Funk, Irwin share favorite Father's Day memories

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FRED FUNK

Fred Funk is a father of three who played in his 22nd U.S. Open Championship this week, having successfully secured a spot through sectional qualifying at Woodmont GC. Funk's win at the 2009 U.S. Senior Open is one of six career Champions Tour wins. His best finish in the national championship is sixth at Shinnecock Hills in 2004. Funk became one of just three players (Raymond Floyd, Craig Stadler) to win both a Champions Tour event and a PGA TOUR event in the same season when he posted victories at the 2007 Turtle Bay Championship (Champions Tour) and Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun. Funk turned 55 on June 14, the Tuesday of U.S. Open week and his 15-year-old son Taylor caddied for him.

"My birthday usually coincided with one of the days during U.S. Open week, just like Father's Day. At Winged Foot (2006) on Thursday morning the whole grandstand sang 'Happy Birthday' to me which was pretty cool. Our anniversary is during that week too, and then Father's Day, so it's a special time of the year for me."

HALE IRWIN

Hale Irwin owns 20 PGA TOUR wins, including three U.S. Open Championships (1974, 1979, 1990). He is also the player on the Champions Tour with the most victories (45) and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992. Irwin won the 2003 Office Depot Father/Son Challenge with his son, Steve, who played on the Colorado golf team and won the 2004 Colorado State Amateur Match Play Championship. At the 2010 Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am, Irwin made his 1,000th combined (PGA TOUR/Champions Tour) career start. Steve successfully negotiated sectional qualifying at Oakmont CC in Glendale, Calif., to earn his first start in the national championship at Congressional this week and Hale was in his gallery.

"Because the U.S. Open is generally held over the Father's Day weekend my days with my father on that day were rare, as they were with my own children. But when we did have an opportunity to be together we spent our time in family activities, such as kid's baseball/softball games, swimming, barbecuing, and other such things. Any day that I could spend with my father or spend as a father with my kids was always like a Father's Day, special in every sense."