The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

It's Time For A Sign

Dessa Rodeffer, Quill Publisher-Owner

17 March 2004

After Oquawka's prodigy child, 38-year-old Todd Hamilton, captured The Honda Classic Sunday on the PGA Tour, close friend of the, family Leroy Hammond said, "It's time for a sign!"

A former area teacher and coach who classifies himself as a "sports nut" has been following Todd Hamilton since he was young.

"His dad (Kent Hamilton of Oquawka) introduced him to golf when he was about three years of age bringing him to Hend-Co-Hills Country Club regularly soon after it was opened."

"His dad cut a club off to make it short enough so he could chip and putt."

Hammond said by the time he was 10 or 11 he was an excellent self-taught player.

"He never had any lessons. He would just go out and work out the problem himself. It was all natural ability and he never would give up.

"Even at the University level he did it on his own and worked "til he had it straightened out.

"Todd's the most dedicated athlete in golf I have ever seen in my life," Hammond said.

"Most kids would have quit before that."

Hammond said he had been watching Todd on TV everyday, had traveled to see some of his games but had watched the Saturday and Sunday games from his Monmouth home.

Hammond, who had retired from coaching after taking a Southern Jr. High team to a 2nd place state finish, came out of retirement last year to coach the ICS 7th grade boys to a first place state championship.

"It was the highlight of my career," Hammond said, " but this win (of Todd's) is right up there with it," Hammond said.

"For 12 years, Todd kept working and having hope. The year he was going to give up, he won a million dollars and qualified for the Japan Tour.

"Last year was a bumper year. ...nothing will stop him now. He'll someday be on the senior tour," Hammond predicts.

Hammond drove from his Monmouth home to Oquawka Sunday and again Monday to congratulate Todd's dad, Kent who was busy working in his small grocery store.

Kent was taking care of business in his store and "was so excited he could hardly talk," Hammond said. "It was constant phone ringing.

"Everyone in Oquawka is excited. Besides the win, Todd jumped 58 spots to No. 38 this week in the Official World Golf Ranking which qualifies him for the Masters, Hammond said.

"As a sport fan, it is the greatest thing that's happened in our area in sports."

"He's from a small school, a small town, a small school. I've never seen anything like that in my lifetime."

Kent Hamilton, Todd's father, was busy at Hamilton's Supermarket cutting meat in the back of his small grocery.

After hours he was a little more at ease from his work, but definitely still hyped up from the news of his son.

He had been bombarded with an outpouring of congratulations from the community and questions from the media including the Chicago Tribune.

But, Kent insists it's in the small towns like Oquawka that makes this so great.

"Everyone knows everyone else in our communities," Kent said. "I've gotten phone calls from all over the county and people who have moved away I hadn't heard from in years. People that don't even watch golf are excited.

"In a big city it wouldn't mean as much," Hamilton said. "But here, everyone feels the excitement."

It's like the movie "Hoosiers" he said. "Let's win this one for all the little towns and tall the little guys."

Eileen Nolan, retired treasure and lifetime resident of Oquawka, she knew the Hamiltons like family.

"I watched the whole thing on the television and I yelled and clapped, and I cried. You would have thought I was a cheerleader."

Nolan says she is going to erect some sort of sign in her yard out of her late cousin Bill's golf clubs.

Bill Nolan, a single bachelor in town, always helped support young Todd when he could.

"He would often be late coming home for the evening meal saying Kent had to get back to the store to close so he stayed until Todd was finished golfing at Hend-Co to bring him back home.

Bill always said, "Someday, that boy is going to be a wonderful golfer."

Everywhere you go, someone will remember Todd as a very bright and polite young determined lad who kept working and who kept focused.

Todd did his part for Oquawka, for Biggsville's Hend-Co-Hills, for Union School and for Henderson County.

Now, it's time to erect a sign to honor his endurance and his achievements:

Proud COUNTY of A PGA Champion

Todd Hamilton

It just may be the start of our economic development.

Todd's mother, Jane Pearson of the Quad Cities stands behind her daughter-in-law Jacque and grandchildren as she witnesses her son's dream come true, Sunday.

-photos courtesy Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers, Florida

Todd and Jacque Hamilton with their three children - Tyler, who will be 6 on April 2nd, Kaylee who will be 4 June 20th and Drake who will be 1 on April 18th.

Todd's victory gave the former Henderson County 38-year-old, a take-home pay check of $900,000, the largest for any of his 15 wins around the world, including his four on the Japan Tour last year. It shot him up 58 places in the World Rankings to a very meaningful number 38 because it's well inside the top-50 mark. This almost guarantees him tee times in both The Players and The Masters Championships.

The Players Championship will be broadcast on ESPN/NBC at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. with a purse of $6,500,000. It was won last year by Davis Love III who finished 2nd to Hamilton Sunday. The Masters (purse TBD) will be on USA/CBS on April 5-11 at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Ga. Mike Weir was The Masters championship last year.