Jenkins lifted sports writing to new levels
What happened this week in professional golf could not be described as merely coincidence.
As the PGA Tour continued its Florida tour with a stop in Orlando for the Arnold Palmer Invitational that pays tribute to the remarkable life and career of Palmer, another event took place that reverberated throughout golf, specifically, and sports, in general.
It couldn’t be anything other than the work of a higher power that 89-year-old Dan Jenkins passed away Thursday evening, his Hall of Fame writing career coming to an end after over a half-century of being the best to ever sit behind a typewriter and then computer.
I’ve often said Palmer was the most influential man in golf, not the best player in the game, but the most influential. He brought the game from behind the tall hedges and metal gates that screamed exclusivity and kept the masses away.
In a similar manner, Jenkins took the profession of sports writing to levels previously unseen heights and throughout his over 50-year career retained his position atop his life’s work. No one has ever put words together the way Jenkins did. He was irreverent, politically incorrect and was never hesitant to take on even the biggest names in sports.
As I’ve said many times in this space, I was very fortunate to have befriended Palmer and had the pleasure of recording several interviews with him for my radio show. I only had the opportunity to interview Jenkins once.
At the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, I did several shows that week and went into the week with Jenkins on my list of possible guests. I talked to some of my friends in the business and they wished me luck, citing Jenkins’ cantankerous nature.
I decided to go for it and approached him early in the week. He was very gracious and when I asked him if he would come on the show sometime between 7-8 a.m. He laughed and said, “Son, I can’t tell you when the last time was I saw 7 a.m. and I’m sorry to say I’m not going to do it with you.”
Disappointed, I started to thank him anyway when he said, “Are you going to be on the air any other time this week?” I told him I was, and he readily agreed to another time. He turned out to be a great interview and we had fun.
Palmer and Jenkins, two icons in their professions whose contributions are unparalleled.
You’ll never convince me that Jenkins’ death during the week of Arnold Palmer’s event was just a happenstance. It was fitting things worked out that way.
In typical Jenkins style, one of his favorite lines over the years was, “what I want to be written on my tombstone is: I knew it would come to this.”
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Masters Week early in April is always one of the great weeks of all time and as the television commercials appear more frequently, heralding the arrival of the first major championship of the year, we’re reminded that the week is going to be even better this year.
With the creation of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, there will be championship golf at Augusta National Golf Club for over a week. The women will play the first round of their event at a course in nearby South Carolina, and the final round will be held at the site of the Masters on Saturday.
On Sunday, the Drive, Chip and Putt Finals will be held at the National, featuring a cast of very talented youngsters.
And then Monday, Masters week officially begins with three days of practice rounds before play gets underway Thursday.
It can’t get here soon enough.
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Do you have an interesting story about your club or course or an individual who has done something special? Let me know. Send your story ideas to mike.dudurich@gmail.com.