MY LAST MASTERS TOURNEY

I drove up to the clubhouse to enter and drop off my clubs. Near the putting green a voice called to me: It was Marty Furgol. “Bill, do you have a place to stay?” I replied, “No.” He said, “I’ve got a live one.” So he got into my car and we drove to his “live” one which happened to be a preacher’s home 2 ½ blocks from the golf course. The preacher could have rented it out for $500-$1,000 for the 7 days of the Masters.

But he took care of 2 golfers who couldn’t pay the high prices that week. The room had two twin beds and a private entrance. Upon leaving we asked him what we owed him and he said, “Nothing.” I felt real proud to have Marty and me stay with him. We each receive two dozen golf balls free every tournament, so we each gave him a dozen balls, for which he was very grateful. Wow! What a "live" one!

I keep remembering what happened the first night: Marty wakens me at 2:30 a.m. He turned the lights on and wanted me to look at his swing. He had a club in his hand and said, “Bill, I didn’t pronate at all a few weeks ago when I won the Western Open, did I?” I said, “Marty, we’re playing tomorrow in the Master’s. Get back to bed! No, you didn’t pronate.”

I made $800. I can’t remember what Marty made.

Bill Nary, 11 June 2008