Larry Mize’s Masters flag flies proudly in County Tipperary
For Mize, now 58, it was an especially poignant win as he’s a native of Augusta, Georgia, now residing in Columbus, 174km away.
It was the one and only Major win for Mize in a successful career that saw him earn almost $8m.
In Cahir, Co Tipperary, the flag from the 18th hole of the 1987 Masters sits proudly in the Abbey Tavern, a well-known sports bar. John Kendrick runs the bar and was presented with the flag by Mize himself in 2012.
The connection is John’s son, Christopher, who worked with Mize on his personal fitness while studying exercise science at Columbus State University.
Christopher’s been living in Columbus for the past 12 years and when John attended the Masters in 2012, Mize supplied him with a precious ticket for the event, while also presenting him with the flag from the 18th hole.
John says: “The flag is on display in here. It’s a prestigious thing to have, in a sports bar. It’s nice to have that. I’m a golf fan myself.”
John won a tidy sum on last year’s event, when Danny Willett took advantage of Jordan Spieth’s final day woes to claim the famous green jacket.
Ahead of this year’s event, John likes the look of in-form Dustin Johnson, while he reckons that Justin Thomas is another player to keep a close eye on.
John emigrated from Cobh, Co Cork, to Montreal, Canada, in 1965.
He returned in 1972 and, after spending some time working in construction, specialising in pipe-line welding, he took over a pub in Ardfinnan in 1978.
He moved to the Abbey Tavern in 1990 and has been there ever since, keeping a close watch on his unique piece of Augusta memorabilia for the last five years.
