Lou with trophies
Pristine Medinah Country Club, in the Chicago suburbs, has hosted a trio of U.S. Open championships, the 2012 Ryder Cup and a couple PGA Championships.
It was just earlier this year that the 50th anniversary of the 1975 U.S. Open Championship held at that venerable course was celebrated in Nashville, with the 17th annual Lou Graham Alumni Golf Tournament at Harpeth Hills Golf Course.
Graham, a native Tennessean, won that ’75 Open Championship in one of professional golf’s most captivating finishes in a Major: a full, 18-hole playoff on the Monday after the opening four rounds were completed. Graham toppled John Mahaffey by two strokes to garner the Championship.
But Graham’s pathway to professional golf and championship-mettle was honed throughout his youth in Tennessee and, especially, during his stellar prep career at Father Ryan.
In fact, while Graham’s 50-year anniversary of the Open triumph is celebrated around the professional golf world, one of his most compelling early-life championships marks its 70th anniversary this year: Graham’s 1956 TSSAA State Golf Championship at Shelby Golf Course.
Graham commanded that individual crown with rounds of 72, 73 and 76 for his 221 total that delivered a two-stroke win for the title.
“As a young boy - it was fun!,” Graham recently shared. “I suppose it was a confidence-builder, but all I remember is I loved the game of golf and always wanted to improve my game and to continue to play to the next level.”
Graham’s individual championship in ’56 book-ended a stellar prep career that began with a team championship in the 1953 TSSAA State Golf Tournament.
While Graham has been enshrined in the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, as well as the state’s golf hall of fame following his brilliant prep career that preceded his collegiate career at then-Memphis State and a PGA run that included six Tour wins and three Ryder Cup appearances, he continues to give back to his roots with the annual golf tournament that bears his name.
The event, now closing in on two decades, gives back to Father Ryan with proceeds from the golf tournament going to the tuition assistance programs at Graham’s prep alma mater.
Heady stuff for a golfing legend who began playing the game at age 5, alongside his brothers, Marty, Bob and Bud, and with Sam Snead’s book “Quick Way to Better Golf.” With piecemeal sets of clubs jump-started by contributions from his father and his uncle, Louis Krebs.
“I appreciate the influence Father Ryan had on me as a young boy to be the best I could possibly be, to be honest, have integrity, and to work my hardest to achieve my goals,” Graham said.
“I do not know the young people there today (at Father Ryan), but I hope whatever I do will help give them the opportunities to succeed and to reach their goals in a Christian/Catholic environment. Giving back is important to me because Father Ryan has supported my family through multiple generations. We have seen first-hand the benefits of a Catholic education-my brothers, nephews and nieces, and me. We appreciate all that we have learned and continue to receive from Father Ryan.”
The school continues to celebrate both the timeless achievements and examples of the Graham family.
“Father Ryan is proud to call Lou Graham ’56 an alumnus of our school, and we strive to make him proud as we continue to honor his legacy,” Father Ryan President Paul Davis said. “While his career and accomplishments are remarkable, what we celebrate most is his deep commitment to our mission and his life of integrity and character.
“At Father Ryan, we frequently emphasize the importance of honoring those who came before us and standing on the shoulders of giants to honor our history. Lou Graham will always be one of those giants, an enduring source of inspiration as we build the future of Father Ryan.”
Louie Presenting Trophy 2022
