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Article_Coleman_Layout 1 18-07-19 5:11 PM Page 1

Nothing like a

good stretch

before playing

the back

By Bruce Penton

Holes-in-one are unforgettable moments for golfers, but
while Brandon’s Ken Coleman had an unforgettable
Tamarack memory from the late 1970s, it didn’t include an
ace.
Out of the blue, Coleman briefly conquered golf, making
things look so easy for a four-hole stretch during the
second round of 36-hole qualifying. But as quickly as the
hot streak arrived, it went away.
Carrying a handicap of around 10 and not usually a threat
to challenge for the championship flight, Coleman shot a
rather pedestrian 79 on the first day of qualifying and
appeared headed for first- or second-flight competition.
Suddenly, however, he started playing like Jack Nicklaus
for a four-hole stretch beginning on No. 6.
He was two over par after five, a decent beginning, and
then sunk a long birdie putt on No. 6 to start his
remarkable run. On the long par-4 seventh, a hole on
which many golfers are happy to make four, Coleman
parred. On the shortish eighth hole, he chipped in from the
fringe for an eagle two, and then almost did the same on
No. 9, settling for a tap-in birdie.
So, after being two over after five, Coleman suddenly
made the turn at two-under-par 34.
“A friend of mine started caddying for me on the sixth
hole, when all this good stuff started to happen, but he
abandoned me after nine, coming up with some lame
excuse that he had to be somewhere,” he said.
Coleman shot 43 on the back nine, posted a 77 and his
two-day score of 156 was good enough for the final spot
in the championship flight. “I played a Goodbrandson in the
first match and got my butt handed to me on a platter,” said
Coleman. “I think the match was over after 12 holes.”
But that four-hole stretch in the second round of the
qualifying tournament — birdie, par, eagle, birdie — was
unforgettable, and a great Tamarack memory. Ken Coleman (submitted).
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