Challenges: Shootout at Cypress Point

JOHNSONIAN KARMA If irONy is GOd’s lIttle huMblEr, then karma— the Buddhist belief that THE MATCH [J] Bringing what goes around comes reality to life around—can be thought of as self-fulfilling prophecy. In PAul CrAwFOrd, AD of GOLF this case, a 1996 Ms. cover: , describes the challenge: “The MAGAZINE Imagine the one word in article was an excerpt from a new book, Shootout the entire lexicon that you The Match, recounting the true, untold at story of a big money match featuring two wouldn’t want to misspell Cypress in your magazine, and then legendary golfers—Hogan and Nelson— versus two very good amateurs of the time. imagine that it’s in the giant The untold story of golf ’s Poınt But there was no photographic material headline on the cover. greatest money match, featuring Hogan and Nelson at to use for the situations detailed in the Cypress Point, comes to life in this exclusiveThe Match excerpt extract, so an illustration of the real events from Mark Frost’s gripping new book, seemed appropriate.” Illustrations by Rob Johnson Crawford wanted a sophisticated, classical [K] feel to the illustration for the article, and BEN HOGAN DID NOT LIKE TO PLAY WITH AMATEURS. was inspired to contact illustrator Rob Nothing bothered the taciturn Hogan more than excessive praise, and amateurs gushed helplessly in his presence. Once, when a corporate playing partner Johnson after seeing his work on a painting pestered Hogan for a tip on how to stop irons on a dime, Hogan asked the man of Tom Sawyer for Weekly Reader. That was how far he hit his 7-iron. When told 120 yards, Hogan replied, “Why the hell the start of a joint effort. “Rob and I had to want it to stop?” Not another word passed between them. would you find a lot of reference points to get a true two golfers in the world—pro or amateur—in a best- sense of how the golfers may have looked BUT this misty January day in 1956 was different. This ball match. Did Coleman want a piece of the action? was no ordinary match, these no ordinary amateurs. “I’ve got a couple fellas in mind,” he told Lowery. at the time they were playing.” Hogan, now a part-time Tour player, was paired with “Fine, bring ’em on, my boys can beat anybody.” Byron Nelson, who was 10 years removed from his Before the party ended, Coleman had procured farewell to competitive play. The two legends, both two men who had 14 major wins between them, who “It’s alMOst a hIstOry lEsson in 43, were crossing swords with Ken Venturi and liked the idea of a friendly match against a pair Harvie Ward, the two best amateurs in the world. The of hotshot kids. After a few incredulous moments, pieces lIkE thIs,” says Johnson. “I had 24-year-old Venturi was a Walker Cup hero, and Lowery regained his composure. “Well, they’ll beat Ward, 30, the reigning U.S. Amateur champ. They them, too!” to render a golfing great, and everybody both worked for Eddie Lowery. Now a wealthy car ELSON and Hogan stood 1-up through 15. It dealer, Lowery was best known as the childhood knows what he looks like. But I had no had long become clear that the two amateurs caddie to Francis Ouimet during the fateful 1913 U.S. would not bow down before the legends. Open. The tight, tense match was the result of a Ten years past his prime, Nelson launched a flag-seeking missile that cut through the mist and stopped six feet from the hole. reference of him from the angle I was going N 81 (“We’ve got our hands full with these guys,” Hogan wager Lowery made with the well-connected Cypress NOVEMBER 2007 GOLF MAGAZINE Point member George Coleman at a cocktail party had told his partner at the turn, with both sides to be painting him. ➢ the night before, just days before the start of the 6-under and the match all-square. “You can bet on that,” Nelson replied.) The four men—with Lowery, GOLF.COM “In tightly rendered pieces, I use models Crosby Clambake. Lowery, always full of bluster, GOLF.COM proposed a bet: His two rising stars could beat any to pose for me in the appropriate cloth- NOVEMBER 2007 80 GOLF MAGAZINE ing, etc. So, once the sketch was approved, I began to look for my model. Sometimes I use a local modeling agency, and I some- what lucked out on the guy I chose. I did a quick photo shoot with him in various poses “In this particular ROB JOHNSON and facial expressions. Once that was done, piece, the AD chose NAME THE SONG THAT BEST I made a drawing in Photoshop, then began a concept that would to lay in color. Working digitally gives me involve three golfers dEsCrIbEs yOur stylE: “For in a classic situation,” my workflow and stress levels the freedom to make mistakes and correct says Rob. “I like to do when doing certain illustrations, them, and also the freedom to explore color. paintings that have that would be Ozzy Osborne’s I never paint in layers like many who work A WAY TO BRING BETTER KARMA into your longevity, something digitally; I just paint on a flat surface. publishing life might be found in this free book you can continuously ‘Crazy Train.’” “In the end, I was very happy with the way from KOMORI, makers of high-quality sheet-fed look back at, and get hOw tO CONtact: it right away. Almost it turned out and relieved to know that I presses. Think Creatively/Work Sustainably is a represented by Donna Rosen, like you can write the pulled off what I thought was going to be great overview of environmental sustainability story in your head www.donnarosenartists.com really tough to do.” throughout the printing process and proves that from simply looking at Crawford agrees: “I think the results show the final illustration.” eco-friendly printing can result in a beautifully that we got things pretty much spot on to our vision.” crafted product—as ably demonstrated in the pages of this book. Go to www.komori-america.us/ greeninitiative to request a free copy. 24 FPO MAGAZINE • FAll 2008 FAll 2008 • FPO MAGAZINE 25.

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