Russ Cochran Wins the Senior British Open

When I was about 14 or 15 years old, I got my parents to take me over to Paxton Park to watch the Irvin Cobb Golf Tournament -- a two-day tournament featuring the best golfers in the Channel 6 viewing area. The big attraction, of course, was Russ Cochran, who was already famous as one of the best golfers Paducah had ever produced. He had played for St. Mary's High School and the University of Kentucky, and now he was a pro. He even looked famous -- tall and slim, with the air of someone who not only knew everyone in Paducah, but who had been to places more famous than Paducah. It was a joy to watch him fire long shots hundreds of yards beyond anything my brother and I had hit on the same course. Plus he was a left-hander, like me, at a time when that was very unusual in golf.

Cochran went on tour. I went off to college and law school. I have always rooted for him and wished him the best. I'm sure he was disappointed in his years on the PGA Tour. He never became a big star, never made a Ryder Cup team, never came close to winning a major. But he did win the 1991 Western Open over Greg Norman, had two top-10 finishes in the PGA Championship, and played in the Masters three times. He played in 598 PGA events, made 356 cuts, had 58 top-10 finishes, and had career earnings of almost $5.6 million.

And, very much like Kenny Perry -- another western Kentuckian -- he has proven to be a late bloomer. In 2009, he finished third at the U.S. Senior Open -- the most prestigious tournament in Senior golf. Last year, he won two Senior tournaments, tied for third in the Senior British Open, and tied for fifth in the Senior Players Championship. His total winnings for 2010 exceeded $1.7 million. An injury earlier this year derailed him somewhat. But today, at the legendary Walton Heath Golf Club just outside of London, he shot a magnificent 67 -- five under par -- to win the Senior British Open by two shots over an all-star field. This was a tremendous accomplishment. Look at this leaderboard:

1. R. Cochran: -12

2. M. Calcavecchia: -10

T3. C. Pavin: -9

T3. T. Watson: -9

5. B. Lane (ENG): -8

So he beat some great players.

And he did it as a family man. Cochran has three sons and a daughter. One of the sons, who is in law school, came over to England to serve as his caddy. Another of his sons was caddying for Mike Goodes, who tied for seventh. Cochran, like a good Paducahan, said that he was thrilled to have won his first major championship in the presence of his children. He also won $315,600, giving him over $918,000 for the year. In fact, during his three years on the Senior Tour, he has won almost $3.6 million.

Plus, his best years may be ahead of him. It is very difficult to play your best when you are carrying the hopes of Paducah and trying to raise a young family. Now that his kids are mostly grown, he's got some money in the bank, and he's shown his ability to win majors, he may be ready to become the star we thought he could be.

But whatever happens at this point, I think he has more than vindicated the promise he showed so many years ago. Matthew pointed out that today's victory was probably the most impressive athletic accomplishment ever by a Paducahan, and I think he's probably right. To put it in perspective, consider that no man from Kentucky had won a major tournament since Gay Brewer took the 1967 Masters. So congratulations to Russ Cochran! He was my hero in high school, and he remains a hero still.

One final point. When Cochran knocked in the last putt, the announcer on ESPN said something like "the man from Paducah has triumphed in London." And as I thought about it, I realized that the reason the announcer made the connection with Paducah was almost certainly because Cochran himself talks about his hometown; it's probably one of the things that he's known for in the golfing world. And it made me very pleased to think of Cochran's going all over the world, dealing with famous golfers, playing on legendary courses, and telling the folks he met about the River City. What more could you ask from a Hometown Hero?