Article September 1, 2013

No restriction

Bob Gates

Originally published in the 1972 pamphlet titled "A Proving Ground"

Several dozen golf balls spilled out in a neat pile on the grass as Jeb unzippered his shag bag. It was early in the day and there was a slight chill in the Idaho air. He reached for his wedge and began unlimbering a few easy swings. He steered a ball into position with the toe of the club and then sent it into a high lazy arc with a seemingly effortless swing. He grooved ﬁve more shots into the same ﬂight pattern, then returned the club to his bag and pulled out a 6-iron.

Jeb was proud of his swing and prouder still that he was the only sophomore on the UCLA golf team selected to play in the Paciﬁc-8 Conference Championship. He was only 18 and at 5 ft. 6 in. he was also the smallest on the squad. But he could hit it with the best of them, he'd found, and he had already proved himself around the green with a pro-type touch chipping and putting.

"A few more iron shots, maybe a dozen with the woods, and I'll be ready," he thought.

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