The Ed Schuler Saga.

Ed Schuler shot a 75 on Tuesday, one stroke less than his age.

That brought back a vivid memory.

I've played golf with Ed for more than 50 years and, for most of that time, I could not beat him. I came close a few times, but the excitement and anticipation always led to disaster. Standing on the 18th hole, savoring my impending victory, I would inevitably yank one into the woods, splash one into a pond, or turn a five-foot putt into a returning ten-footer.

My fortunes finally appeared ready to change, thanks to an unfortunate chain of health setbacks for Ed. In the span of one season, he endured three eye surgeries, three broken ribs, and back surgery. When he returned to golf, I was genuinely empathetic and sympathetic to his health challenges.

The unspoken part was: I was finally going to beat him.

On the day of his return, I watched him get out of the car with a slight limp and a patch over one eye. This was it—my moment of triumph.

The victory, however, was both hollow and short-lived.

I won that day by a single stroke, 81 to his 82. I briefly entertained the notion that the tide had finally turned.

The following week, Ed beat me by 12 shots.

I have never recovered.

I took it graciously, like a man. But in a moment of weakness, I admitted to Patty that I was considering poking him in the other eye.