Philadelphia’s Greatest Golfer
You may recall that several months ago, I wrote about the passing of golf legend Chi Chi Rodriguez. I got to know Chi Chi through the Leukemia Classic golf tournament, which I chaired for several years, and I also came into contact with him because we had the same doctor at Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York. So why is a former Eagle linebacker writing about another golf legend, you might wonder?
Several months ago, Jay Sigel called me to say that he would like me to consider being the “Honoree” at his annual Jay Sigel Invitational golf tournament. The event, held each year at the Aronimink Golf Club, has raised over $5.5 million for the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. He also informed me that he was several months into his own battle with pancreatic cancer.
I did not know Jay well. We had a few brief encounters over the years and happened to share the same biographer, John Riley. Jay mentioned to me that he had become aware of my story through John and others on his committee. Additionally, Jay was a huge Philadelphia sports fan, especially of the Eagles.
Writing a Legacy
Of course I said yes, and in the months since, I have been delving deep into Jay’s fabulous career and learning more about the Sigel Invitational and his work with Abramson. My exploration of Sigel’s past has been a unique process. When he writes, John Riley likes to have a few individuals read his chapters after he completes them and provide feedback. So, I once again have a front-row seat to the evolution of an autobiography, just as I did with my book, Tackling Life.
The approach to the two books has been slightly different. John and I were very close friends as I battled my desmoid tumor and underwent a major amputation of my arm and shoulder. He was also an eyewitness to my recovery. We spent hours together reviewing my past, and I would draft chapters in longhand that he would type and improve upon.
In Sigel’s case, the golfer created an outline of significant events in his life, and they spent hours on Zoom calls discussing the details. John gathered information from other sources, drafted the chapters, and sent them to Jay for review. Tragically, Jay lost his battle with cancer before they finished the book, but John has the recordings and transcripts that will allow him to complete the story. He has also been interviewing people close to Jay and prominent figures in the golf world.
The Last Amateur
Jay Sigel is often referred to as the greatest amateur golfer since Bobby Jones, but many are unaware of the challenges he faced on his journey to the pinnacle of amateur golf. I was surprised to discover the modest circumstances of the Sigel family. Jay grew up in a small home in Narberth, but through caddying and a family membership at Bala Golf Club, he cultivated a passion for the game.
A big kid and an all-around athlete, an incident during Babe Ruth league baseball and advice from his father prompted him to concentrate solely on golf. By the time he was 17, he had become the top junior player in the country.
Attending Wake Forest University as the first recipient of the Arnold Palmer Scholarship, he earned All-American honors in his first full season before disaster struck. He put his left hand through a glass door, suffering a devastating injury that severed the ulnar nerve along with other damage. After a three-hour operation and nine days in the hospital, it seemed he would never play golf again.
However, Jay persevered, and a year later, after returning to school, he won a major intercollegiate tournament, although he had to ice his hand every night to reduce swelling and pain.
It turned out that Jay’s return to form was short-lived. He continued to suffer from pain and weakness for many years but made adjustments to his clubs and swing to establish himself as one of the top amateurs in the Philadelphia area. He also continued learning how to manage himself both on and off the golf course. He worked out to strengthen himself, adjusted his clubs, and became a student of the game. Twelve years after the accident, he won his first national tournament. At the same time, he began a successful business career and, along with his wife Betty, started raising three daughters.
A Career of Substance
In addition to exploring how Jay became the golf legend we know, the book shares intriguing stories from national amateur championships, the Masters, and much more. Jay played with and against the biggest names in golf and consistently held his own.
I had to laugh at some of the personal anecdotes, particularly about Jay’s famous thriftiness, as he had to manage his finances carefully due to travel expenses and building his company. During my time at Xerox, I attempted to sell him office equipment, and I can honestly say it wasn’t easy!
One fascinating aspect of the book is learning how Sigel’s career marked the end of an era in golf—an era when the very best amateur golfers rejected the riches of the professional game and played golf purely for the love of it. Even Jay succumbed to the allure of the professional game at the age of 50, joining what is now known as the PGA Tour Champions.
In just his fourth tournament, he came from 10 strokes behind on the final day to capture his first win. Still, the title, The Last Amateur, is appropriate.
One of John’s interviews for the book was with Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, who said about Jay:
“We will never see his like again.”
