SALISBURY - As we continue to celebrate Black History Month, Livingstone athletics would like to recognize one of our very own who made history 36 years ago on the Golf Course.
Andre Springs and his partner Larry Frost were the first two black golfers to win the Labor Day Four-Ball Invitational golf tournament at the prestigious Salisbury Country Club.
On Sunday, September 13, 1987, Andre Springs put the finishing touch on a long day by knocking in a 30-foot birdie putt on the 20th hole, giving Larry Frost and himself the championship
of the Labor Day Four-Ball Invitational golf.
Springs and Frost outlasted Sam Gealy and David Bogedain for the championship at the Salisbury Country Club event after both
teams had won by comfortable margins in the semifinals.
Springs and Frost won three matches on the same day, one of many tournament firsts. Not only are they the first black
golfers to claim the title in the 36th annual tournament, but the 1987 champions had to win three playoffs to take the honors.
First, they qualified with a 71 and were in a nine-team playoff for the last six berths in the championship flight. They got
one of the berths with a par on No. 10.
Saturday, September 12, 1987, before the rain-delayed match, was halted by darkness and resumed at 7:45 Sunday morning.
Springs parred No. 10 to end POST that contests after 19 holes.
Then came an upset victory in the semifinals later Sunday morning. Frost and Springs threw four birdies in the first eight holes at defending champs John Henderlite and Jake Alexander, then coasted to a surprisingly easy 5-3 victory.
Gealy and Bogedain also advanced easily, topping Kip Honeycutt and John Ellis, 5-4, in their semifinal match. "'It's a great feeling," said Springs after spending almost 12 hours on the golf course. "It was a good match all the way down to the wire," he said. The champions played 10-under-par golf during the match play portion of the tournament 4-under in an opening win over former champion Ed "Junior?'
"We used to talk about winning this tournament," said the 44-year-old Frost, who learned his golf by caddying at the Country Club as a youngster and playing once a week on "'caddy day 99 "You've got to communicate with each other. One person can't do it by himself. You've got to team well," Frost said.
He pointed out that Nathan Davis, who caddied for Frost and Springs all day, was important in the victory too.
Springs, never at a loss for words, was at his best on Sunday. "If you can communicate, the chances are great you can win. It's
never "I" it's 'we'," he said of four-ball golf, a game in which one partner can be in the boondocks as long as the other is making par or birdie.
"I love to play golf under pressure,"' continued Springs. "When the chip's on your back and it's tough, you've got to keep your head. Every time I didn't have a choice, that's when I answered the telephone. That's pressure," said Springs.
36 years later Coach Andres Springs has led the Livingstone men's golf team to seven championships, three National Minority championships, and four CIAA Championships.
Springs was named the 2022 CIAA Coach of The Year and the 2022 golf team was ranked number one amongst all HBCU DII Schools. He is the winningest golf coach at Livingstone College. Springs is an eight-time Hall of Famer.
