The warm glow of the Sportlight from a great golf weekend dimmed twice with the passage of a pair of good souls. We lost Norm Swenson, 64, great amateur golf champion and Bill Charest, 43, champion sports fan far too soon.
Norm Swenson was one of the greatest amateur players of our generation. He won championships at a whopping 12 different country clubs throughout the U.S., including Quail Ridge, Delray Dunes, and Pine Valley.
While his entire life was a long resume of amateur golf success, including four consecutive ACC Championships at perennial powerhouse Wake Forest university, Norm was especially gifted as a senior amateur. Over the last ten years, Norman played in over 300 tournaments including, two U.S. Senior Amateurs, a U.S. Mid-Amateur, six British Senior Amateurs, and two British Senior Opens. Afew highlights include:
2001 British Open, US Amateur 1968, 2-time Mexican Senior Amateur Champion, 2007 European Senior Amateur Champion, New Zealand Senior Amateur Champion, Asian Senior Amateur Runner-Up, Bermuda Senior Invitational Champion, 3-time representative for Pine Valley (NJ) World Club Championship in South Korea. Lastly, he has recorded 8 Hole-In-Ones. He has been member of Pine Valley since 1982 and the Royal and Ancient since 1994.
Over the weekend, Norm was representing Pine Valley with his partner Kevin Hammer at the World Championship of Country Clubs in Korea, when he died peacefully in his sleep on the plane ride home. Over a dozen clubs will mourn the affable North Carolinian whose love of golf inspired everyone around him to love the game as much as he did.
Still, Norm’s greatest gift to the world was his ineffable joy in life. The only thing that surpassed his talent in golf or in business, was what a terrific human being he was.
“He could beat your pants off on the golf course, and you’d feel like he just gave you a Christmas present,” said one opponent after Norm roundly defeated him tournament play last year. “You could wait to get back out there and lose to him again so you could just share a great day on the course with him. Golf is a great game, better still for great people like Norm.”
Norm was laid to rest today near his stately, idyllic home of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Bill Charest was a classmate of mine at our beloved Trinity College. We share a story I’ll never forget, a story about Bill’s sincerity, perhaps his best trait.
I was a four year sports writer for the school newspaper, the Tripod, where Bill contributed occasionally as well. Spring of 1986, our freshman year, I was closing up the press room and ran into Bill. The final round of the Masters was the next day, and he asked me what I thought the winning score would be. Greg Norman was the third round leader at 6-under, but a pack of greats like Seve Ballesteros, Tom Kite, Nick Price, Tom Watson, and Bernhard Langer nipping closely at his heels. Still, Sunday at Augusta is a crucible.
“I think 9-under wins.”
He shook his head immediately. “Nope. 11-under wins. You’re too low.”
I responded with, “I don’t think so. Someone may go low, but I think the pack stays tight. And by the way, wouldn’t it be great to see Jack Nicklaus play great tomorrow and give us all a thrill?”
“Jack’s done,” he replied.
As we all know, Jack Nicklaus shot 65, passed everyone like they were standing still, and won with 9-under.
Monday comes and there’s Bill pie-eyed and slack-jawed with shock, pointing at me and announcing to everyone in the press room with an excited yell, “He called it! He called 9-under, right on the dot! And he said Jack would play well! Jay, that was amazing!”
Then he walked up to me and said words I still remember and gratefully carry with me all my life.
He said, “You should be a sports writer. You’ve really got it man.”
Through all the years – through all the miles traveled to wherever it is I’m going, searching for whatever it is I’m searching for or helping you search for, through all the time spent trying to make sense of an ever decaying world, and doing my best to shine a little of the Good Lord’s light on those who richly deserve it – I still remember that day. Bill’s sincerity, Bill’s generosity, Bill’s support and belief in me have resonated in my life for decades.
Cut to Trinity College reunion twenty years later and there’s Bill making a point to come up and greet me and tell me, “I read your column. I love it!” When a true sports nut like him likes your work, you know you did something right.
Bill was what we always undervalued at Trinity – a truly good person, trustworthy, open-hearted, and courageous. Yes, courageous. He stood toe to toe with elitist, rich, preppy kids, many of whom thought they were better than him – (even my beloved Trinity could be unforgiving at times) – and more often than not he set a much better example than they with his kind open-heartedness. Bill never failed anyone with respect to fellowship and saw the good in everyone. When Bill was around, there was always good cheer.
At least I said “thank you” when I had the chance. At least I let him know I was grateful. He deserved it.
I’m genuinely touched and thankful for all my readers. I believe all the nonsense I type. I believe in the Sportlight – that warmth you get from sports and sportsmanship – I believe in the Sports Gods, (merciful and vengeful alike), and I believe that the way you play the game mirrors who you are in life. I’m glad you believe it too. I thanked Bill then as I thank you for enriching my life. It’s no fun writing to an empty room, but it sure is fun writing to you. And it was especially fun writing to a smart guy like Bill.
Now both he and Norm are in Heaven. They earned it. They spread joy and justice and compassion to everyone they met. The Good Lord will reward them with wings, halos, and golf clubs, where they’ll play 72 holes a day anywhere they like with whoever they want.
Someday I’ll see them again, (hopefully not soon!), but yes, I believe in Heaven, and though I know I’m no saint, I devoutly believe God will reward my adamantine certainty of fighting for what is saintly. On the day that I get to shake Jesus’ hand and reunite with all my golf buddies in Heaven, I’ll make a point of grabbing Bill and Norm for a round with Alister Mackenzie at Cypress Point and Augusta.
It’s the least I can do for great friends of the Sportlight.
