Michigan Golf Journal May 2019

Kocsis first led the University of Michigan to three Big Ten Championships, winning twice individually – then two NCAA team titles, in 1934 and ’35, plus the individual title in ‘36. Maintaining amateur status, Kocsis became a six-time Michigan Amateur champion, three- time Michigan Open winner and six-time Michigan Medal Play champ. Nationally Kocsis played on three Walker Cup teams, received 11 invitations to the Masters (earning low amateur and T-14 overall in 1952), was low amateur twice in the U.S. Open – and was runner-up to E. Harvie Ward at the 1956 U.S. Amateur (Kocsis qualified 15 times). Calvin Peete: Peete was one of the greatest African-American ambassadors of the game – and the most successful before Tiger Woods entered the scene. Peete is a Detroit native, the eighth born of nine children in his family. Very remarkably, Peete didn’t pick up golf until age 23 but went on to formulate a career of 12 PGA Tour wins, including wins each year from 1982- 86. Most impressively was Peete capturing the 1985 Players Championship, which is arguably the best professional field in the world of golf each year. Peete was well-known for driving accuracy as he won that statistical title for 10 consecutive years on Tour (1981-90), despite a less- than-normal swing due to breaking his elbow falling from a tree as a child and it not healing correctly. Dan Pohl: Pohl was a Mt. Pleasant High School standout in basketball, golf and baseball, forgoing a professional baseball career when he committed to Arizona to play college golf. Pohl turned pro in 1978, a year after he won his second Michigan Amateur Championship (1975 and ’77). Pohl led the PGA Tour in driving in 1980 and tied for first in the ’82 Masters when he shot 67-67 the final two rounds. Yet he was nudged out of lifetime qualifying at Augusta National by Continues on page 30 >> 29 May 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com