By Sally Jenkins
Editor’s note: In celebration of Golf Digest’s 70th anniversary, we’re revisiting the best literature and journalism we’ve ever published.

There are two sacred days on the annual golf calendar: Masters Sunday, which falls on the second Sunday of April, and Father’s Day, on the same day as the final round of the U.S. Open. Everything is turned upside down this year, with the Masters in November and Father’s Day without the Open. Both golf holidays have been linked in my mind because I spent about 35 years observing them on a barstool next to Dan Jenkins.

So as Father’s Day approaches, it seems appropriate to call on his talented daughter, Washington Post columnist and best-selling author Sally Jenkins to give us a little Dan. In the eulogy at his memorial service in Fort Worth last year, Sally remembered his writing: “It had the effortless vault and jauntiness of the music he loved: classic Texas swing. It’s interesting that our father wrote every bit as well and impressively about music as he did about sports, and so much of that tunefulness slipped into his prose. Here is the beginning of his game story on perhaps the greatest college football game ever played, the 1971 meeting between Nebraska and Oklahoma:

“In the land of the pickup truck and cream gravy for breakfast, down where the wind can blow through the walls of a diner and into the grieving lyrics of a country song on a jukebox—down there in dirt-kicking territory they played a football game on Thanksgiving Day that was mainly for the quarterbacks on the field and for self-styled gridiron intellectuals everywhere.”

Sally concluded her eulogy with as good a line as any father could imagine being said about him by his daughter: “When a man like our father goes, it’s an outsized loss. It’s like 100 men have left the room.”

In May 2005, Sally wrote the following story on the occasion of Dan being honoured by the Golf Writers Association of America as the winner of the William D. Richardson Award for consistently outstanding contributions to golf. Note to Dan: Sally her Ownself was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Commentary, as The Washington Post reported earlier this year, “for the breadth and vigour of her writing, which in 2019 was characteristically fearless and forthright.”

Happy Father’s Day. —Jerry Tarde

* * *

My father is, sadly, a fraud. There is the public account of him, and then there is my private one, and the two don’t agree at all. For instance, there is the Dan Jenkins who pretends he’d sooner burn small children with cigarettes than pat them on the head, and then there is the adoring, lenient father I know. There is the guy whose profane wit can force a sharp intake of breath, and there is the husband who has been devotedly married for more than 40 years. There is the cavalier veranda lounger who never seemed to take a note, and then there is the writer I’ve witnessed at home, who works with unswerving concentration.

My brothers and I might be the only people, apart from my mother, who know him for the suave faker he really is. At some point, your childhood becomes your own property, and you see it for what it was. While you were a child, it belonged to your parents, and they cast it in their terms.

“You’re having a happy childhood,” my father told me.

“I am?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I said so.”

My father speared another forkful of Raviolios from my plate and ate them. It was a nightly ritual for him to sit with me and my two brothers and share our supper before he and my mother went out for the evening. On Monday nights we ate Raviolios and they went to P.J. Clarke’s. On Tuesday we had fish sticks and they went to Elaine’s. And so on. The phone numbers of the restaurants were pasted on the wall by the phone along with the days of the week.

Once, someone asked my younger brother what it was like to grow up the son of a sportswriter and author, and his imposingly elegant and successful wife. She was always opening critically acclaimed restaurants, and he was always reinventing forms of journalism and writing bestsellers in alarmingly casual-seeming fashion.

My brother considered the question.

“They were out every night, and when they came home they went to Europe,” he said.

Yet somehow my father, despite his globe-circling, and reputation for enjoying the smartening effects of scotch, managed to provide us with a childhood that was, in fact, happy and healthy. How did he accomplish this? One of his methods was a deceptive sobriety, another was a veiled attentiveness to his family, and yet another was a sly conscientiousness at his work.

The dinner hour was always ours. My parents would sit at the kitchen table with their three children, and their three tall glasses of milk. My father would talk to us while he stole bites of our baby food. Alphabet soup. Creamed corn. Franks and beans. Stouffer’s frozen vegetables.

“Daddy?”

“Yes?”

“I learned a joke today.”

“Tell it.”

“What’s green and lives in the sea?”

“What?”

“Moby Pickle.”

He began giggling helplessly at the absurdity of the joke, and couldn’t stop for the next five minutes, while around him, three pajamaed urchins capsized their milk with delight.

The rest of the world has its view of Dan Jenkins, and I have mine. It’s impossible for me to read his life’s work with professional detachment because for every U.S. Open story, there was a family summer. The combined quality and volume of his writing on golf, as well as hundreds of other subjects, is all the more impressive to me in light of the fact that he managed to produce it while also attending school plays, writing checks to orthodontists, mustering private-school tuitions and lifting the family luggage. All of which he made seem effortless. His fathering style, interestingly, was not much different from his writing style, which is to say, excellence disguised as offhandedness.

