Spirit Magazine - June 2013 - (Page 87)

1913 2 01 3 you may not be familiar with the story. even if you are, the details are probably fuzzy. it happened long before the age of twitter, before tv, even radio. but we’ll just come out and say it: This is the Greatest Sports Tale Ever Told. By Brad Herzog Illustration by Ben Kirchner T his month , 156 of the world’s finest golfers will converge on Merion Golf Club in the Philadelphia suburb of Ardmore. One of them—almost certainly a highly touted, exorbitantly rewarded professional—will make history by winning the United States Open. Meanwhile, we will also be celebrating history—the 100th anniversary of one of golf’s seminal moments. Francis Ouimet’s 1913 U.S. Open triumph at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, will be remembered as an epic feat, a sport-altering event, a revelation. It might also be described as the perfect story. “It reads like a fairy tale. It really is hard to believe that it happened,” says Hall of Fame golfer Curtis Strange, who won the 1988 U.S. Open held at The Country Club 75 years later. “It has the feel of a folk story or a legend,” agrees author Mark Frost, who wrote the definitive book on the event, The Greatest Game Ever Played, which became a Disney film starring Shia LaBeouf in 2005. “It’s a story that’s sprinkled with magic, all of it true.” What are the ingredients for the ultimate American athletic tale? Surely, there should be a dollop of Horatio Alger, something reflect- JUNE 2013 spirit 87

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spirit Magazine - June 2013

Spirit Magazine - June 2013
Contents
Gary’s Greeting
Gary’s Greeting en Español
Star of the Month
Freedom Story
From the Editor
Your Words
Your Pictures
Media Center
Eat Drink Sleep
The Numbers
Wise Guide
Business
Eat Like A Chef
Promotional Series: Spirit of Music City
...the Greatest Sports Tale Ever Told
Your Adventure in Oakland
Promotional Series: Spirit of Charleston
Calendar
Fun!
Spotlight
Community Outreach
Route Map
Rapid Rewards Partners
Flight Service
The "if" List

Spirit Magazine - June 2013