PRAYERS FOR JUDY

One of the greatest decisions I ever made in my life was to take up caddying as a boy of 13. As I got a little older, had the opportunity to carry some professionals and advanced amateurs' bags.

In those years, I had the chance to be in the same playing group as the young Judy Toerlumke, a serious young player from Texas. It was curious to watch her hook her way around the golf course. Even then, she was a gallery magnet and unfailingly gracious and polite. She was also a curiosity because she held the club like it was a torque wrench but still played beautifully. Her left hand was turned way around to the top of the club and the right hand faced the target. She was the only advanced player I ever saw whose palms didn't face each other. The image of her gracious personality and quirky grip are burned into my memory banks. She's locked into my brain as a seriously committed 18 year old. Later, of course, she became Judy Rankin. Her equally quirky husband was known for hiding behind trees while he threw fits of frustration about her worst days of play.

So it's a shock to hear she's suffering from cancer. When I go to the Relay for Life tonight, I'll say a special prayer for her. She's provided so much enjoyment for so many people as player, author and commentator, one can only hope her interesting and helpful life goes on in a satisfying way.