Some of the stories, of course, represent absences. But not as many as you would think. He managed to be, despite my brother’s joke, a vividly present father. He often took us with him; we scampered with impunity through press rooms, and carried hot coffee to him, and surely must have pestered him, though he never complained about it. Others might have found him acerbic; we only found him gently or hysterically funny. While his readers might be amazed to discover he had children, his children were amazed to discover he had readers.

Look again at the writing of Dan Jenkins, and ask yourself if it could have been as effortless to write as it is to read. Peruse the easy rhythms and the jauntiness of phrasing, and yet the unfailing truthfulness and the nail-on-the-head precision in each description. Consider the fact that, despite the ease with which the sentences pass, he almost never employs a shopworn, overused word, but rather finds the unexpected one, which also happens to be utterly right.

Which is the real Dan Jenkins, and which is a cunning veneer? I’ll step aside and let someone else answer the question.

“Do you understand,” my mother once said, “how hard your father works?”

The answer was no, at the time I didn’t. It’s only as an adult and a colleague that I’ve come to understand. Small things, details, return to me, and make more sense now. The curious fact that, though he was reputed to love his cocktails, I never once saw him drink at home. The steady metallic sound of a Royal typewriter as I went to sleep, and the sound of it again in the morning.

As an adult, I reread the old work and I look at the new work, and what I see in it is this: a constant stripping away of pretence, and of the profligate excesses of feeling that surround sports, to find the real people and truths underneath. An unwavering effort to think about things plainly and thoroughly, the better to describe them. Sound judgments, about what’s funny and not, what’s poignant and not, what’s worthy and what is not. Constant restless experiments with form, and a lifelong refusal to go with the crowd, or to mail one in.

He comes from a generation of writers that adopted a demeanour of perpetual nonchalance, cigarettes dangling. He didn’t talk much about writing. He never said, “Don’t be a writer; you’ll sentence yourself to a life of excruciating self-doubt and criticism.” He never said, “It’s one of the hardest professions in the world.” He never said, “It’s ditch-digging, it’s breaking rocks with a shovel.” Instead, his instructions were his example.

He did say this: “Dad loves his work.”

As a writer, I drew three lessons from him: the absoluteness of his concentration, the contrariness of his thinking, and the depth of his respect for good writing. All of which together can only be called a kind of integrity. “Learn your craft,” he told me. “And don’t ever let a thing go until it’s as good as you can make it.”

So I do something others don’t, when it comes to my father. I take him seriously. God knows, somebody has to.

The post Another side of Dan Jenkins appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Myers
Welcome to another edition of The Grind where we started the new year not with a bang, but with a beep. In fact, a series of very annoying pre-dawn beeps thanks to the batteries dying in a carbon monoxide alarm. Fortunately, because I’m old and hadn’t even stayed up until midnight on New Year’s Eve, I didn’t lose too much sleep. In any event, the first PGA Tour event of the new decade delivered lots of drama and gave us plenty to talk about as we begin an eighth(!) year of The Grind. Wow, time flies when you’re having fun, and doing, well, whatever the heck it is I do in this space. Thanks as always for following along.

WE’RE BUYING

Justin Thomas: Is it too early to start putting together the next round of player-of-the-decade posts? Because this guy has a great chance to be at the top, and he’s already off to a fantastic start. Thomas won the Tournament of Champions for a second time in four years, outlasting Presidents Cup teammates Patrick Reed and Xander Schauffele in a playoff at Kapalua, and overcoming some bad swings and a crazy decision on the 72nd hole that almost made Josh Allen’s absurd attempted lateral look smart by comparison. In the end, though, JT won for a third time in seven starts. HOT.

In fact, his 12th career PGA Tour title made him the fourth player to reach that milestone before turning 27 (Tiger, Jack and Sneed are the other three. Decent). And, amazingly, the artist formerly known as Jordan Spieth’s little buddy has now passed his good friend in career wins after once trailing 8-1. I hope this doesn’t affect the dynamic of #SB2K20!

Pat Perez’s $8,000 toilet: Or, rather, Pat and Ashley Perez’s $8,000 toilet. Apparently, Pat has put his wife in charge of interior decorating and the couple will now have a chamber pot fit for a King and Queen. Check this thing out:

Does anyone need to be massaged or have their feet warmed while doing his/her business? Of course not. But it sure sounds luxurious. Considering Perezes’ recent $10K Vegas dinner bill, getting this magical toilet for less seems like a steal.

