Back in the day, we had Grantland Rice, Herbert Warren Wind, and Bernard Darwin, and a generation of golf fans rejoiced with every word. Now we have Dan Jenkins, Marino Parascenzo, and Art Spander: three men who have over 150 years of combined experience covering, analyzing, and commenting on sports.
Dan Jenkins’s contributions to golf were warmly celebrated twice this year, once at the U.S. Open and once at the PGA Championship, both times marking the occasion of his covering 200 majors, (or 201, depending on if you count the 1942 U.S. Open…err…”Hale America Open,” won by Ben Hogan). With over 200 golf writers as his audience, Jenkins was “his own self” as always: humble, gracious, and self-effacing. At the ceremonies held in the media tent during the tournament, he was praised by the moderator and then given the microphone for some remarks…
A respectful hush descended upon the room. Everyone waited anxiously…and then he spoke:
“Well I hit it in the rough on one…”
And the room fell to pieces.
Texas tough, for a generation of golf writers he’s been an idol, a mentor, and a role model. This year, he also wins the Jazzy Award for his new book, a collection of articles called “Jenkins at the Majors.”
From Ben Hogan’s bringing The Monster, Oakland Hills, to its knees in 1951 to Trevor Immelman’s surprise win at the 2008 Masters, Jenkins is his irreverent, observant, and colorful self, a one-man golf writing wrecking crew.
The book is divided into decades. In the ’50’s, although he saw a number of Hogan victories, he laments not traveling from France to Carnoustie to see The Bantam win the Triple Crown. “I was being unavoidably detained at this sidewalk café in Paris – and I don’t even remember her name.” He also recounted Billy Casper’s hair-raising win at the 1959 Winged Foot U.S. Open as “A Putter and a Paunch.” “For four rounds he escaped more dangers than Tarzan. The only thing he didn’t do was swing from a vine to save par.”
In the ’60s he saw the almighty clash of titans at the 1960 U.S. Open of Hogan, Palmer, and Nicklaus: past, present and future, calling it The Greatest Day. On the way through those turbulent years, he nailed down that Jack won the ’62 Open by using a higher ball flight off the tee to avoid rolling into the rough, that Olympic Club has it in for sportswriters, (Jack Fleck, Billy Casper, and later Scott Simpson and Lee Janzen), and that Lee Trevino, The Merry Mex, was, “a stumpy little guy, tan as the inside of a tamale, pretty lippy for a nobody.”
As the years roll by, he shows us that same Trevino blowing the 1970 British Open by playing to the wrong flag on the huge double green at the fifth hole, “I done hit it to the wrong stick! And I’m dumb enough to have done it!” We see Johnny Miller race past John Schlee at the ’73 Oakmont open even though Schlee thought he might win because, “Mars is in conjunction with my natal moon.” We even get a glimpse of ugly old Medinah – worst major venue on Earth until the cursed day when Turning Stone Casino buys enough people to stage one, (which won’t happen on my watch) – that big ugly dog nobody likes, Medinah, on the shores of Lake Unpronounceable, which held the 1975 U.S. Open, which Jenkins called “the golf tournament that begged to be forgotten.”
Over the course of 57 years and 297 pages, Dan gives us the Hinkle Tree, Seve from the Parking lot at Birkdale, and the best crop of one-liners ever written about the dismal 1985 U.S. Open which should stricken from the record books on general principle. He makes a tear come to your eye as Nicklaus wins in ’86, makes you laugh as “Jean of Argh” blows the ’99 Open Championship at Carnoustie with more screw-ups than a Pink Panther movie, and makes you marvel as Woods wins everything that’s not nailed down.
“Dan Jenkins invented golf writing as we know it,” said Marino Parascenzo. “While preserving the traditions of the game, he made it a great deal of fun to read about it. It was good to meet the guy who I read with so much pleasure, and it’s been a pleasure to work with him as well.”
“He’s a brilliant clever guy with a wonderful sense of humor, who wrote seminal sports novels,” said Art Spander. “He’s had a great career. One reason may be he has a wonderful memory. Once I was with him at LaCosta for the TOC. We were standing around, and I’m taking notes like crazy, and he’s not. Months later his stuff appears verbatim form our conversation; he has a photographic memory for sporting events. He has a terrific ear and eye; he saw things the rest of us didn’t see, and he has a great sense for plays on words. He’s a clever writer and fearless. His 200 majors may never be equaled.”
Parascenzo and Spander echo the feelings of hundreds of golf writers and a nation of fans. Thanks for everything, Dan. And if, as you say, “Golf Kills,” I’m glad the disease is terminal. So here’s your Jazzy Award. Put it on the mantle next to those Dan Jenkins bobble head figures, and have a good laugh. We’ve had a lifetime’s worth from you.
Honorable Mention
This year saw a bumper crop of great books and articles. Choosing one was like giving a starving man a menu. I will mention two other authors who wrote world-class pieces as well.
Mike Vaccaro’s “The First Fall Classic,” is a brilliant work of historical fiction which tells the factual story of the 1912 World Series, but weaves in fictional dialogue depicting the colorful misadventures of the wild characters that lived through what would ultimately become one of the quintessential Series. Vaccaro is a rising star, a passionate, original, and observant voice, many years more mature than his age. He’s one of the few writers who captures the voice and soul of the Great American Sports fan. He has a sense of history, and a vibrant style.
Tom Coyne’s “A Course Called Ireland” tells the story of one golfer’s incredible journey across 1,300 miles to walk around the circumference of Ireland and play over 90 seaside courses. I wrote a review of the book here. Any other year, Tom might be hoisting the hardware, but with his deep background as an MFA holder and Professor of writing at St. Joseph’s expect many more great books and stories.
Past Winners:
2008: Kevin Cook, Driven
2007: Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, San Francisco Examiner
2006: Jason Whitlock, Fox Sports
2005: Robert Thompson, Canadian National Post
