Another fine golf biography by John Riley

John Riley of Wilmington won awards for his recent biography of Ed “Porky” Oliver, a great Delaware golfer. 

The positive reaction to the book led folks to contact him about another potential worthy subject – William Hyndman III, a talented amateur from the Philadelphia area.

Riley had played with Hyndman many years ago at Wilmington Country Club. He readily agreed to the new project.

“A Will to Win: Legendary Amateur Bill Hyndman’s Story of Perseverance and Triumph” is a welcome addition to the library of fine golf biographies.

Hyndman never played professionally but made an international name for himself in amateur competition, including the British Amateur and more than 35 U.S. national championships, as well as playing as an amateur in several Masters. 

At the very local level, this also included winning the 1944 Delaware Open.

Hyndman did all this while developing a highly successful insurance practice, raising a large and busy family, and committing many hours to charitable and community service.

Hyndman maintained his multi-decade domination in golf despite significant adversity. He lost his father while a teenager, lost a brother during World War II, and lost a daughter to bone cancer when she was only 3. 

Nonetheless, Hyndman’s drive to succeed led to triumphs. Much of the book chronicles the various championships in which he competed. His ability to remain competitive for well over 30 years is perhaps the most impressive. 

In his later years, Hyndman often outplayed competitors who could have called him “Dad” or even “Granddad,” or at least gave them a serious challenge. These included Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and many eventual PGA Tour stars.

For Hyndman, perseverance was not only a character trait, as it also describes the amazingly long record he established.

I attended a delightful book signing and panel discussion June 13 at Huntingdon Valley Country Club in Montgomery County, Pa. Hyndman was a longtime member of the famous club, and for many years lived next to it. The book-signing took place in a room filled with Hyndman memorabilia.

Riley invited me because I helped edit the book. However, most were there because they knew one or more members of the Hyndman clan, were members of HVCC, or in the case of golfing legend Jay Sigel, competed against Hyndman.

Longtime Philadelphia broadcaster Harry Donahue led the panel discussion. Sigel, Riley and the others swapped funny stories about Hyndman’s occasional foibles and character traits, which included a touch of hypochondria. 

Gordon Brewer, another competitor at the upper levels of amateur golf, told the group Hyndman was a perfectionist. “He always expected to make everything. That was also his weakness. If he missed a shot, it would get to him,” he said. Nonetheless, Brewer also told the crowd, “I was blessed to have so many occasions to play with Big Bill.”

I enjoyed the editing process as I also came to have a much broader understanding of Hyndman and his impact on golf.

The book will be on the shelves at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth and Bethany Beach Books by Friday, July 26. It can also be acquired at awilltowin.com.

Local club competition results

The Kings Creek CC Ladies 9-Hole League played a team 1 Best Gross/1 Best Net game July 23.

Chris Piasecki, Barbara Morales, Brenda Schilli and blind draw Lisa Powell took first place. Sandy Neverett, Vicki St. Germain, Alicia Polsky and Barbara Morton finished second. 

The Kings Creek CC Ladies 18-Hole league played an Odds Out – Evens In game July 18. 

Gale DiBona won first place gross in the first flight, with Leslie McClintick winning first gross in the second flight and Leslie Ledogar winning first in the third.

Jean Chlastawa won first net in the first flight, with Donna Deely in second and Gail Bender in third.

For the second flight, Candy Robinson took first, followed by Katie Heintz in second and Chris Emery in third.

Patty Magee won first net in the third flight, with Darci Whitehead in second and Melissa Soper in third. 

The Kings Creek CC Ladies 9-Hole league played a 1 Best Net of Four game July 16 in crazy hot conditions.

Sandy Neverett, Marty Jaxheimer, Sara Becker, and Juanita Wilson won first place. Lynn Sweeney, Joanne Yurik, Beth Cohen and Nancy Derrickson took second. Donna Deely, Kathleen Andrus, Kathleen O’Connor and Donna Romer finished third.

The Kings Creek CC Ladies 18-hole league hosted a combined event July 11 with 14 ladies from the Peninsula Ladies Golf Association. The shamble format tournament required each team to use two drives from every player in the foursome while also using the two best scores per hole.

In the Kings Creek Flight, Donna Deely, Darci Whitehead, Kay Woollen and Chris Emery won first place. Lesley Corydon, Linda Outlaw, Shelly Conaway and Melissa Soper finished second, and Sharon Denny, Robbie Monkman, Anne Farley and Marian Keyes took third. 

In the combined Kings Creek/Peninsula Flight, Jen Flinchbaugh, Darci Platt-Hall (PLGA), Jean Chlastawa and Rosemarie Dempsey (PLGA) won first place.

Diane Shawver, Karlyn Lokken (PLGA), Cory Warther and Susan Bies (PLGA) took second. Wendy Bunce, Rosemary Seabrease (PLGA), Mena Colucci and Susan Corsiatto (PLGA) finished third.

The Mulligan’s Pointe Ladies group played a Low Gross/Low Net game July 23.

Maxine Ansbach won low gross in the first division, with Valerie Gibb in second. Wendy Michaelson won low net, followed by Brenda Joyce.

M. L. York won low gross in the second division. Donna Dolce finished second. Janece Hausch won low net, with Joann Foster in second.