The World Handicap System: The new system that’s going into affect and will put most of the world on the same system makes a lot of sense. I applaud such changes as attempting to factor in conditions and updating daily so there isn’t as much luck as to when your handicap is calculated ahead of your big event. I also like the net double bogey max rule for everyone. It never made sense to me that different players could take different max scores. However. . .

WE’RE SELLING

The World Handicap System: There are still some problems, starting with the system counting even fewer rounds. I’m not a math major, but the fewer the rounds that count, the smaller the sampler size and the less accurate you get. I thought they’d go the other way with that. Also, as Dean Knuth points out, the new extra calculation to adjust course handicaps to par defies logic (since course rating already factors par into its equation) and makes this process even more confusing. In related news, I hate course handicaps because I always feel like I’m giving everyone on my golf trip too many strokes. I’m calling for a course handicap revolution! Get rid of them altogether!

Patrick Reed’s reception: It may be a new year, but people haven’t forgotten about Reed’s sand shenanigans in the Bahamas last month. One fan went as far to scream “CHEATER!” after Patrick Reed missed his birdie attempt on the third and final playoff hole. And one player—former U.S. Ryder and Presidents Cupper Chris DiMarco—went as far as calling Reed, well, see for yourself the tweet that has since been taken down:

Wow. Reed is under such fire from all around that I’m surprised Ricky Gervais didn’t take a shot at him in his Gold Globes monologue/bloodbath.

Rickie’s pineapples:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B60k04_nkmh/?utm_source=ig_embed

Nope.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour continues its Hawaiian Swing with the Sony Open, AKA that event where everyone thought a ballistic missile was on its way to wiping out the entire island. And yet Justin Thomas just kicked back on his hotel couch, opened up a sliding door and listened to music. No wonder he’s so cool under pressure. Well, other than that horrendous decision to hit 3-wood on 18 on Sunday.

Random tournament fact: Seven of the past eight winners of this tournament played at Kapalua the week before. So do with that what you will. For the record, I’ve got $10 on Brendon Todd at 50(!)-to-1 odds. Sure, he didn’t have a good week at the Sentry TOC, but he played, damn it.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—That’s the last time a fan will heckle Patrick Reed this year: 1-MILLION -to-1 odds

—Brooks Koepka will publicly criticize a golfer for slow play this year: 40-to-1 odds (Actual odds)

— Brooks Koepka will privately criticize a golfer for slow play this year: LOCK

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Yes, this came out a few weeks back, but we were on break and didn’t get the chance to properly discuss. And because it’s one of the greatest golf photos of all time.

Well played, TaylorMade.

VIRAL VIDEO(S) OF THE WEEK

I don’t care that more that we have more than 99 per cent of the decade to go, there will not be a more unlikely putt holed in the next 10 years than this:

$5,000 PUTT! ?

A Baylor fan sinks a putt on the court to win five thousand dollars. pic.twitter.com/LK4IaeGSnV

— ESPN (@espn) January 5, 2020

Good for that dude. Although he deserved the same paycheck JT got at Kapalua for that effort. And speaking of crazy “putts”:

#SCtop10 #WaitForIt @RealMattScharff pic.twitter.com/JAFjMYs7HT

— Garrett Clark (@gm__golf) January 2, 2020

That’s some impressive engineering.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK INVOLVING AN OSCAR-NOMINATED ACTOR

People freaked out about the Masters promo that ran over Christmas, but this U.S. Open at Winged Foot ad involving Don Cheadle has me even more hyped!

Did you see it…Oh, you didn’t?

Around the #USOpen, we love football…but we’re not talking about football.

This is only the beginning! pic.twitter.com/LkuqXM2xi5

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) January 5, 2020

Yes! Let the bogeys flow!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I should have won the tournament. I know it. Everyone knows it.”. —Xander Schauffele. Substitute the word “game” for “tournament” and this statement could have also been uttered by anyone on the Buffalo Bills.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

Members – Attached are my #notes from today’s meeting with architect Hank Jones on our upcoming back nine redesign. pic.twitter.com/xafP6231Bn

— Club Pro Guy (@ClubProGuy) January 6, 2020

One of the highlights of my 2019 came when CPG followed me. A true genius.

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS

How about Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman showing off her swing?

Had no idea what I was doing… think I just got lucky ? https://t.co/tIfGq2HoUg pic.twitter.com/0Cpihr7hz8

— Alexandra Raisman (@Aly_Raisman) December 29, 2019

Of course, you’d expect a gymnast to have good balance. Speaking of decent athletes. . .

