EULOGY TO BILL NARY

          By Curt Worley, Coronado, CA

First I would like to thank John for allowing me to be a part of today’s ceremony.  I would have loved to have been there with the rest of you, but today I am at the University of Vermont attending my son’s final College Lacrosse game.

When John called me with the news, that Bill had passed away, I was stunned by the sudden sadness I felt and guilt that I hadn’t spent more time with him in recent years.

But I will always remember Bill as a friend and mentor.  I will always have the memories of working with Bill on my golf game and learning to love the game the way that he did.

I guess I was about 13 when my parents took me over to the old Bonita Golf course to take my first golf lesson from Bill.  He had come highly recommended by John Ruedi, the pro at our club in Coronado, because of the success he had with other young junior players.  As a young player, I was strong and hit the ball hard but had no idea where it was going.  But having been a long hitter himself, I think Bill liked that.  So after a few lessons I got better fast and started practicing and playing every day, much to the delight of my parents.

I remember Bill teaching me how to control my power by fading the ball the way he did without losing distance. He called it the “rap over” or “power fade”.  He showed me how he hit the ball further than anyone else on the Tour and how he hit a driver/4-iron to the famed 18th hole at Pebble Beach. He told me stories of all the tournaments he played in when he was on the Tour, and some of the great players he played with like Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson and Sam Snead.

Less than a year later I won my first Junior Golf tournament at the NAS Miramar Golf course with a two round total of 148.

Once I was old enough to drive, I was over at Bonita almost every day to hit some balls on the range and then play a few holes with Bill.  He was so generous to me and all the Juniors he worked with.  I know working at the golf course was not fun for him but I knew he loved being at the golf course giving lessons and playing a few holes every chance he could.

Bill was like a father to me in those days at Bonita and I remember them as some of the best days of my life.  He took me under his wing and taught me everything he knew except how to bet the horses which he was also very good at.

I continued working with Bill for most of my golfing career and thanks to Bill and a little hard work I went on to win the City and County Amateur Championships, S.D. County Open, CA State Amateur, 1st Team Collegiate All-American, the Queen Mary Long Beach Open and eventually played on the PGA Tour.

Even though I was only a small part of Bill Nary’s life, I can tell you that he played a large part in mine and I will never forget him.

         -Curt Worley