1953 Insurance City Open champion Bob Toski enjoys return to Connecticut

June 29--Bob Toski returned to Wethersfield Country Club two weeks ago, site of one of his five victories on the PGA Tour.

It's been 61 years since he won the 1953 Insurance City Open at Wethersfield CC, but the memory of the 87-year-old Toski hasn't faded much since his first PGA Tour victory.

"I remember every hole like it was yesterday," Toski said at the Travelers Championship. "I knocked it on No. 2 (in 1953). I knocked it on again (two weeks ago), but I played from the front tees. It played a lot shorter than when it played back then. When you are 87, you can play wherever you want to."

Toski's nine-hole round of 36 was just a small part of what was a special week for the former Golf Digest magazine instructor.

He got to conduct a clinic during the beginning of Travelers Championship week in Cromwell. He also got to tour the Connecticut Golf Exhibit that officially opened last week at the First Tee of Connecticut building located across the street from TPC River Highlands.

The exhibit is a trip down memory lane detailing the history of the Travelers Championship tournament, once called the Insurance City Open, then the Greater Hartford Open. Toski's victory is a part of that storied history.

"Everyone wants to be recognized and appreciated. This week, I was recognized and appreciated," Toski said. "You can have all the millions in the world, but if you have bad memories you've got no chance."

Toski was in Cromwell during the week because one of his star pupils, Ken Duke, was defending his first PGA Tour title. Duke finished tied for 46th.

Toski continues to instruct in Boca Raton, Florida. He was the first living instructor inducted into World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame.

The last time Toski appeared at TPC River Highlands was during the tournament's 50th anniversary in 2001 when Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead and Lee Trevino were among the honored guests. During this year's tournament, Toski walked nine holes each day with Duke.

"I couldn't walk 18. It's too hard at my age," he said. "Walking is difficult, especially when you have to walk through the rough and you are not in the fairway, and hills to climb up and down. My heart was pumping, but I'm not complaining. At 87, here I am, and I've got a 45-year-old man competing on the big tour."

Toski, Duke's instructor since 2006, said he sat at the 15th green one day for close to three hours. That par 4, measuring less than 300 yards, is arguably the most exciting hole at TPC River Highlands and one of the more recognizable holes on tour because of its risk-reward nature.

"That's a birdie hole. They can drive the green, right?" Toski said. "I didn't see many birdies, probably two that I know that stayed on the green (from the tee). This is probably the hardest golf course I've seen to get up and down from the edge of the green. This is like the Donald Ross (designed courses) with the swales, then to play these very delicate shots, control the spin rate on the ball and get the ball close to the flag. An ounce of touch is worth a ton of brawn, and if you don't find it you will be there until dawn."

Duke said he has never paid Toski, per Toski's wishes, for any of the lessons he has been given. But he has taken Toski to a number of tournaments over the course of their relationship, including twice to Augusta National for the Masters.

And of course, they now have one memorable week in Connecticut.

"If you told me I'd be back here at 87 years of age following Duke, I would have told you, 'I never would have dreamed that would happen.' At 87, you don't plan on things."

Junior PGA Championship

The best junior golfers the state has to offer will be teeing it up Tuesday and Wednesday for the Connecticut Section Junior PGA Championship at The Ranch GC in Southwick, Massachusetts.

The winner in both the boys' and girls' divisions will move on to the national Junior PGA Championship July 29-Aug. 1 at Miramont CC in Bryan/College Station, Texas.

Among the area players competing are: Jack Foyle from Madison (7:20 a.m. Tuesday, 1st tee), Tom Pellatt from Madison (7:50, 10th tee), Dan Higgins of Guilford (8:10, 1st tee), Kevin Daley of Clinton (8:10, 10th tee), Tim Rotermund of Madison (8:20, 1st tee), Charlie Zane of Guilford (8:20, 10th tee), Register Area MVP Ramsey Kong of North Haven (8:40, 10th tee), CWGA champion MacKenzie Hawkes of Madison (9:10, 1st), Billy Emery of Woodbridge (noon, 1st tee), Tom Arisco of Cheshire (noon, 1st tee), Chris Simeone of Cheshire (12:40 p.m., 10th tee), Doug Shane of Hamden (1 p.m., 10th tee), Alec Prete of Orange (1:20, 1st tee) and Bridget Barnsley of Orange (1:40, 1st tee).

Goodwin Park Re-opens

Goodwin Park GC in Hartford re-opened on Thursday after making numerous repairs, including the irrigation system, according to a story by the Hartford Courant.

The course originally opened for the season in April, but drainage issues left parts of it in poor condition. So, according to the Courant, the course closed to make the necessary repairs to the fairways and greens so the course could be playable.

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