Son of Ken Green found dead in college dorm room

The son of former professional golfer and Danbury native Ken Green was found dead in his dorm room at Southern Methodist University in Dallas on Friday, according to published reports. The body of 21-year-old SMU sophomore Hunter Green was found about 12:30 p.m. Friday, according to the Associated Press. Campus officials said no foul play was involved and an investigation is underway. Ken Green acknowledged his son's death on Tuesday afternoon on his blog, which can be accessed at KenGreensComeback.com. "Well, today is another sad day," the 51-year-old Green wrote on his blog. "I'm sorry to say that my youngest son Hunter has passed. His journey in life has ended and I can't tell you how difficult understanding this is." His son's death is the second tragedy in the last eight months for Green, a Danbury High graduate, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour and a member of the 1989 U.S. Ryder Cup team. On June 8 last year, Green, his brother Billy, his girlfriend, Jeannie Hodgin, and his dog, Nip, were driving through Mississippi on Interstate 20 in Green's RV after he had finished playing in a Champions Tour event in Austin, Texas. Near Hickory, Miss., the RV's right front tire blew, sending the vehicle down an embankment and into a tree. The crash killed Green's brother, girlfriend and dog. Green's injuries were so severe that he eventually had to have part of his right leg amputated. "It's a horrible thing to add onto the year that he's had," said longtime friend Dan Baker, who first met Green about 30 years ago at Rock Ridge Country Club in Newtown and last spoke with Green about a week ago. "It's just horrible to hear about Hunter," Baker said. "I knew him when he was a little boy. He was a great little kid. My thoughts and prayers are with Kenny. "For a parent to lose a child is the worst," added Baker, who now serves as the director of business development for the PGA of America in West Palm Beach, Fla. "I can't even imagine what he's going through." Green, who is working toward becoming the first golfer with a prosthetic leg to play on the Champions Tour, was recently named co-winner of the Ben Hogan Award, given each year to a golfer who remains active in the sport despite a physical handicap. Green and co-recipient Tom Watson will receive their awards in Augusta, Ga., on April 7, the night before The Masters. "He has always been a very determined person," Baker said. "He's a fighter. That determination will carry him through no matter what. He's one of the strongest, bravest guys I know." Green returned to Danbury in September to attend a fundraiser in his honor at Ridgewood Country Club. The event raised more than $100,000 for the Ken Green Living Expense Trust. Contact Richard Gregory at 203-731-3379 or at sports@newstimes.com.

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