PARAMUS, N.J. – As Ben Carr stood on the first tee Saturday afternoon at The Ridgewood Country Club, moments from teeing off in his U.S. Amateur semifinal match opposite Derek Hitchner, he reached into the right pocket of his khaki shorts.
Nothing.
His heart started to race as he then checked his left pocket.
Still nothing.
His heart sank.
For the past few years, Carr hasn’t marked a putt without his special ball marker, which he began using shortly after his father, David, died unexpectedly in March 2019 at age 52. The nine-sided, bronze coin is emblazoned with, “4MF,” which stands for, “For my father.