Reflections on Brad Owen’s journey

When I think of Brad Owen, the newest Legends inductee, it takes me back to 1986. I was trying to jumpstart my career at Augusta National Golf Club as an assistant for Paul Latshaw Sr. Brad was one of three interns, all from Penn State. Jon O’Donnell and Jeff Vietmeier rounded out the three.

New beginnings for all of us. I had been a superintendent for 12 years, but I just couldn’t get that big job. It was my fault. Dr. Joe Duich wanted me to go work as an assistant at a couple big city clubs after graduation. I just couldn’t make myself do that. I originally got into the business because I loved to hunt and fish.

Well, that dream came to a screeching halt when I realized I needed to make money! The straw that broke the camel’s back was when I didn’t get an interview for a new club called Wade Hampton. Then I learned the assistant from Augusta got the job.

I jumped into my old pickup and drove 60 miles north to Penn State to eat some crow and see Dr. Duich. My first question was how the heck did an assistant beat me out? I had done two grow-ins and worked for an irrigation company.

Now for those of you who never met Dr. Duich, he could be very intimidating — especially when he got upset with one of his students. Oh yeah, on top of all that, he was a former Marine.

I went there rippin’ mad and he lit me up!

He got right up in my grill and said, “YOU DON’T HAVE A PEDIGREE!” I was pretty rugged back in those days, and I didn’t back down even a little. I said back with way more attitude than I should have, “WHAT THE HECK IS A PEDIGREE?”

Whew, I got dressed down big time. He did say at one point I was a very good super, but that changed nothing. The powers that be at Wade Hampton would much sooner say they hired Billy Fuller’s right hand man at Augusta National instead of a great hunter and fisherman from Hollidaysburg, Pa.

Then he reminded me that the assistant’s job at ANGC was open. I said to him, “You gotta be kidding me?” Another bad response from me! He went on to say that Paul Latshaw was going to be the new superintendent.

Thankfully, Paul offered me the position, and for once I was smart enough to go to the right job.

Well, guess what? Mr. 12-year-super was way out of his league when I started. Championship golf needs to be learned, and I just happened to be at the greatest club with the most unbelievable mentor.

I was a wild guy back then, and I definitely partied with interns on more than one occasion. They were at our apartment pretty often, eating Renna’s great home cooking. Brad had a particular fondness for Renna’s cheesecakes. And of course she loved spoiling those guys.

All of us benefited immensely from working for Paul at ANGC. He really changed my life and was always there for me. There were many lessons learned.

One takeaway that I realized was when I had time to hunt around the country and killed five or six big bucks, an elk, an antelope and pheasants, I also had no money.

When I had money, I didn’t have time to hunt and fish all over. So, looking back, I wouldn’t have changed my career path at all. When I was in my 20s and early 30s, I was running up and down the Rocky Mountains, backpacking and winter camping deep in the mountains, never cutting another man’s track.

I had a fantastic career, and along the way, I made so many terrific friends, Brad included!

Matt Shaffer, a longtime superintendent, is the owner of Minimalistic Agronomic Techniques (M.A.T.) He was previously the superintendent at The Country Club in Cleveland and is director of golf course operations emeritus at Merion GC, Ardmore, Pa., where he hosted the 2013 U.S. Open. Reach him at matthewgshaffer@gmail.com.