The Green Masters Hat

Charlottesville

April 10, 2026

The other night I visited with my good friend Mark Wilson. Mark and I became fast friends at Darden. And while we fell out of touch for many years, thanks to him reaching out to me we have stayed more in touch.

It came up that I had given Mark a green Masters hat, probably in the spring of 1987. Mark told me how the hat became the prize at an annual putt putt outing and that his mom won it many times. After she passed, Mark inherited the hat which he still has.

My heart grew four sizes when Mark told me this story. As my friend Anna Koester says, “cool beans.”