Golf Special Report: Billy Joe Patton passes away at the age of 88
Billy Joe Patton passed away on Saturday at the age of 88.
Known as one of the top golfers from his time, Patton left behind the greens fields rush and the score card race from his hometown of Morganton on Saturday after spending 88 years of his life.
Billy Joe Patton used to play for Wake Forest and was best known for his amateur victories at the Masters.
The late golfer graduated from the Wake Forest in the year 1943 and had the honour of serving at the U.S. Navy during the Second World War. After the war, the golfer decided to continue with his amateur play and remained an amateur till the end.
The two time winner of the Caroline Open is also famous for the three way play off with golfers like Ben Hogan and Sam Snead at Augusta National. The tournament in 1954 witnessed Patton fall with only a difference of one stroke at the three-way playoff.
Jesse Haddock couldn’t help but marvel at the golfer’s skill.
“Back when he was playing from the Wake Forest golf team, things had been a lot different” said Haddok.
The former coach of the Wake Forest golf team said that he was an exceptional player and although he had never coached Patton, he knew him very well through the years.
The 83-year-old explained why Patton refused to become a professional and said that he found no guarantees of success in the professional career. He confirmed the years to be 40s and 50s and said that the famous golfer found no warranty of triumph in it.
Where Patton said no to his professional career, he became the most famous amateur golfer to have finished 5 times in the major’s top-ten list with the record of playing 13 Masters consecutively.
He had three children and five grandchildren.
According to Chuck Patton who lives in Winston-Salem, his dad had immense passion for the game of golf.
“You’ll see him play any event whether it’s a tournament or a $ 2 Nassau” said his son on Sunday.
Regarding his Masters appearances, Chuck said that his father always remained rather idealistic about it.
“You could always find him saying ‘I would probably be a pro if I had won that event,” said Chuck
Patton also played from the Walker Cup teams for five times and became captain in the year 1969. The well-liked golfer held the honour of receiving the 1982 Bob Jones Award, the highest honours of the USGA's and many hall of fames. He also won the numerous in-state amateur tournaments which includes the likes of the Carolinas Amateur, the North and South and the Carolinas Senior.
Patton’s memorial service is scheduled at 11 a.m. today at the First United Methodist Church in Morganton.
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