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GHC champ will have to write his own poem
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Published: September 12, 2009
I started to write a song, or a poem, at least, about the defending champion at the Greater Hickory Classic.
"R.W. Eaks
"Can't be beat.
"Not at Rock Barn
"Where he always peaks."
It didn't take long for me to realize that this ain't much of a ditty. So I scrapped that notion. Willie Nelson, I'm not.
But the sentiment is the truth.
R.W. is 2.9 for 3 at the Champions Tour event at Rock Barn. That's one playoff loss and two wins in three years.
He'll be gunning for three straight titles when the tournament begins next Friday.
Of course, there's a lot more going on at Rock Barn before the three-day tournament. Festivities begin Monday. It's a great week for any golf fan.
One thing I've noticed about these guys who are "senior" golfers (anyone 50 and older). Most of 'em can still pound the hound out of a golf ball.
Those who can't hit it a mile rely on a deft touch with the short irons and putter. R.W. Eaks is one who has it all. He's pretty much owned the Jones Course at Rock Barn for the last three years.
It's not like he's the only one on the course, either. These guys are good. Many of them are better now than ever. Generally, stamina goes before the skills.
That's one of the reasons why a Champions event is three rounds instead of the PGA's usual four.
The PGA measures golf courses not only in length, but height. Rock Barn is a bit hilly, so the Champions players can ride, if they choose, instead of walk.
Walking is the norm for the PGA, but some of the holes at the Jones Course are somewhat of a pull.
So golf carts are allowed.
Golf is a test of skill, not an Olympic walking competition. The golf pros would look funny with their rumps stuck out and elbow flailing like speed walkers.
The Greater Hickory Classic has had its share of rain in past years. There's even been a storm or two.
When the horn sounds to clear the course, that means lightning is near. Golfers skedaddle in a hurry, and so should the gallery.
If Lee Trevino is near you when the horn goes off, run. He won't be tarrying. He's been zizzed by lightning at least twice. He knows not to hang around in the open with a bunch of metal clubs and tall metal pins on the greens.
I've taken refuge under trees from the rain, but thunder and lightning would have me looking for different cover. Even a ditch in a pinch.
Lots of competitors on the Champions Tour look weathered. It's from making a living outdoors in the sunshine and sometimes the rain.
Take Leonard Thompson for instance. The Laurinburg native will make his 999th career start in a PGA event in the GHC. Thompson made 651 starts on the PGA Tour, winning three times, and 347 more on the Champions Tour where he also won three.
That's a lot of golf in a lot of different weather.
Rain or shine doesn't bother most golfers. Eaks is one. He's like some race horses called mudders. A soggy course doesn't dampen his spirits. A dry track doesn't, either.
There are 77 other golfers who want to sit in the winner's rocking chair. Expect some incredible shot-making next week. By the way, Eaks earlier this season scored a double eagle, one of only two made on the Champions tour this years.
That's a 2 on a par 5. Double eagles are more rare than holes-in-one.
One of the best shot-makers I ever saw was Ken Venturi. He's one whose skill would leave you slack-jawed. He also had some trouble with stamina. There was no Champions Tour in his heyday, and certainly no golf carts allowed by the PGA for any reason.
When Venturi won the U.S. Open, he was just about out of gas on the final few holes. But he hung on and gave golf fans a tremendous thrill. If he was 50 years old now, he'd make a fine addition to the field at Rock Barn. He played the kind of golf the GHC has come to expect.
There will be no shortage of talent at the Greater Hickory Classic. Some of the greatest names in the game will be there. Virtually any of them could win.
They've got R.W. Eaks standing in their way, though. He's a really good guy, as are his cohorts. Character is one of the striking things about pro golfers.
Eaks reminds me of the golfers who caught my eye when I was a little feller watching golf (and sometimes playing) with my father — Sam Snead, Julius Boros, Carey Middlecoff, Kermit Zarley and of course Arnold Palmer.
I was a huge fan of Gary Player as I grew older. But nobody can dispute that Palmer was the king of the course as a crowd-pleaser.
Arnie's Army, to this day, would magically form in a cow pasture on the outskirts of Podunk if the man suddenly appeared.
Tiger Woods is the game's brightest star today, no doubt, but Arnie's Army would give Tiger's gallery a run for its money.
Palmer's legions are legendary, like the man himself.
But next week is the Greater Hickory Classic. R.W. and the boys are back in town and ready to roll.
You can expect great golf and a most festive atmosphere. They truly deserve the name Champions.
And they don't wan't to see that one ol' codger go 3.9 for 4, so they'll bring everything they've got to Rock Barn.
Count on it.
Larry Clark is a staff writer for the Hickory Daily Record. Reach him at lclark@hickoryrecord.com.
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