From charity to triumph: The feel-good stories in golf from 2020
The past year in golf presented loads of opportunities for inspiration, whether through perseverance, charity, beating the odds or just finding ways to create a few laughs. As our writers chronicled the ups and downs of life on Tour, and life in general, these stories stuck with us.
You’ll read about a family that created its own “golf course” to pass the time early in the COVID lockdown and also meet some of golf’s biggest personalities and those with the biggest hearts.
Looking for some inspiration to take into 2021? It’s likely among the following stories. Happy reading, and happy new year. From the heart Courtesy of Kevin Corn Golf therapy has the power to heal. There’s a saying at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital in St. Louis that it’s the job of big hospitals to save kids’ lives, but Ranken Jordan’s job to give their lives back. Hospital volunteer Kevin Corn and staff have found creative ways to make golf therapy part of the recovery process for any kid who shows an interest. It can be life-changing. One for one. What are the odds? Stephanie Scott, a freshman at Otsego (Michigan) High, was the first girl at her high school to ever record an ace. She did it on the first swing she ever took in competition. A once-bullied Haley Moore Drives On Moore’s story was featured in the LPGA’s Drive On series in 2020, a campaign launched last March aimed at highlighting the stories of grit, determination and inspiration on the women’s tour. One of golf’s great characters Sidney Beckwith passed away peacefully at the age of 101 on May 9, but not before living a dream for many golfers. He broke his age more than 1,000 times and was the epitome of the golf saying that, “We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.” Ingenuity A replica of No. 12 at Augusta National Golf Club built by Lou Stagner and his daughter, Abby. (Lou Stagner) ‘Our basement has been overtaken by Lego!’ Lou Stagner and his daughter wanted to recreate the iconic foliage and architecture of the 12th hole in Augusta, Georgia, with Legos. After a massive undertaking, to the tune of 60 hours and 20,000 individual pieces, the replica was complete – and it was stunning. Just passing the time. Early in the pandemic, the Hooper family in British Columbia built a three-hole golf course next to their apartment complex. The idea sprouted in Jason Hooper’s head years ago while walking his dog in a field adjacent to their property, but 2020 finally brought the time to do it. They made it Sophia Popov of Germany poses with the trophy at the 2020 AIG Women’s Open at Royal Troon. (Photo by RA – Handout/RA via Getty Images) The best story in golf? Sophia Popov almost quit the game last year. Good thing she didn’t, because 2020 brought a major title for the 28-year-old Symetra Tour player. The journey to being a father For 13 years, Mark Baldwin’s professional golf career had been a story of chasing starts around the globe. Korn Ferry Tour status couldn’t have come at a more perfect time for the new dad. A silver lining for a bleak year After years of working to qualify for the PGA Championship, Alex Knoll, the Palmerton High School golf coach and math teacher from Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, finally did it. “That’s the only silver lining for COVID in this entire world is I got into this tournament,” Knoll joked. Never, ever quit Ben Shipp, a fifth-year senior at North Carolina State, has navigated physical challenges in the form of Tourette’s syndrome while also doubling down on his mental game. He rose to a top-50 player in the world in 2020. Belly laughs Tiffany Joh (Getty Images) #TreatJohself LPGA player Tiffany Joh tried to keep things normal during quarantine with music, workouts, surfing and her usual creative sense of humor. If there was anyone we needed to hear from in this wild and scary year, it was Joh, who spends a good portion of her life making other people laugh. Play hard, kids The American Junior Golf Association represents a corner of the game where fun is key, even in a pandemic. This summer, the laughs went on safely, often on social media. Fore, left! Our Steve DiMeglio once hooked a shot through Dinah Shore’s sliding glass door. A year later, he got a hug instead of a bill and a slap upside the head, and a great golf memory was born. Crazy love Harold Varner III was named Golfweek‘s “most fun” player on the PGA Tour in its “Fun Iss...