Golf World Monday - June 27, 2011

6.27.2011

10marathon man there were lots of red numbers at the travelers championship, but there were plenty of numbers period on Jim colton’s score- card June 22 at ballyneal gc in holyoke, colo. that’s because colton, a 7-handicapper (and left-hander), played 155 holes walking to raise money for ben cox, a ballyneal caddie paralyzed from the chest down following a skiing accident in march. the first shot was struck at 4:47 a.m. with colton using 10 clubs, including a 4-6-8-pw iron set. “that helped a lot because it was usually obvious which club to use in any situation,” said colton, a 37-year-old bank executive. the first round, played at slightly shorter than the listed 7,147 yards, took a mere 1 hour, 27 minutes—the first of a staggering compilation of numbers. by

the time his final putt dropped at 8:55 p.m., colton had played through three different groups twice during their same round, spent 16 hours, 8 minutes on the course (his longest break being 15 minutes after round five to shower and eat; no round taking more than 1 hour, 54 minutes), taken 725 strokes (with a 75 in round three), walked more than 45 miles and had approximately 175 three-putts. “if it wasn’t a birdie putt, i spent about three nanoseconds lining it up,” said colton. most impressive of all: he raised $73,819. at day’s end, colton might have used his best forrest gump voice to say, “i’m pretty tired … i think i’ll go home now,” but didn’t. two days after his feat, however, he said, “i regret not thinking of that.” —E.M.J.