THIS WEEK IN TOUR PROS MAKING US FEEL BAD ABOUT OURSELVES WITH OUR WORKOUTS

Lexi Thompson’s New Year’s resolutions: Get stronger, win more, lose less passports.

And how about the New Year’s Eve message Brooks Koepka sent the rest of pro golf? While everyone else was out partying, the World No. 1 was in the gym:

It’s been a journey these past 3 months rehabbing my knee but it’s coming along & I’m ready to get back out there healthy for a strong 2020 ? pic.twitter.com/oIFunY7wO0

— Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) December 31, 2019

Meanwhile, my resolution is to read our post called “12 exercises every golfer should be doing now.” Not to actually attempt them, mind you, but to read about them. Hey, it’s a start.

THIS WEEK IN PGA TOUR PRO-WAGS PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

Harry How

Awwww.

THIS AND THAT

Brooks Koepka beat Rory McIlroy for the Golf Writers Association of America Player of the Year. I voted for Brooks and I’m glad to see golf writers put more value on major championships than tour pros. . . . Scott McCarron beat Steve Stricker in the GWAA’s vote for PGA Tour Champions Player of the Year. I voted for the Strick Show and for some reason, golf writers don’t put more value on majors when it comes to the senior circuit. . . . Dottie Pepper paid off the lunch debt for 50 students at her former elementary school in upstate New York. What a great gesture. . . . Lost in all the best-of-the-decade madness was an incredible Bernhard Langer stat. While Dustin Johnson and Inbee Park led the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour, respectively, with 18 wins, Langer led the seniors with 32! What a machine.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Who will wind up with more career wins: JT or Spieth?
What would Johnny Miller say about Patrick Reed?
What would Ricky Gervais say about Patrick Reed?

The post Justin Thomas passes Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed’s enemies list grows, and Pat Perez’s $8,000 toilet appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
For the first time in 28 years, golf’s two premier Player of the Year awards were split, Brooks Koepka earning the PGA of America’s honours while Rory McIlroy captured the PGA Tour’s title. On Tuesday, the Golf Writers Association of America settled the matter.

For the second straight year, Koepka won the GWAA’s Player of the Year, besting McIlroy with 44 per cent of the vote to 36.

“I am extremely humbled to receive this award for the second year in a row,” Koepka said. “The GWAA does so much for the game we all love, so to be their Player of the Year again is a real honour.’’

Koepka added his fourth major victory at the PGA Championship in May, building a seven-shot lead to hold off a surging Dustin Johnson at Bethpage Black. Koepka became the first player to defend both the PGA and the U.S. Open in a career, and joined Woods, Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen as the other players to defend two different majors. The win moved Koepka to No. 1 in the World Ranking, a spot he continues to hold.

Koepka added runner-up finishes at the Masters and U.S. Open, along with a T-4 at the Open Championship, joining Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Jordan Spieth as the only players to finish top four or better at every major in a calendar year. Koepka also notched wins at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational and C.J. Cup, and posted nine top-10s in 2019. He led the tour in official money and was fourth in scoring.

Tiger Woods, who won the 2019 Masters, finished third in voting.

Other GWAA winners announced on Tuesday were Jin Young Ko (Female POY) and Scott McCarron (Senior POY).

The post Brooks Koepka bests Rory McIlroy for GWAA Player of the Year appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

But Brooks has to be (more) pleased with golf writers after Thursday’s announcement that he won the Golf Writers Association of America Player of the Year Award. And although the GWAA doesn’t release full voting results (much like the PGA Tour with its POY that Koepka already won), the organisation noted, “Koepka won easily,” which is impressive when you factor in Francesco Molinari’s Open Championship title and historic performance at the Ryder Cup. In the end, though, winning two of the game’s four biggest individual prizes — as it should be — was enough for Koepka to claim another piece of hardware.

“It’s incredible any time you can win player of the year. That’s pretty cool. Whether it’s by your peers or the writers, anybody that takes notice of what you’re doing I think it’s pretty special,” Koepka said.

“Obviously last year was pretty special and it was pretty unique and incredible for me. I hope to follow it up this year and try to build on that.”

He just won’t be able to use this vote as another slight to fuel his competitive fire. Although, he could always track down those writers who didn’t vote for him.

There weren’t any surprises in the GWAA’s Female Player or Senior Player of the Year categories either as Ariya Jutanugarn and Bernhard Langer won, respectively. This marked the second time Jutanugarn, 23, has won the award, while the 61-year-old — and seemingly everlasting — Langer made it a three-peat, giving him five such honours for his career.

The post Brooks Koepka’s “I get no respect” routine takes a hit as he collects latest year-end award appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.