So Long Trip, Thanks for the Ride

The Kuehnes are a famous golf clan, and a famous Texas family. So as a Texan who loves golf, it's with sadness - but much appreciation - that I bid farewell to Trip Kuehne.

The oldest of the Kuehne siblings stepped off the national stage on Friday after missing the cut at The Masters. Trip is now retired from top-level competitive golf.

As someone with the talent to make a good living on the PGA Tour, Trip chose instead to make a good life living in Dallas with his wife Dusti and son Will, and running a respected money management fund.

He's been a part-time golfer for a long time. But still managed to play in two Masters, four U.S. Opens and four Walker Cups, to win the U.S. Mid-Amateur title, and to win too many significant state tournaments in Texas to mention.

Trip is the last great career amateur.

That career is over now, however, after Trip missed the cut yesterday. Although he did finish as low amateur with a second-round 72.

The Kuehne clan has had a lot of turmoil, but also more accomplishments than most of us can dream of. They're a complicated group. The Kuehnes spent the week in Augusta, Ga., gathered to watch Trip. Among those there were Trip's wife and son, his mom and dad, sister Kelli, brother Hank, Hank's girlfriend Venus Williams, Trip's friends Tony Romo and Terrence Newman (of the Dallas Cowboys), and assorted other friends and family.

I recommend this Golf Magazine profile of the Trip and the Kuehnes from last month's issue. And yesterday, the author of that profile wrote about Trip's final round at Augusta on golf.com. (Hank: "I'm going to stand in the fairway where I'm safe." Kelli: "That was a perfect shank." Long, tearful embrace with Dad off the 18th green.)

Trip left with class, the way he always played:

"With everything that this course means to amateur golf, with Bobby Jones and all the amateurs that they have historically had play in this tournament, to get the opportunity to represent all the amateurs that have never turned pro or just dreamed about playing here, all the working people that have either dreamed about playing Augusta National or coming to the Masters Tournament, to get to play and to represent those people, that's what I always wanted to do."

"It was a hell of a ride," Trip said, when it was over. It always is with the Kuehnes.