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Great Ride: Hall easing way into 'retirement'
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Published: September 14, 2009
Updated: 09/14/2009 12:10 am
If indeed this week will be the final Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn, it's appropriate that Bermuda Run's Walter Hall is in the field. Hall, 62, has been the unofficial ambassador to the tournament since its inception seven years ago.
Hall, a Winston-Salem native who joined the Champions Tour in 1997, has had a 12-year ride of his life. He has made nearly $7 million to rank 40th on the tour's all-time money list, but his days of grinding on tour are over.
"I'm a country club, recreational type of golfer these days where I'm hoping I can maybe win a drink off the guys along the way," Hall said. "I don't practice much these days, and maybe play two times a week, but that's OK."
It's hard for a Champions Tour player to actually "retire" from the tour, so Hall is doing the next best thing. He's taking it slow, playing in a few tournaments here and there, but not sweating the small stuff.
He has played in seven Champions Tour tournaments this season, winning $29,731.
The status of the Greater Hickory Classic, which starts Friday in Conover, is up in the air. Don Beaver, the owner of the Rock Barn resort, has an option for one more year to continue to sponsor the tournament. But Beaver, who has looked for a title sponsor for the last several years, hasn't decided if he will renew the contract.
Hall said he hopes that the tournament will continue, mainly because the Champions Tour players love the hospitality.
"A lot of the guys were asking me last week about what's going to happen, but it's in Don Beaver's hands," Hall said. "Don has been great for the tournament and it would be disappointing if it does go away."
For the last 22 years this area has had a Champions Tour tournament between the Vantage Championship at Tanglewood Park and the Hickory Classic.
Hall has played in a lot of those tournaments.
"I would hate for the Hickory tournament to go away, but times change and with the economy like it is I know it's been tough for a lot of folks," Hall said.
Jim Correll, the tournament director, said that Hall's contributions to the Hickory Classic have been tremendous.
"Walter will always have a spot in this tournament," Correll said.
While Hall has qualified this week through his position on the all-time money list, that position keeps changing as established PGA Tour players reach the age of 50.
Hall will have to rely on sponsor's exemptions to get into tournaments, but for most of this season he and his wife, Carol, have been traveling. And when they've traveled it's been without his golf clubs.
Hall has eased his way into playing more recreational golf, but earlier this month he won the club championship at Forsyth Country Club.
"Yeah, that was a lot of fun and I guess pros have won it two years in a row because last year when Todd Brown was a pro he won," Hall said.
Hall was an appliance salesman during his outstanding amateur career, but he turned pro at the age of 47 in preparation for a shot at the Champions Tour. When he hit the age of 50 he was ready, and went on to win once on tour and carve out one of the better careers for somebody who didn't play on the PGA Tour.
"I never dreamed that I would be out playing 12 years on the Champions Tour," Hall said. "It's been more fun then I ever could have imagined. I figured I would maybe be out here four or five years, but the people Carol and I have met and the friends we have made -- it's been a great ride."
College golf upset
While much was made about Arnold Palmer turning 80 last week, there was also another anniversary that involves the Davidson golf team.
It was 60 years ago when Palmer, who was a 20-year-old at Wake Forest, and the Deacons lost to underdog Davidson in a match at Carolina Golf Club in Charlotte.
Among the Deacons on the team were Palmer and his close friend, Buddy Worsham, and Sonny Harris, who were three of the top players in the country at the time.
Davidson wound up winning the match 15½-11½.
Davidson's Ben Vernon, a Winston-Salem native who helped Reynolds High School to a state championship 1945, was a member of that team.
"It was really a fluke thing," said Vernon, who will turn 80 this week. "I think we all kind of played above our heads but it was fun. I think the next week we played them again and we lost like 24-3."
Also on the winning Davidson team was Monty Hill of Greensboro and Cecil Brandon, who was also from Winston-Salem. Carl "Ike" Coffey and Vernon teamed up to win 5½ of the six points in their match. The other Davidson players were Allen Mead and Bill Medford.
Also playing for the Deacons that day were Jennings Agner, Clyde Randolph and Gene Mills.
Later that spring Palmer went on to be the medalist at the NCAA Championships.
"I guess the funniest thing about that was one time a few years ago somebody brought up that match to Arnold and my name was mentioned," Vernon said. "So Arnold takes a Davidson hat and signed it and told my friend to send me the hat and Arnold told my friend: ‘Tell Ben to get a life.' "
Around the green
Uly Grisette of Clemmons, the winner of last year's state Mid-Amateur Championship, will try to defend his title starting on Friday at Pinewood Country Club in Asheboro. Grisette, who has won the last two Forsyth Invitationals, won last year's Mid-Am title at Sedgefield Country Club. The tournament has 316 players in the field who are all 30 or older. ...
There are no shortages of books about Palmer, and another one recently hit the shelves. The King and I: An Unlikely Journey From Fan to Friend is a 134-page book with plenty of pictures. The book is written by Howdy Giles, who first got to know Palmer as one of "Arnie's Army" that originated in the 1950s. Giles and Palmer struck up a friendship that has lasted for 50 years.
jdell@wsjournal.com
727-4081
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