  When Hale Irvin left the University of Colorado in 1968, there were two paths to glory before him. He probably could have earned a regular paycheck in football, or followed the perilous road of a pro golfer.
In high school at Boulder, Colo., he had been an all-state quarterback, leading the state in total offense as a senior. Then, after beginning his collegiate career as a quarterback, Irwin eventually settled at defensive back, at which position he twice earned All-Big Eight Conference honors.
At the same time, Irwin also starred on the links, winning three consecutive state medal play championships and one match play title as a teenager, then capturing the NCAA championship his last year at Colorado. Came time to make the decision on his career, Irwin opted for golf, where he hardly earned his keep his first two years on the tour. But his choice soon proved highly profitable and in 1976, a year when he earned $252,718, Irwin became a golfing millionaire. In fact, Irwin went over the $200,000 figure three years in a row from 1975 to 1977, a rich feat matched only by Jack Nicklaus. Irwin, who keeps himself extremely fit, has a low-key personality and thus isn't as well known to the public as are some other top golfers. However, he invariably is listed among the top five choices for any tournament he enters. Because he has such a fine all-around game without a notable weakness, can hit the ball from any point on the course, and is fiercely competitive, Irwin consistently places high in the major championships, which are played on the most difficult courses.
He made his first major breakthrough in the 1974 U.S. Open, beating Forrest Fezler by two strokes. Following the victory, Irwin revealed that he had dreamed he would win the Open, and that thought had been with him all through the tournament.
Irwin, the finest golfer ever to come out of Colorado, is so consistent that for six years in a row, beginning with 1973, he never ranked lower than seventh on the money list.
HALE IRWIN Born June 3, 1945, at Joplin, Mo.
AWARDS AND RECORDS
U.S. Open champion, 1974
Photo: On the way to Pikes Peak |
