CityView Magazine

52 | January/February 2015 played at the revered Cypress Point Golf Course in Pebble Beach, California. One irony of the Palmer-Ward match in Fayetteville was Oliver followed golf closely, yet years later had no memory of the event. He was at a social function a few years ago when he was discuss- ing this match with now deceased lo- cal attorney D. P. Russ. Oliver said he didn't believe the match occurred and Russ claimed he was there. ey made a friendly wager on a bottle of whis- key and Russ proved he was right by providing the story in e Fayetteville Observer from May 22, 1950 (see side- bar). Later, Oliver took a mini-bottle to Russ's office. ey shared a great laugh because they had never established the size of the bottle for the bet. Oliver's friendship with Harvie Ward was lifelong. It took on a different dimension when Ward was emotionally and financially bankrupt in the early 1970s. He was working in a shipyard in San Francisco and was also giving lessons to people hitting golf balls into a net in a downtown sporting goods store. He knew he needed to go home, but had no money to do so. He reached out to the editor of the Daily Tarheel in Chapel Hill that he knew from his days at UNC. e editor suggested he contact his old friend Harvey Oliver, which he did. Oliver was a successful insurance executive in Fayetteville at the time and he contacted local entrepreneur Dan omason who was a friend and client. omason had a major financial inter- est in the golf resort Foxfire in Pine- hurst. Oliver was persistent with om- ason and spent many hours convincing him that Harvie Ward would be great for golf development at Foxfire. oma- son finally relented and hired Ward in 1974 to be director of golf. He remained at Foxfire for ten years. I took a series of golf lessons aer meeting Ward though my relationship with Harvey Oliver. His teaching had a dramatic impact on my golf game. I went on to win six men's club championships at Highland Coun- ty Club and attribute those lessons to my success. Ward was a great teacher of the golf swing. Due to his success at Foxfire, his longtime friend Jack Nicklaus hired THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1949 Ward and Oliver End Match Even Against 2 Pros An exhibition golf match in which Harvie Ward of Tarboro, intercollegiate golf champ, was paired with Harvey Oliver Jr., of Fayetteville against two pros of the Fayetteville area wound up at the end of the 18 th hole here yesterday. Playing at the Highland Country Club course, members of the foursome fired their drives off the back tees and found the course slow. Matched against the amateurs were Archie Clark, pro at the Highland Club and Fairley Clark, Fort Bragg pro. Ward posted a 73 for the round. Fairley Clark had a 73. Oli- ver came in with a 71 and Archie carded a 70. The Highland pro came up with one of the top shots of the round when he holed a 170-yard approach on No. 7 for a deuce. He made the shot with a No. 4 iron against the wind. Throughout the match there was never over one-hole differ- ence between the teams. The round was scored as follows: Oliver took No. 1 with a birdie. Archie Clark birdied No. 2. No. 3 was tired with par 3. No. 4 was tied with birdie 4's. The pros lost No. 5 on a birdie 3. No. 6 was halved at par. Archie Clark won the 7 th with a deuce. No. 8 was halved at par 3. Fairley Clark won No. 9 on a par 4. No. 10 was halved at par 4. No. 11 was halved at par 4. No. 12 was halved at par 4. No. 13 was halved at par 4. Oliver won No. 14 with a birdie 4. Archie Clark won No. 15 with a birdie 2. No. 16 was halved at par 4. Ward and Oliver had birdies on No. 17. No. 18 was halved at par 4. A return match between the two pros and two amateurs is to be scheduled for the Highland Course in the near future. The Fayetteville Observer NORTH CAROLINA'S OLDEST NEWSPAPER ~ ESTABLISHED 1816 Re-printed by permission from the Fayetteville Publishing Co, Inc.

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