Hall of Fame Profile: Dick Horgan
9/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | General
Sept. 24, 2004
Sept. 23 -- Hall of Fame Profile: Greg Lotzar (Baseball)
Sept. 24 -- Hall of Fame Profile: Dick Horgan (Golf)
Sept. 25 -- Hall of Fame Profile: Marcy Weston (Volleyball Coach)
Sept. 27 -- Hall of Fame Profile: Carla (Sterk) Fles (Women's Basketball)
Sept. 28 -- Hall of Fame Profile: Dave Nelson (Men's Basketball)
Sept. 29 -- Hall of Fame Profile: John DeBoer (Football)
Sept. 30 -- Hall of Fame Profile: 1974 Football Team
Dick Horgan thought he might like to play basketball as well as golf at Central Michigan University after being a two-sport standout at Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart High School.
That idea ended quickly for the slender 6-6 Horgan.
"I got in a scrimmage one time with (Ben) Kelso and (Don) Edwards and I found out that they were at a different level than I was," Horgan said, with a chuckle.
Two of the best basketball players in school history convinced Horgan to concentrate on golf at CMU.
That proved to be a wise decision for Horgan who will be inducted into the CMU Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 1, at a banquet at the Comfort Inn Conference Center. Tickets are $30 each and may be purchased by contacting the CMU ticket office at 1-888-FIRE Up2.
Also being inducted that evening will be John DeBoer (football), Greg Lotzar (baseball), Dave Nelson (basketball), Carla (Sterk) Fles (basketball), Marcy Weston (volleyball coach) and the 1974 football team (Division II national champions).
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Dick Horgan  |
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Horgan earned All-America honors in 1970 when he finished sixth in the nation, leading the Chippewas to a third-place finish. He was medalist at the 1970 Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference meet to pace CMU to the title and was third in 1969 when the Chippewas also won the IIAC crown.
After holding a number of assistant jobs at clubs throughout Michigan and trying his hand on mini-tours, Horgan gave the PGA tour a shot in 1977 when PGA members could play in events by qualifying on Mondays.
Horgan made the field in seven of eight Monday qualifiers but earned only one paycheck.
He did have one memorable pairing, though, playing with Arnold Palmer and Chi Chi Rodriguez in the 1977 Kemper Open in Charlotte, N.C.
"Arnold was very friendly and asked me about my college background," Horgan said. "And, Chi Chi was very talkative."
Rodriguez was in contention the entire way while Palmer made the cut by one shot and Horgan missed it by one.
Career highlights in Michigan include finishing second in both the Michigan Open and Michigan PGA along with capturing championships in the state assistants and state pro-pro.
Horgan still resides in Mount Pleasant where he gives lessons at Buck's Run.