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TA L K
D U R I NG T HE T R O P H Y P R E S EN TAT I ON , MY
DA D T O L D MEMO T H AT, ONE DAY, WE WO U L D
W I N T HE O P EN W I T H T H I S T E AM
Opposite
: Jimmy Stimmel,
Tom Gose, Memo
Gracida, Marty
Gose, Carlos Gracida,
Steve Gose and Tony
Veen.
This page from top
:
Gose’s grandfather
Colonel Tom Hastey;
Gose in action today
Walker of New Zealand, but due to health
problems would not be able to play. My
father and Joe had been talking about
getting into high-goal together, so he jumped
at the chance to step in and they played
together in the Open for the next five years,
winning in 1977 and 1979.
In 1978, I played my first tournament
with my father, alongside Memo and Carlos
Gracida. It was the Chairman’s Cup – our
national 12-goal, played in Midland,Texas.
Carlos was 16 years old and rated 4-goal.
Memo was rated 6 at the time and my father
and I were both 1-goal players. We played the
Paradise Lost team in the finals and won 6–2.
During the trophy presentation, my dad (the
eternal optimist) told Memo that, one day, we
would win the Open with this team.
Two years later we played together in the
Silver Cup 18-goal (Memo 8, Carlos 6, Steve 1
and Tom 3). We made it to the finals at the
Willow Bend Club in Dallas against a strong
Houston team, and won by a goal, 9–8. Four
years later, we played together in the US
Open as a 26-goal team (Memo and Carlos at
10, Steve 2, Tom 4). Once again, we made it to
the finals and beat Ft Lauderdale 12–9. With
our team handicap rising from 12- to 26-goal
in six years – my father’s prediction had
come true. In 1985, his handicap was raised
to 3-goal, making it the last time this
foursome would play together.
For some time, I thought dad and I were
the only father and son combination to win
the Open together, until it was pointed out to
me that Harold and Joe Barry also won it
together in 1970, playing with Hap Sharp and
Rube Williams. It seems to me a fitting
correction to my earlier misconception; I am
certainly proud to be associated in this way
with those two greats.
