Basketball legend Larry Bird ducked under some trees to line up a golf shot on June 30, 1984, during the third annual Children’s Charity Golf Classic at the Greenbrier Golf and Country Club. Bird, who had recently led the Boston Celtics to the NBA championship, was playing golf for only the second time that season. He finished with a respectable score of 84 and led his team to a sixth-place finish at 25 under. “It went pretty good for the first 10 or 12 holes,” Bird said. “Then I just blew up. I played nine holes yesterday and that was the first time I’ve played this year. But this is a really beautiful course to play.” Actor Leslie Nielsen and four other golfers combined for a 31-under total of 113 to win the event. The scores were taken from the best two balls of each hole, with each player’s handicap figured in. The tournament, featuring Phoenix Suns player and ex-Cat Rick Robey as host, raised $56,000. The money benefited the Children’s Charity Fund of the Bluegrass, and the tournament is still played today. Bird, an Indiana native who went on to win three NBA titles and three league MVP’s, recently turned 60. Photo by Steven R. Nickerson | Staff