Ben Crenshaw - "Emcee at The Champions Dinner" SHORT TRACK

Intro Music 0:07

Straight down the middle. It went straight down the middle.

SPEAKER_00 0:14

I was just there four days ago with some friends. I I've only played uh about five times other than the tournament. And uh I I still I'm just so fortunate that I won that tournament and I could be there.

Bruce Devlin 0:30

Well, they think the world of you as well, Ben, because uh you are now the current Master of Ceremonies at the champions' dinner. That's quite an honor.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Well, it it is, Bruce. Uh I'll never forget uh I was at home one day and Byron Nelson called me on the telephone. He said, Ben, he said, I've been going over there since 1935 or 1934, and he said, I physically can't make it this year. And he said, I want you to take over at the at the dinner. And I went, Wow. Uh he said, You love golf history and you and you love this place, uh, I want you to take over. He said, keep it light, keep it moving, and and have fun with it. And that's what we've done. And I just sort of start the dinner off, make a few announcements, and uh introduce the the champion, and we we tell stories. Uh and I it it's intimidating, Bruce, to stand up in front of all the champions, and you look down at the rows of you're looking at golf history. And uh, you know, God Bob Goldby was there this year, he's 94. Of course, Jackie Burke's 98 and could not come, the oldest living champion. Uh Charlie Cootie.

Bruce Devlin 2:01

50th.

SPEAKER_00 2:02

This was his his 50th year of winning, all sorts of anniversaries, but uh uh Dustin Johnson made a made a wonderful talk, and we were were greeted too with a great message from Tiger Woods who said how much he missed the dinner uh and how much the place meant to him and and all of us. It was very heartfelt and it it gave us a real boost. It was really, really nice. And man, we we pray for his recovery. Uh he's lucky to be alive, but he means a lot to golf, you know. And I think I don't know, in my mind, Bruce Jack Nicholas is is maybe the greatest player of all time. But no one has ever played the game like Tiger Woods during those seven years. We pray for his recovery.

Mike Gonzalez 3:03

Well, we just talked to Charlie Cootie not too long ago. Of course, next year will be his 50th champion's dinner. He made it very clear to us that if this young fellow's gonna serve sushi, he's ordering the biggest steak in the place.

SPEAKER_00 3:20

Well, Kobe Beef might do, you know.

Mike Gonzalez 3:23

That might be terrific, but uh why don't you take us back 1985? You're sitting at your first master's dinner. Why don't you put us and our listeners into the room? Who was all there? Do you remember?

SPEAKER_00 3:38

Well, Hort Harden was the chairman. And um that was the the the that part of the the menu started changing after that for champions. Uh that was one of the last years where you had to order from the club. So we had steak and chicken. But I'll never forget this though. I did order when they brought out the pickles, uh, that I put some jalapenos in there. And Horde Harden, I don't think he knew what they were. And he bit into one, and that starch white shirt was, I mean, you could see the beads were of sweat coming down. He was a trooper, though, he never let on. But you know, I think then the the next year, 1985, was Sandy Lyle's year. And then that that year forward, you could make up your own menu. And Sandy Lyle had haggis from Scotland. And wow, that was that was something that I know Bruce has had it. I have, but uh, I must say it's not one of the most appetizing dishes that I've ever had, but we had it for him. We had some great exotic menus over the over the over the long haul. Adam Scott uh Bruce had botany bay bugs.

Bruce Devlin 5:11

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 5:12

You know what they are. God, it was they were tremendous. Delicious. VJ Singh had a Fijian uh menu. Uh my last one there, I bought barbecue in from Texas. Uh it was we've had some great ones.

Mike Gonzalez 5:34

We hope you've enjoyed this short track of For the Good of the Game. And please, wherever you listen to your podcast on Apple and Spotify, if you like what you hear, please subscribe, spread the word, and tell your friends. Until we tee it up again for the good of the game, so long, everybody.

Intro Music 5:56

It went smack down the fairway. And it's time to just let it just smack off line. It headed for two, but it mounts off nine. My candidates, as long as you're still in the stage, you're okay.