Former Aggie Golfer Honored
THE BATTALION
Wednesday, December 19, 1962
Bobby Nichols, former Aggie
rolfing great, was picked Satur-
lay by the Golf Writers’ Associa-
,ion of America to receive the
§1962 Ben Hogan Trophy,
if l The 26-year-old Kentuckian,
Iwh'o tied for third behind Jack
|Nicklaus and Arnie Palmer in last
[June’s National Open, and who
is the ninth money winner of this
[tournament year, will receive the
ward at the national golf awards
inner in New York Jan. 9.
THE HOGAN trophy has been
[given each year since 1954 to golf
ers who have overcome serious
physical handicaps and continued
active participation in the game.
On Sept. 3, 1952, Nichols and
three other high school students
were riding in a car which struck
a tree near Louisville. He was
then 16 and a sophomore in Louis-
Iville St. Xavier High School. He
Isuffered injuries including a con
cussion, a broken pelvis, a punc
tured spine and liver, and damaged
lungs and kidneys.
Nichols was in traction for 95
days, paralyzed from the waist
down and supposedly never to
walk again. He had already begun
his career as caddie champion at
the Audubon Country Club. His
family kept a constant vigil with
the young man, massaging his
legs and tutoring him during the
latter stages of his remarkable
comeback.
THREE YEARS later Nichols
was graduated from St. Xavier
High School. Since his accident
he had twice won the Kentucky
state prep school golf title.
Bear Bryant brought the young
golfer to A&M on one of the
first scholarships offered in that
sport. Hank Ransom, 1950 World
Champion at the Tam O’Shanter
Country Club, who had just taken
over coaching chores at Aggieland,
took Nichols under his wing and
improved his game as he has the
games of many Ags since.
Nichols says that his success to
day is because of Ransom’s im
proving his grip and the help of
Louisville pro Bobby Craigs.
While at A&M, Nichols won the
Southwest Conference title as a
soph, then returned to Louisville
Ithe following summer, winning
seven of the eight amateur tourna
ments he entered. In the 1958 Na
tional Open, he was one of the
few amateurs to survive the 36-
hole cut.
HE SERVED six months as
assistant professional at Midland
Country Club and made his first
playing start as a pro in the
Phoenix Open in 1960.
He shot a final round 64 for his
first pro championship at the
Saint Petersburg Open. A month
later he won the three-man play
off from Dan Sikes and Nicklaus
with an eagle on the 19th hole
at the Houston Open. At one time
he had been three strokes down to
Sikes.
ODDLY ENOUGH, the man for
whom Nichols’ well-earned trophy
will be named was one of those
most helpful in his recovery from
the teenage accident.
An exerp from a letter the Nich
ols family still treasures:
“I don’t have to tell you the
human body is the greatest mac
hine in the world. Given a chance,
it will heal any hurts, if the
person afflicted has the will and
determination to do the exercises
your doctors have, undoubtedly
prescribed for you. There are no
short cuts, Bobby. I don’t want to
sound like a preacher, but I will
remember you in my prayers.
(Signed) Ben Hogan.”
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Page 5
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UP AND OVER
fen Ags Rate
Green Belts In
ludo Try-Outs
Ten Aggies, all members of the
A&M Judo Club, received their
green belts after examinations
Tuesday afternoon in G. Rollie,
White Coliseum.
The green belts mean that thes^
Ags are no longer beginners ait
the old oriental art of self-dje-
fense. Beginners wear white belts.
The black belt and the brown belt,
respectively, are the highest (and
second highest ranks.
The students who received (.heir
green belts were Michael Dunn,
William Miller, Joe Stucky, David
Coulson, Ronald Hagan, Keith Hu
ber, Glenn Piersall, Augustin Al
varado, John Roberts and Richard
Stepp.
Capt. Lester R. Hewitt, an as
sistant professor of air science,
is the team’s coach and sponsor.
He is a black belt, first degree.
