
He cherished his teaching role but still found time to play with the best.
From Yocum’s piece: “My dad was a people person, says Butch. He was an extrovert who fit in so well with being a club pro. After he got married and started a family during the war, he really was too busy to play the tour full time. But make no mistake, he was always an incredible player.”
The fact that Harmon shot course records on historic Winged Foot’s East (61) and West (61) and a 60 on venerable Seminole and those records still stand today speaks to the greatness of his game.
“Tour players that knew him – Ben Hogan, Jimmy Demaret and Tony Penna among others – were quick to cite him as one of the best players in the game.”
While he never competed on the PGA Tour full time his game was well respected by the pros and made some respectable finishes in PGA Championships and U.S. Open. But in ’48 on his way from Seminole to his summer job at Winged Foot his stop over at The Masters was historic.
Harmon opened the Masters with a 70, one off the lead and then matched that score in round two. Buoyed by hundreds of well wishing telegrams and messages he fired a 69 on Saturday to take a two shot lead.
Sunday’s round started shakily but he righted himself and even pulled off a little magic with shots from the water on 12 and 13 to make bogey and par respectively. He cruised home to a five shot win over Cary Middlecoff with a record tying 279 total.
His win at Augusta opened some doors for Harmon as he fostered a close relationship with President Eisenhower and then also taught presidents Kennedy, Nixon and Ford. His legacy lives on with his club professional and teaching sons and he is the last club pro to win a major.
“The Masters meant so much to him,” says Butch Harmon. “It touched him in a way that to this day makes me proud and happy for him. Over the years, whenever I saw his green jacket on display at Oak Hill Country Club, where my brother Craig was head pro for many years, I’d smile and think.’Not bad for a club pro.’”
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