|
GENE SARAZEN With all due respect to our friends in Scotland, the game of golf – in its earliest form – can be dated to the Roman Empire. Roman legionnaires amused themselves by playing paganica - a game in which a bent stick was used to whack a feather-stuffed piece of hide across the countryside. Eventually, the Romans introduced the game to Western Europe, where it was adopted by France and Belgium before the Scots refined it into the game we know today. In spite of this history, few people of Italian descent have excelled at the game their ancient ancestors concocted. Of course, there have been some champions. A generation or so in the past, Tony Lema and Ken Venturi were among the best golfers in the world. In recent years, golfers like Mark Calcavecchia and Costantino Rocca have been quite successful. Earlier this year, Rocco Mediate became a winner on the PGA Tour. Of course, no list would be complete without Fred Couples, one of the most talented and popular players in the world today. Couples, who is second in career prize money with nearly $11 million, would be the greatest golfer of Italian heritage if not for one man – Gene Sarazen. Italy’s most significant contribution to golf since the days of paganica, Sarazen parlayed short stature and ill health into a career that spanned several decades and thrilled millions of spectators with his professionalism, intellectual gamesmanship, and unrelenting determination. The editors of the Italian Tribune have selected Gene Sarazen as the next person to be honored in our yearlong salute to the most influential Italian Americans of the twentieth century. Thanks to the most memorable single shot in golf history, Sarazen and the Masters Tournament -at Augusta National Golf Club are forever linked. With the Masters Tournament being held this week, no time would be more appropriate to honor this man who was both a remarkable role model and a proud champion. As the first, and most prestigious, of golf’s four major tournaments, the Masters is revered by players and spectators as much for its history as for its place in golf today. There is a mystique about this tournament fueled by the challenges of the course and the men who have triumphed against a backdrop framed by the efflorescent azaleas, towering Georgia pines, and blossoming dogwoods. The legendary "Amen Corner" has both steeled the nerves and knocked the knees of the world’s best golfers. A chubby young man named Jack from Ohio tamed Augusta and went on to become the game’s greatest player. Now, exciting golfers with names such as David Duval, Fred Couples, Ernie Els, and Tiger Woods are on everyone’s short list of possible winners. Great finishes have become a hallmark of the Masters. Jack Burke trailed by nine strokes in the final round before winning the 1956 tournament. Arnold Palmer survived a playoff with Gary Player and Dow Finsterwald to win the 1962 Masters. Older was better in 1986, as a blistering final round enabled Jack Nicklaus to become the oldest winner in Masters history. And last year, Mark O’Meara overcame a three shot deficit with three holes to play by sinking a 25-foot putt on the eighteenth green. It was Sarazen, however, who set the precedent for thrilling finishes with his victory in 1935. Trailing long-hitter Craig Wood by three strokes with only four holes to play, Sarazen knew he had to play the last four holes in three under par to catch Wood, who was already in the clubhouse having finished his round earlier in the day. The outlook was bleak as Sarazen teed-off on Augusta’s infamous 15th hole – ominously named "Fire Thorn" – a 500-yard, par 5 featuring a frontward sloping green guarded by a large pond. Rare was the golfer in the days before modern technology who could reach this green in two shots. Sarazen hit only an average drive from the fifteenth tee, about 260 yards. He realized he had little chance to reach the green, but knew that he had to try. With playing partner Walter Hagen hurrying him on because he was late for a date, Sarazen ignored his caddie’s recommendation of a three-wood, choosing instead a four-wood. Neither Hagen nor his caddie thought he had any chance of carrying the 240 yards necessary to reach the green with his four-wood. But Sarazen had some magic in his hands that day and he stroked the ball towards the green, where it bounced twice before disappearing, impossibly, into the cup. With one improbable shot, Sarazen shaved three shots from par, tied Wood for the lead, and catapulted himself towards a victory that would be earned in a playoff the next day. Whether it is called a double eagle, a golden eagle, or an albatross, it is the rarest shot in golf. There are considerably more holes-in-one than double eagles each year. The intense competition of the final round of the Masters made holing out that shot even more inconceivable. Bobby Jones and Alister McKenzie built the Augusta National Golf Club, but Gene Sarazen made it famous. Although fans of all ages continue to marvel at The Shot more than six decades later, Sarazen is much more than a "one-hit wonder." He rose from humble beginnings to become one of the game’s most innovative shot makers. Born in Mamaroneck, New York, on February 27, 1902, Eugene Saraceni was the son of Federico Saraceni, an educated man who became a carpenter after coming to America from Italy. He despised golf, calling it a game for the "idle rich," but allowed his son to caddy because of the money he could earn. At age fifteen, young Eugene nearly died after a bout with pneumonia and pleurisy. The doctors warned that his health was too fragile to withstand the rigors of carpentry. Originally a means to recover his health, golf soon became Eugene’s passion. Recognizing the prejudices of society at the time, he changed his name to Gene Sarazen and turned professional. Almost immediately, he astounded his peers by winning the Southern Open in New Orleans. He followed that triumph by winning the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship. At twenty-three years of age, he was a hero to millions of immigrants who wanted to duplicate his "poor-boy-makes-good" story. After a few years of difficulty, Sarazen won the British Open in 1932. When he won the Masters in 1935, he became the first golfer to win the four majors – the Grand Slam, as it is known today. Only Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, and Gary Player have won each of the four majors. In a career that saw him hold onto many of his skills well into his 60s, Sarazen won thirty-eight tournaments, including seven majors. At the age of 71, he shot an amazing one-under-par – including an eagle – at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. A remarkable example of longevity, he regularly shot his age in his early 90s. Although his physique was a bit on the "squat" side, he developed great strength in his upper body. Much like fellow Italian American hero Joe DiMaggio, Sarazen was recognized for a graceful swing that belied the power he generated. Not only did he invent shots as needed – he invented clubs. Recognizing the need for a club to scoop balls out of bunkers, he concocted the sand wedge. Known as the "Squire" to his fellow golfers, his intellectual approach to the game was unrivalled and contributed to much of his success. As much as for his amazing talent, Sarazen is remembered for his gentlemanly demeanor. He dominated the game in an era when good sportsmanship was the rule, not the exception. The clubs had names like "niblick" and "brassie" and the scores were determined not by technology, but by course management and shot making. These days, Sarazen rarely swings his clubs except when he appears with old pals Byron Nelson and Sam Snead at the opening ceremonies of the Masters. However, as Robert T. Jones has said: "When Sarazen is in the right mood, he is probably the greatest scorer the game has ever seen."
This
site is best viewed using Microsoft Internet Explorer, 1024 x 768 resolution. © 2002 Italian Tribune Publishing Company
|
