CHIP SHOTS: Thomas Jefferson grad, golfing star Marty Fleckman celebrates birthday
Published 12:09 am Wednesday, April 29, 2020
- Marty Fleckman Marty Fleckman, right, went nose to nose with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer in the 1967 U.S. Open. (Courtesy photo)
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Here’s wishing a belated happy birthday to Marty Fleckman, the first golfer from Southeast Texas to make a splash on the PGA Tour.
Thomas Jefferson grad Fleckman, the Director of Golf Instruction at Blackhorse Teaching Center in Cypress, turned 76 last Friday.
For those who are not aware, Fleckman was on three NCAA championship teams at the University of Houston, won the NCAA individual title in 1965 and became the first player ever to win his PGA Tour start — the Cajun Classic — in December of 1967.
Fleckman’s biggest splash, however, was leading the U.S. Open as an amateur after the first and third rounds at Baltusrol in 1967. A closing 80 sent him skidding to 18th place, but he’d gotten the golf world’s attention.
Very deservedly, Marty is in the Texas Golf Hall of Fame …
In the Monday Senior 50 Plus 2 ball at Zaharias, the team of Gary Hanan, Earl Richard, Troy Touchet and Dwayne Benoit scored a sweep, winning the front with minus 4 and the back with minus 3 …
The Saturday Super Senior 2 ball at Zaharias saw a two-way tie on the front between the teams of James Shipley, Rick Pritchett, Don Duplan and Larry Lee and the threesome of Bob West, Butch Cross and Scott Bryant. There was a three-way tie at minus 1 on the back between teams captained by Kenny Robbins, Mike Brown and Ron LaSalle …
In the Friday 2 ball at Zaharias, the team of Adam Davis, Charles Leard, Rusty Hicks and Paul Duplantis won the front in minus 5. Minus 3 was the winning score on the back for the foursome of Keith Mullins, Pete Reobroi, Steve Wisenbaker and John LeBlanc …
Format for the Wednesday Babe Zaharias DogFight was all points count. Placing first with 27 points was the team of Jim Cady, Tony Trevino, Butch Cross and Kim Broussard. Second with 26 points was the team of Mike Brown, Charles Leard, Charlie Perez and Don Duplan.
Closest to the pin winners were Cady (No. 2), Leard (No. 7), Brown (No. 12) and Freeman (No. 15).
Golf news should be e-mailed to rdwest@usa.net. Bob West’s column is sponsored by 5 Under Golf Center.
