ASSOCIATED PRESS ( MITCHELL ), VIRGINIA GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS |
BOBBY MITCHELL
During a press conference after shooting a second-round 65 and taking the 36-hole lead in the 1972 MONY Tournament of Champions , Danville ’ s Bobby Mitchell called himself the Invisible Man .
“ I just felt like I wasn ’ t getting what I deserved [ in the press ]. I mean , you finish second at the Masters , you deserve something , right ? And I told them that I felt like I was invisible . I said , ‘ Sometimes , I don ’ t even know I ’ m out there ’,” Mitchell told Jim Ducibella , author of Par Excellence : A Celebration of Virginia Golf that was published in 2000 .
Mitchell ’ s comment was prompted by a national magazine cover that displayed Masters champion Jack Nicklaus and T2 finishers Bruce Crampton and Tom Weiskopf . No Mitchell , who lost the tournament by playing the short 12th in six-over par .
“ If I could have made a few pars on that hole , I could have won the Masters . My life probably would have been a lot different ,” Mitchell said .
Mitchell trailed Nicklaus by two strokes and was paired with the leader in the final group in the final round of the Tournament of Champions . Mitchell decided he wouldn ’ t watch Nicklaus hit a single shot , wound up missing a two-foot par putt on 17 to fall into a tie with Nicklaus then holed a 20-foot , downhill putt for birdie to win the tournament on the first extra hole .
The cover shot for the next issue of Golf World featured a photo of Mitchell and a headline — Underrated no more : Bobby Mitchell , Giant-Killer .
Mitchell came up the old-fashioned way . He began caddying at Danville Golf Club when he was 11 years old . A couple of years later he bought his first club and began working in the golf shop for legendary head pro Al Smith , a three-time State Open winner . Set on life as a golfer at 15 , Mitchell was promoted to assistant pro .
“[ Smith ] had a great impact on my golf and my life ,” Mitchell said . “ If it hadn ’ t been for him , I probably wouldn ’ t have been in golf .”
Peter McDonough ( right )
PETER MCDONOUGH
A golf course superintendent ’ s job is much more than overseeing growing grass , mowing greens and fairways and raking bunkers these days .
Environmental stewardship is a must , and recently retired Keswick Golf Club superintendent Peter McDonough has been a guiding light for environmental projects and issues in Virginia for more than 30 years .
David Norman , executive director of the Virginia Golf Course Superintendents Association , says McDonough “ has always been a leader in government relations , advocating for Virginia ’ s golf industry .”
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CAREER HIGHLIGHTS ( Mitchell )
• One of two players , Hall of Famer Chandler Harper is the other , to win the VSGA Open and the VPGA Open in the same year ( 1965 ) before the Opens merged in 1985 .
• Won Carolinas PGA Championship in 1967 .
• Two-time winner on PGA Tour . Won Cleveland Open by seven shots in 1971 and qualified for the 1972 Tournament of Champions where he famously birdied the first playoff hole to beat Jack Nicklaus .
• Tied for second in the 1972 Masters for best finish in a major .
• Joined PGA Tour Champions in 1995 . Best finish was T12 .
• Taught golf to young people in Finland in association with Averett University beginning in summer of 1991 .
• Died at the age of 75 in 2018 .
REMEMBERING A LIFELONG FRIEND
“ Like with anybody , you wish you could bestow this honor on somebody while they were living , and I think Bobby would have been extremely proud and grateful that he did it … Al took Bobby under his wing . Bobby had a natural talent for hitting a golf ball . He could hit a ball left-handed as well as he could right handed … You look at Bobby moving through life and what he achieved , he got near the top of the ladder much quicker than he ever thought and maybe wasn ’ t really prepared to be able to handle it socially and what came along with it … He was the nicest guy . I think about the time he went up the ladder and back down , he never was ugly or mean or discourteous to anybody . He always had time for everybody . If he played poorly , he didn ’ t blame anybody except himself . He was just a real nice fellow to be around .”
– Harry Lea , past VSGA president and lifelong friend of Bobby Mitchell
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS ( McDonough )
• President ’ s Award for Environmental Stewardship from Golf Course Superintendents Association of America ( 2016 ).
• Primary founder and first president of Virginia ’ s Golf Course Superintendents Association ( 1999-2001 ).
• Spearheaded and managed the creation of the Virginia GCSA ’ s Environmental Best Management Practices Manual ( 2009-2012 ).
• Sustainability Leader Award from the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Golf Course Owners Association ( 2015 )
• Member of GCSAA Chesapeake Bay Watershed stakeholders group ( 2010-2012 )
• Environmental Stewardship Award from Virginia GCSA ( 2011 ).
• Audubon Certified Cooperative Sanctuary , Keswick Hall and Golf Club ( 2002 ).
MCDONOUGH SAYS
“ The superintendent ’ s profession is about science and art . Keeping up with education that ’ s available through many outlets is critical . Communication with leadership at your facility is paramount . Relationships with family , friends and peers is what keeps you grounded . Dedication to this profession is what drives golf course superintendents , and it ’ s an amazing group of people .”
When told of his selection , “ I was at a loss for words . There are so many incredible people who ’ ve made significant contributions to Virginia golf in the Hall of Fame . I feel very honored to be chosen alongside them .”
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2023 VIRGINIA GOLF HALL OF FAME |