The night before Gene Elliott won the U.S. Senior Amateur at the Country Club of Detroit, he received an email from Mike McCoy, a fellow Iowan and close friend who had narrowly lost to Elliott two days earlier in the round of 32.
McCoy sent a link to a key moment in the movie Miracle, the inspirational story of how an underdog U.S. Olympic hockey team defeated the Soviet Union in 1980 on its way to winning a gold medal. In the iconic scene, Kurt Russell portrays coach Herb Brooks firing up his American squad before their game against the Soviets.
“Great moments are born from great opportunity,” Russell states with conviction.
Someone had sent McCoy the same clip back in 2013 before his championship match in the U.S. Mid-Amateur, which he went on to win. He found it motivating in just the right way, so he sent it to his pal.
“He brought tears to my eyes,” Elliott said. “I’ve seen the movie a couple times and heard the speech a couple times. But I emailed him back, I said, ‘Mike, just you sending this brings tears to my eyes.’ ”
Maybe Elliott, 59, didn’t need a miracle or a pep talk to finally capture the USGA title that has been so elusive throughout a storied career. He is no underdog, after all. This was Elliott’s 36th USGA championship, an accomplishment in itself. Along the way, he has won 15 Iowa state titles, a Porter Cup, a Terra Cotta Invitational, two Coleman Invitationals, two Canadian Senior Amateurs and, just this past July, his first British Senior Amateur crown. Elliott had come close in 15 U.S. Mid-Am appearances, and he earned medalist honors in the 1999 U.S. Amateur.
But still, finally lifting a trophy over his head at a USGA event felt like something that, confoundingly, never would happen for the West Des Moines resident who plays out of Seminole. When you say the name Gene Elliott in amateur golf circles, everyone agrees he is one of the most respected players in the game.
Time was running out for him to get his title – to cement a legacy that will go down in amateur golf lore – and he earned every inch of it.
“You know, just so much goes with that USGA title that maybe that’s why I haven’t won it in the past,” Elliott said. “It’s just so important and so meaningful to win a USGA championship. I’m relieved. I’m very proud. I didn’t do it by myself. I had a lot of help from a lot of different people, so it is a team win really.”
After getting into the match-play bracket without playing his best golf, Elliott had no issues with his first match. But against McCoy, his longtime friend, Elliott looked almost certain to be going home. The two played a tightly contested match, reaching the 18th hole tied. Elliott had to convert about an 18-foot par putt on the final hole to send the match into sudden death, and then he stuck his approach to tap-in range on the first extra hole.
“That I will not forget,” Elliott said. “I thought Mike had me, and when we went to extra holes I went, ‘Wow, new life.’ ”
It was something of a sign that Elliott not only beat McCoy but then had to go up against Doug Hanzel in the Round of 16. Hanzel, the No. 1 senior amateur in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, and Elliott, the No. 2-ranked player, went back and forth as each player could generate no more than a 1-up lead. Elliott parred his last eight holes, and that proved to be the difference in rallying past Hanzel for a 1-up victory.
There were still two down-to-the-wire matches ahead for Elliott, both coming against local Michigan talent. In the quarterfinals against Tom Gieselman, Elliott nursed an early 3-up lead after winning the first three holes and then hung on for a 2-and-1 win.
After an easy victory against Craig Davis in the semifinals – Elliott was 6 under in 14 holes, dominating the match – he faced Jerry Gunthorpe in the 18-hole final.
The ending of that contest will be talked about for quite some time.
Gunthorpe never trailed until the end. When he parred the 16th hole to capitalize on Elliott missing a par putt inside of three feet, Gunthorpe walked to the 17th with a 1-up advantage.
It didn’t last. He three-putted the par-5 17th to lose the hole, and then hit a poor drive on the 18th that left him scrambling. His 8-foot par attempt went begging, and Elliott suddenly had possession of the USGA title he had longed for..
“Both played well. Both should hang their heads high,” Elliott said. “I said to (Gunthorpe) earlier, whether I won or lost I was probably going to cry.”
These tears came out of joy this time. Elliott can call himself a USGA champion, and it’s no miracle that it finally happened.
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