The Second Coming Revisited. John Harris Lives!!

I’m not one to say “I told you so” to my buddies when they miss a putt or shank one into the trees. No not me, I’m too much of an adult to behave in such an immature manner. Nor do I question a player’s judgment when they pull the wrong club from their bag and hit the ball into a tree on the last hole (okay, maybe sometimes I do).

Yet, this time, I must shout “I told you so!!!” – to all the naysayers that doubted John Harris – the best amateur golfer to come from Minnesota, the hockey standout, the successful businessman and the latest winner on the Champions Tour. Readers familiar with this column will probably note that I exclaimed in March that you would see “The Second Coming of John Harris”.

Well here it is. Only three months later. Can you say Nostradamus?

On Sunday, Mr. Harris won $225,000 on the first hole of a playoff in the Commerce Bank Championship in East Meadow, New York. With this victory he now assures himself a likely slot in all of the Champions Tour events during 2007 as well as a probably appearance at this year’s season-ending Charles Schwab Cup in Senoma, California. He also accomplishes something that he’s pursued since 1976 – a tournament victory as a professional.

Quoted in our local Star Tribune newspaper, Harris stated “Nobody has given up on me, when by all rights they could have. I knew it was going to happen sooner or later, as long as I kept doing the things I was doing.”

Unlike his business partner’s daughter, Hillary Lunke who won the women’s U.S. Open in 2003 for her only tour victory and then disappeared off the planet, look for Mr. Harris to make contending for a title a frequent occurrence.

It makes one feel good knowing that they were right. See, I told you so.

Nah, nah, nah. Adult of me isn’t it?