Hewitt received the black belt in
Korea.
. coach tosses beginner in Tuesday judo exams
According to Coulson, the art
of Judo began in ancient times.
It was developed by monks who
sought protection from warlords.
Cagers Try LSU, Michigan
Before They Take Vacation
Before they make it home for
the holidays, Goach Bob Rogers’.
Aggie cagers will participate in
the Houston Classic basketball
tourney next weekend. They will
meet LSU in the Houston Coliseum
at 7 p.m. Friday and the Univer
sity of Michigan at 9 p.m. Sat
urday.
The Cadets will take a 4-1 sea
son record with them to the Bayou
City, including Saturday night’s
triumph over nationally-ranked
University of Houston, 69-67.
Both of the A&M opponents in
the tournament will be tough ones.
LSU lost three big starters from
last year, but retained four re
serves that saw plenty of action.
MICHIGAN has its top four
FROM THE
Sidefii
ineS
By Van Conner
Not too many years ago there was a young man enjoying
his Christmas vacation from college while deer hunting on
the Edwards Plateau. He and his dad had left their metropoli
tan home long before daybreak.
They were walking cautiously through an area of small
cedar and brush, about 50 yards apart. They hoped that one
of them would spook a nice, big buck for the other to have
a shot at.
It was plenty cold, like it gets in the hills late in deer
season—the best time for hunting. And it was not yet en
tirely daylight.
Neither man had a care in the world. It was one of
those few times when father and son get together alone after
the latter has gone away to college. They wanted to make the
best of it.
Then it was there—the movement in the brush to the
left that had to be a 12-point buck. What must have been
antlers appeared in the dim light near where the sound had
come from.
As he raised the 30-06 to his shoulder the young man
thought, “I'd better not miss, Pop would never let me live it
down.
He didn’t miss.
The 53-year-old man did’t even live long enough to for
give his son.
★ ★ ★
The above incident, and too many others like it, really
happened. The young man wasn’t an Aggie, but that is hardly
essential to the point the story tries to get across.
scorers from last year returning,
and will doubtless better its 1962
mark of 7-17. It comes from one
of the toughest conferences in the
country, so even its last year’s
showing wasn’t too bad.
Coach Jay McCreary’s Tigers
from Baton Rouge return starters
Maury Drummond, a 6-7 forward
who averaged 11.3; and 6-0 guard
Ellis Cooper, who had an 11.0 norm.
Reserves from last year are 6-6
forward Howard Keene, 6-4 for
ward Jack Belcher, 6-2 forward
Bobby Fetter and 6-0 guard Sam
Chase —all juniors.
There will be one soph in the
Tigers’ starting ranks. He is 6-5
forward Dick Maile, an exception
al shooter and rebounder. He’ll go
with Drummond, Cooper, Keene
and Chase at the initial tipoff.
Making the Michigan Wolverines’
offense click will be forward Tom
Cole, who averaged 15.0 last sea
son; forward John Oosterbaan,
14.7 last year; center John Harris,
guard Bob Cantrell and one of
last year’s reserves, guard Doug
Herner.
They will get a lot of help from
sophomores. Center Bill Buntin, a
6-7 lad, has been rated one of the
best pivot prospects in years at
Ann Arbor. Others are forwards
Larry Tegoning 6-5, and George
Pomey, 6-4; and guard Charlie
Adams, 6-2.
Michigan will have one of the
tallest squads the Farmers will
face this year.
THE AGGIES have so far aver
aged better than all their oppon
ents in the statistics columns.
They hit 150 of 320 field goal
tries for 46.9 per cent, against
the enemies’ 126 of 303 for 41.6.
They lead opponents in rebounding,
226 to 192.
In the total points column, the
Ags have 399 to 350. They have
averaged 79.8 per game to the foes’
70.0.
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To Our Many Friends & Patrons
Merry Christmas
and
Happy New Year
Mr. Charlie, Mrs. Charlie Sc Albert
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