Masters champ Jackie Burke Jr. to be celebrated during Champions Dinner
Ben Crenshaw played nine holes on Sunday, and then met a group of media members near No. 9 green.
Crenshaw, who emcees the annual Champions Dinner, said he plans to celebrate two players on Tuesday evening: Jon Rahm and Jackie Burke Jr.
The 1956 Masters champion died Jan. 19, 10 days before his 101st birthday.
“Having views on things can get you in trouble,” Burke once said. “But if you agree with everybody you won’t get any dinners.”
Burke was the only past winner to pass since the 2023 tournament; to honor the Texan, here are five stories from his decorated life.
Change this icon? Vijay Singh says it's time for change at one of the Masters' most iconic holes
Masters 2023: Was Wednesday the Augusta National finale for Masters legends Carl Jackson and Ben Crenshaw?
Jackie Burke Jr. to be honored at Masters Champions Dinner
1. Nathaniel Crosby was raised in Hillsborough, California, but would stay for weeks at a time with Burke at Champions Golf Club in Houston. Crosby was the third child of Bing Crosby and Kathryn Grant Crosby, and the only one of Bing’s seven kids to have a golfer as a godfather.
At the 1964 Masters, Jackie posed for a photograph beneath the clubhouse Oak and placed one foot on a wooden stool. Burke inscribed the 8-by-10 and shipped it to California.
“To my godson Nathaniel,” Burke wrote. “I sure hope to see you here playing at the Masters one day.”
Seventeen years later, Crosby shocked the field by winning the 1981 United States Amateur and qualified for the Masters. That April, Crosby found a wooden stool, mimicked the pose and inscribed four words on the photograph.
“Got here, no problem,” Crosby wrote.
2. Burke opened Champions Golf Club in 1957, and the club immediately became his priority — sometimes at the expense of Augusta National.
In 1972, the Masters was to hold its first tournament since the death of Bobby Jones when Jackie declined his invitation. Chairman Clifford Roberts reached out to emphasize the importance of Tuesday’s dinner and, when Jackie didn’t budge, Ben Hogan phoned with a similar message.
It didn’t matter.
Champions was absent of a club manager and duties had been shouldered on Jackie.
“My wishes will be for another successful Masters,” Burke penned to Roberts. “With your guiding hand, it can’t miss.”
Two years earlier, following President Dwight Eisenhower's death in 1969, the United States Golf Association headed a fundraising initiative titled, “Golf’s Tribute to Ike.”
A briefing stated that no person had done more for golf than the 34th president, and Jones and Roberts were named project chairmen. The mission was to solicit a donation from every golfer in the country — an estimated 10 million — and proceeds would be shared between the Eisenhower Medical Center in Palm Desert and Eisenhower College in Seneca Falls.
Roberts messaged Jackie and requested that Burke generate enthusiasm within the membership of Champions; Jackie wouldn’t bite.
In a return letter, Burke said he conducts fundraisers for St. Joseph’s Hospital in Houston and the Walter Hagen Cancer Fund.
“Frankly, at this time I could not approach our members and ask for their support in the near future,” Burke responded to Chairman Roberts.
3. Ben Crenshaw recalled the first lesson he took from Burke when, midway through a backswing, Burke — a blackbelt in taekwondo — hardened a right fist into Ben’s chest.
Crenshaw buckled, took two backward steps, and gave his teacher a confused glance.
“What if that wind gets you?” Burke asked.
Afterward, Crenshaw and Burke marched to the first tee at Champions, where Jackie, spoken like a polished Marine, stated, “One of us is going down today and it ain’t going to be me.”
“He’s the only guy I’ve ever taken a lesson from where I wanted to show up in a catcher’s mask, a chest protector and some shin guards,” Crenshaw said at the 2000 roast of Jackie Burke.
4. Following his stint in the Marine Corps, Burke always carried a knife in his pocket.
And when a new member joined Champions, Jackie would present the golfer with a blade.
Steve Elkington, the 1995 PGA champion and member at Champions, was told of the importance of carrying a pocket knife.
“You see Elk,” Jackie advised. “When you’re in a hotel on the road, hold it in your hand. And if anyone jumps you on the way to your room, you cut (him). That way you’ll be able to trail him.”
5. Crenshaw and Burke were paired together at the 1978 Bing Crosby Pro-Am at Pebble Beach.
By then, Jackie hadn’t won on Tour in 15 years, but was invited to the Pro-Am to honor Bing, who had died in October.
It was the first year that Nathaniel Crosby had stepped forward as tournament host and Bing’s 16-year-old son had free reign of pairings.
Nathaniel chose Burke, his godfather, and asked Crenshaw and Mickey Van Gerbig, a scratch amateur from Seminole, to complete the foursome.
Crenshaw was the first to arrive at the Pebble Beach practice green that January and noticed Jackie approaching.
“What’s that putter there?” Ben asked.
Jackie took Crenshaw by the forearm and walked to the edge of the green. Burke explained that he had found a mallet blade Ram Zebra putter which made him roll the rock like 1956.
Jackie, wide eyed, looked at Ben and said, “When I get through with this putter they’re going to put it in a wooden box and they’re going to burn candles on both ends. People are going to walk by with a hand over their heart and say, ‘That was the best putter that’s ever been in competition.’”
Jackie began with humbling strolls of 78 and 83, and returned the third morning with a different stick.
“Where’s the putter?” Ben inquired.
Jackie, fuming, said, “The next zebra I see will be in the damn zoo.”
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Masters Champions Dinner to celebrate Jon Rahm, Jackie Burke Jr.
