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In September, it will mark one year since Mark O’Meara retired from playing competitive professional golf.
Now, the two-time major winner spends his time making appearances at events such as the 24th Annual Jack Nicklaus Scholarship Golf Benefit that supports the Lorain County Community College Foundation.
Now 68, O’Meara on Aug. 11 strolled into Elyria Country Club — the site of this year’s event — trim, tan, with a smile and ready to tell a golf story or two.
It’s been a hugely successful golf career for O’Meara, who was born in North Carolina and prepared himself for the links in California, but has ties to Ohio.
In 1979, a year before he turned pro, O’Meara — then a college golfer at Long Beach State — beat John Cook of Ohio State and won the U.S. Amateur Championship at Canterbury Country Club on the east side of Cleveland. O’Meara and his family made numerous stops across the United States, living in multiple states, including one in Marietta.
So making another Ohio stop, this one in Elyria for a cause he champions, was a no-brainer for O’Meara.
The annual fundraiser event for the LCCC Foundation has attracted a who’s who in golf over the years. The list includes the likes of Nicklaus himself, Lee Trevino, Greg Norman, Phil Mickelson, Chi Chi Rodriguez and others.
“Knowing Mr. Nicklaus has a big imprint with what’s happening with the community college, they asked if I would be willing to do the day, and I said ‘Sure,’ ” said O’Meara, who’s been involved with the game of golf going on 45 years.
When he’s not at a golf event (he makes appearances at about 50 a year, he said), O’Meara represents several companies, is involved in charity work, is an avid fisherman and enjoys driving his snowmobiles in his free time.
“I try to stay away from avalanches or running into a tree,” said O’Meara with a smile.
O’Meara never envisioned his career to play out the way it did following his U.S. Amateur victory. He won 16 PGA events and 36 overall.
“After 44 years of traveling around the globe competing … it’s been a blessing to playing golf professionally for that long,” said O’Meara before hosting a golf clinic at Elyria Country Club.
Despite success early in his career, it wasn’t until the 1998 season at age 41 that O’Meara broke through with a season for the ages.
It began at the 1998 Masters, when he used a great weekend to secure a green jacket. He needed to make a long putt on hole No. 18 to earn a dramatic win over friend Fred Couples.
“In ’98, I wasn’t putting well and I didn’t have a lot of confidence,” said O’Meara. “… But there I was with a putt on the 18th green. I was in shock and disbelief.”
O’Meara finished the 1998 season with another major victory at the British Open and was fourth at the PGA Championship.
“Winning two majors in one season is so hard to do,” said longtime Northeast Ohio golf professional Jimmy Hanlin, who was also making an appearance at the event at Elyria Country Club. “It’s just so hard to dominate.”
With the recent release of the slapstick golf film “Happy Gilmore 2,” and its many, many cameos sprinkled throughout (including Nicklaus and Couples), O’Meara was asked if he was somewhere in the crowd during filming. The answer is no, but O’Meara has another golf movie tidbit to share.
Before the 1996 golf movie starring Kevin Costner “Tin Cup” began filming, O’Meara was asked to guest-star in it. He said OK but was told he would be required to spend two-and-a-half days in Texas. After initially agreeing, O’Meara asked what he would be paid. Nothing was the response.
“I’m out,” said O’Meara, recalling the conversation. “I’m not a movie star, I’m a golfer.”
As for his favorite golf movie, O’Meara said it’s the beloved comedy “Caddyshack.”
From there, O’Meara was off to conduct his golf clinic at Elyria Country Club. A good golf life continued.
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