Michigan Golf Journal April 2018

Masters Memories Dƚ͘ WůĞĂƐĂŶƚ ŶĂƟǀĞ ĂŶ Pohl spent most of his adult life living in Arizona, where he ǁĞŶƚ ƚŽ ƉůĂLJ ĐŽůůĞŐĞ ŐŽůĨ ĂŌĞƌ ŐƌĂĚƵĂƟŶŐ ĨƌŽŵDƚ͘ WůĞĂƐĂŶƚ High School. Pohl turned pro ŝŶ ϭϵϳϴ͕ Ă LJĞĂƌ ĂŌĞƌ ŚĞ ǁŽŶ his second Michigan Amateur ŚĂŵƉŝŽŶƐŚŝƉ ;ϭϵϳϱ ĂŶĚ ͛ϳϳͿ͘ WŽŚů ƟĞĚ ĨŽƌ ĮƌƐƚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ Masters in 1982 when he shot ϲϳͲϲϳ ƚŚĞ ĮŶĂů ƚǁŽ ƌŽƵŶĚƐ͕ including 30 on the back nine ^ƵŶĚĂLJ ǁŝƚŚ ďĂĐŬͲƚŽͲďĂĐŬ eagles at 13 and 14. But he ǁĂƐ ŶƵĚŐĞĚ ŽƵƚ ŽĨ ůŝĨĞƟŵĞ ƋƵĂůŝĨLJŝŶŐ Ăƚ ƵŐƵƐƚĂ EĂƟŽŶĂů by Craig Stadler, who won in a ƉůĂLJŽī͘ Before major back surgery at the end of the 1989 season cut short Pohl’s career, he won two tournaments in 1986. The next season he earned the Varden Trophy for lowest stroke average on Tour and played on Jack Nicklaus’ Ryder Cup team. Those are some extremely ůŽŌLJ ĂĐĐŽŵƉůŝƐŚŵĞŶƚƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĐĂŶ never be lost. Pohl, age 63, has returned ƚŽ Dƚ͘ WůĞĂƐĂŶƚ ĨƵůů ƟŵĞ ĂŶĚ is working as Director of Golf KƉĞƌĂƟŽŶƐ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ŚĞ designed – the PohlCat. Here ŝƐ Ă ƐŵĂůů ƉŽƌƟŽŶ ŽĨ ŵĞŵŽƌŝĞƐ he recently shared of his ĐĂƌĞĞƌ ĂŶĚ ƟŵĞ ƉůĂLJŝŶŐ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ Masters: YƵĞƐƟŽŶ͗ ,Žǁ ĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚ ĚŽ you think your life would have been if you won that Masters’ ƉůĂLJŽī ǁŝƚŚ ƌĂŝŐ ^ƚĂĚůĞƌ͍ Answer : “You would hope that it wouldn’t change. I mean, I don’t think my upbringing and the way I looked at the game and the reasons why I played it would ŚĂǀĞ ĐŚĂŶŐĞĚ ĚƌĂŵĂƟĐĂůůLJ͕ but there’s no doubt that being recognized as a Masters’ Champion would have carried Ă ǁŚŽůĞ ĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚ ƉĞƌƐƉĞĐƟǀĞ from the outside world. “If you take a Trevor Immelman that’s now doing his television coverage and some other things, would he be doing it if he wasn’t a Masters’ Champion? You never know. ͞/ ŵĞĂŶ͕ /͛ǀĞ ŐŽƩĞŶ Ă ůŽƚ ŽĨ WZ ĨŽƌ ƚLJŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĮŶŝƐŚŝŶŐ second. I always looked at maybe trying to put together an event that brought in all of the runner ups at the Masters and it would probably be a who’s who list. Tom Lehman, Tom Weiskopf. You could put ƚŽŐĞƚŚĞƌ Ă ďƵŶĐŚ ŽĨ ƌĞĂůůLJ ǁĞůůͲ known golfers that have never won that would love to have that green jacket on.” MASTERS Q&A WITH FORMER PGA TOUR PRO DAN POHL By Tom Lang