Upamanyu Biswas
Directed by Julio Quintana, ‘The Long Game’ depicts the awe-inspiring story of a group of Mexican-American teenagers who triumph against all odds by winning the 1957 Texas High School State Golf Championship. In reality, among the five who went on to defy their naysayers were golfers Gene Vasquez and Mario Lomas, who stood up to the prejudice against Hispanic golfers back in the 1950s. With several real-life elements integrated into the narrative of the rousing sports drama, the life journeys of Vasquez and Lomas were just as intriguing as their team partners, who had to battle on all fronts to claim the trophy they valiantly earned!
The Lives of Gene Vasquez and Mario Lomas
Gene Vasquez and Mario Lomas worked as caddies at the San Felipe Country Club when they formed a bond with Joe Treviño, Lupe Felan, and Felipe Romero, with whom they would compete in the state championship. There weren’t many opportunities for young Mexican Americans who grew up in Del Rio in elite sports such as golf in the 1950s. Thus, the pair would regularly drop by for practice with Joe, who was described as the tallest and oldest kid in the group with a talented golf swing that always hit the mark. In Humberto G. Garcia’s ‘Mustang Miracle,’ the source material of the film, the author revealed that no one was able to pronounce Vasquez’s real name – Higinio Vasquez – and therefore, Gene was the preferred option.
During one of the first encounters with the group, Joe passed the golf club to Lomas and Vasquez to allow them to display their proficiency in the game. In the former’s case, due to his grandfather being a greenskeeper for golf club members, he had plenty of practice at perfecting his swing when no one was around or watching him go about his business in stealth. When comparing the skills of Lomas and Trevino, Garcia wrote, “Mario then showed his abilities with the golf ball with almost equal impressiveness.” He was the same age and height as Felipe Romero but with a more robust appearance. On the other hand, Vasquez had a few peculiarities in his play that became evident the moment he took his first swing.
As the youngest and shortest among the group, Vasquez was left-handed. “The club that had been passed around among the boys was one made for right-handed players, but Gene was left-handed. He stood before the ball but with the club turned around so that the back side of the face of the club was facing the ball,” wrote Garcia. Even at the tender age of eleven, he was full of verve and enthusiasm and never paid much attention to people laughing at him for his unorthodox way of swinging. Due to not being allowed to tee up in the club where they caddied, the group found an empty stretch of course, which they named El Llanito Country Club, to practice and master their golfing prowess on their own.
When the San Felipe Mustangs took part in the state championship in 1957, there was a fear that Vasquez was too young to compete in the tournament. However, his teammates helped him perform at his best when needed. The Mustangs won the championship despite heavy rain flooding the course with many lagoons. Vasquez displayed great ingenuity in one particular shot when his ball landed in a water-logged bunker. Despite having the option to penalize himself and pick the ball out of the pit, he decided to play it straight, managing to scoop it out of its abyss and onto the green surface’s edge. At the end of the tournament, Lomas picked up a bronze medal with a score of 159, while Vasquez settled with 176.
The Death of Gene Vasquez
Following the Mustangs’ state championship victory and his graduation from San Felipe High School, Gene Vasquez went on to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Sul Ross University, also known as Sul Ross State University. After his higher education, he worked as a Spanish teacher at the San Felipe Independent School District for a period of at least ten years, in addition to several other districts within Texas. At some point in 1971, he also got involved in the real estate business and sales market, and he was an active member of the San Felipe Exes Association. The golfer was very proud and excited about the release of ‘The Long Game,’ chronicling his achievements with the Mustangs, stating that his dreams had come true.
In an interview given to EW, Vasquez said, “We were fighting brutal poverty and brutal discrimination. Our parents were migrants, they were illiterate, and we were very poor. So to us, this was very exciting because we could enjoy caddying, making a little money, and learning how to play golf by mimicking the golfers. And then we got an idea, let’s make our golf course. We started gathering all the equipment, and we started swinging.” He spent his twilight years watching golf or the Dallas Cowboys. Occasionally, he visited the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass, Texas, to spin his luck. Vasquez also loved hunting, traveling, and fishing.
Vasquez passed away at the age of 83 on July 30, 2023, in Pflugerville, Texas, due to natural causes with his family present. Before his death, he was able to attend the premiere of his biopic with Felipe Romero and Lupe Felan. He was extremely close with his family. He cherished spending time with his children and grandchildren, who were able to earn the former’s wisdom about golf and life in general. Vasquez is survived by his seven children, eighteen grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and several other nieces, nephews, and cousins. The former golfer is buried in Sunset Cemetery in Del Rio.
Mario Lomas’ Passing
After Mario Lomas graduated from high school in 1959, he worked as a professional caddie on the PGA Tour for many years, brushing up against fame while working for major golf professionals like George Archer and many more. However, he suffered a knee injury in an automobile accident, which left him with no choice but to leave his job as a caddie. However, he remained enthusiastically linked to his golfing passion by working at a golf club in Abilene, Texas, stating that the sport was responsible for saving his life as a youth. In 2012, as part of the Mustangs and along with Vasquez, he was inducted into the Latino International Sports Hall of Fame.
Lomas passed away on April 18, 2024, at the age of 84, leaving behind his three sons, Roberto Lomas, Mark Lomas, and Javier Lomas, and several grandchildren, great-grandchildren, cousins, nephews, and nieces. In his later years, the golfer was said to be immensely proud of the Mustangs’ achievements, narrating their story to anyone who would listen. Lomas’ son, Mark, said, “He, he loved the game… He was still playing before we put him in a nursing home here in Abilene.”
Even though Lomas’ family hasn’t revealed the cause of his death, it appears to be natural. His loved ones had stated that the former golfer’s mental and physical state deteriorated in his twilight years, keeping him away from the golf course. Still, he met the rest of the surviving Mustangs in 2015 while they were preparing to play the sport together. His nephew, Jake, took Lomas’ spot due to the latter’s health condition. Furthermore, despite being very excited about the prospect of a film being made about him and the Mustangs, he passed away before he could watch himself on the silver screen. “He started talking about this movie 10, 12 years ago… It’s just sad he didn’t get to see it,” Jake added, joining Mark.
Read more: The Long Game: Did Joe and Daniela End Up Together in Real Life?
