Bill Rogers always considers Texarkana his hometown. Forget that his parents were living in West Germany and his mother flew to Waco, Texas, so her third son could be born on U.S. soil. Forget that he has lived the last 38 years in San Antonio, which is roughly 450 miles southwest of the Twin Cities.
Rogers can't forget Texarkana. And neither can Texarkana forget Bill Rogers, a community hero who excelled to the highest levels in professional golf. He's a living legend and one of Texarkana's leading sports figures of all time.
"I love Texarkana and I've got several family members and some close friends there," Rogers said Wednesday from his San Antonio home. "Texarkana is my hometown, even though I wasn't born there. I've got so many people and fans that I was able to share my golf successes with. It's been a privilege to represent Northridge Country Club and the Texarkana community."
William Charles "Bill" Rogers was born on Sept. 10, 1951, in Waco, Texas. His parents were living in West Germany when his mother flew to Waco, birthed Bill, and flew back days later to the U.S. base in West Germany where Bill's father, Oliver King "OK or Buck" Rogers, who was a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, was stationed.
Being from a military family, his family moved all over the globe. The Rogers family lived in Morocco, North Africa and West Germany overseas as well as several bases in the United States.
In 1963 when his father retired from the Air Force, Bill was 11 years old, the Rogers family moved to Texarkana. His parents, and brothers Dex Rogers and Rick Rogers completed the family of five.
Rogers began playing golf at age 9 and later excelled at Texas High. He was a member of the first class (1969) that graduated from the "new Texas High School" off Summerhill Road and Kennedy Lane.
"It was all brand new and it was state-of-the art," Rogers recalled. "It's continued to grow and thrive."
Rogers credits his family's move to Texarkana and the relationship he formed with Northridge Country Club pro Jerry Robison for his progress as a junior player. The youthful Rogers won numerous local amateur events in Northeast Texas.
"Mr. Robison is just an amazing man, and I give him a lot of credit for my success on the golf course," Rogers said.
Northridge used to fly the Union Jack flag in honor of Rogers' British Open victory. The road that leads to the NCC also is named Bill Rogers Drive.
Rogers later got some help from another Texas High golfer, Mike Mitchell, who was playing golf for the University of Houston, a powerhouse in college circles in the early 1950s through the 1980s. Mitchell played on two of the Cougars' national championship teams in 1966 and 1967.
Mitchell introduced Rogers to Houston golf coach David Williams, who guided the Cougars to an amazing 16 NCAA championships.
"Coach Williams and I talked about 30 minutes and he offered me a golf scholarship right on the spot," Rogers said. "I was surprised that he offered me that quick, but I guess he had done his homework on me."
Mitchell, who died in 2016, was inducted into the Arkansas Golf Hall of Fame.
Rogers walked into the Houston sports dormitory in 1969 when he met another freshman, Bruce Lietzke, from Beaumont Forest Park High School.
"We had never met, but we became roommates," Rogers said. "We just had a super friendship from the start and he was my best friend for nearly 50 years."
Lietzke died from a brain tumor 2018 in Athens, Texas.
Rogers and Lietzke, members of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame, helped lead Houston to NCAA championships in 1969 and 1970 and to runner-up finishes behind the University of Texas in 1971 and 1972.
Lietzke nicknamed Rogers "Panther" because he seemed like a caged cat, pacing back-and-forth while waiting to hit his next shot. Rogers also had the nickname "Buck" which was his father's nickname after playing football at Baylor in the 1930s.
"My dad called me 'Buck' when I was young and that nickname stuck with me," Rogers said. "Even today several of my friends call me 'Buck' and not Bill."
Rogers won the 1972 Southern Amateur and the 1973 All-American Intercollegiate Invitational. In 1973, Rogers was named at All-American.
After passing the PGA Tour qualifying school, Rogers earned his PGA Tour card in 1974.
Rogers was active on the PGA Tour from 1974 to 1988, when he walked away from the game. His biggest year came in 1981 when he won seven tournaments, including the major British Open championship in England.
Rogers' older brother, Rick Rogers, also tried to make it on the PGA Tour, but didn't quite make it.
"I believe Rick was a better golfer than I was," Bill said of his late brother, who passed away in January 2022. "He gave about 75 percent effort to make the PGA Tour, but he had so many things pulling at him, like law school, that he couldn't focus just on golf."
Rick also was a standout golfer at Texas High. He got a golf scholarship to Baylor, and he received his law degree in 1972 from the Waco school.
He then practiced law in Texarkana, as a prosecuting attorney and in private practice, while also serving his country in the National Guard. After many years of practicing law, Rick decided to return to golf -- first as head golf pro at Northridge Country Club and then as golf coach at Texarkana College and Pleasant Grove High School.
"Rick was truly a gifted golfer and I miss him everyday," Bill said. "He really loved golf."
Rogers' oldest brother, retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Dex Rogers, lives in Panama City, Florida.
Bill and his wife, Beth, who will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this year, still live in San Antonio. Their daughter, Blair, 39, graduated from Texas Tech and their son, Ben, 36, graduated from Texas A&M.
"Our children both live within a mile from us," Rogers said of Blair and Ben. "Ben has three lovely children and Blair has a 12-year-old, so we've got our kids and grandchildren right around us. It's been great and my family has been so blessed."
Rogers said "Life happens in a hurry. From the age 60 to 80, everything goes by in a flash, it's like it's there one minute and gone the next."
Rogers has no regrets for the way his life or career turned out. Nor does he regret the way it ended.
"I wouldn't change a thing," he said. "It's been a remarkable journey and I look forward to every new day. Life's great."