Jonathan and Daniel Bowden got started in the game from the 100-yard marker. The goal was always to beat dad, a club professional who understood the value of a birdie putt.
The Bowden brothers were born 15 months apart and grew up virtually inseparable. Even now as thirty-something adults, they coach side by side at UNC-Wilmington, passing on the lessons taught by their father, Bo Bowden.
These days the Bowden brothers find themselves thinking more and more about those early years. When Daniel tells one of his players to grip the putter like a tube of toothpaste with its top off, he smiles. Dad’s illustration used to be kind of corny. Now it’s gold.
Brain cancer has a way of changing things.
Bo, 63, had surgery last summer to remove a tumor that was slightly smaller than a tennis ball on his occipital lobe. What started as a sore throat led to squamous cell carcinoma in his tonsils. Then it was lung cancer. The latest, and scariest battle to date, was found after a routine visit to the optometrist for glasses.
“There’s a chance he might not make it,” said the surgeon before heading back to take out the tumor.
Mercifully, everything went well. Bo is currently receiving immunotherapy treatments and doctors continue to monitor his lungs.
For a while, the Bowdens didn’t mention anything to their teams. After all, it was tough even communicating with their father about what was going on. Plus, they didn’t want to burden anyone. Daniel, 32, is head coach of the men’s program at UNC-Wilmington and Jonathan, 33, serves as an assistant for both the men’s and women’s teams.
Bo played golf at Georgia Tech with Larry Mize and met his wife, Marian, while working as an assistant pro at Valdosta Country Club. He helped Marian pick out a sweater for her dad, and well, the rest is history. Together they have three boys. Their youngest son, Spencer, is 27.
Jonathan and Daniel were third-generation college golfers. Their grandfather, Earl, played at Georgia.
Bo hasn’t been able to work for several years now as cancer has taken its toll. Marian works six days a week at Poor Richard’s bookstore in Easley, South Carolina, earning a modest wage. With bills piling up, Daniel got the idea to start a GoFundMe account to help ease his parents’ financial burden, raise awareness and hopefully donate to cancer research.
To date, the Birdies For Bo campaign has raised $4,684 of its $7,000 goal. Daniel is donating $1 for every birdie and $5 for every eagle that the men’s team makes during the season. Jonathan gives based on the women’s results. Several individuals have joined the effort as well as the University of South Florida team last fall.
“I’d love to see that take off,” Daniel said.
The men’s team opens its spring season at the John Burns Intercollegiate Feb. 20-22 in Hawaii. The women’s team got started last week at the UCF Challenge.
Bo Bowden’s legacy has been helping kids. Daniel described him as a feel-based instructor, making his mark on the game before the TrackMan era. The brothers grew up with a golf pro in the house, and at times took for granted all the information that soaked in naturally – from course management, to tournament prep, swing thoughts and club repair. It was all there for the taking.
The Bowden family has a heart for people, and the brothers have modeled a strong, selfless work ethic from watching their father.
“He never really capitalized financially off of his gift,” said Daniel. “He would just go out of his way to make people’s day.”
Now Bo’s sons are doing whatever they can to ease the burden.
Longtime women’s head coach Cindy Ho shares an office with the Bowdens and calls their energy and commitment to UNC-Wilmington’s golf programs remarkable. Neither of the brothers lets it show when they’d rather be miles away.
“They’re trying to be strong,” said Ho, “for their family, for their teams. You just want them to know that people are supporting them. That we’re behind them.”
Daniel, a former touring pro, said his father’s dream was to one day watch him compete at the Masters. They went often to Augusta thanks to Mize.
Coaching college golf came as a surprise to everyone. But the Bowdens view it as their calling in life, and they’re grateful for the man who laid the foundation. Now it’s all about giving back.
“He shared his gifts with us,” said Jonathan, “his communication, his love for the game and his teaching ability. Now we’re able to do something with it that’s meaningful.”