Donnie Hammond led Frederick High School to a state golf championship in 1973. In college, he competed for Jacksonville University, playing no. 1 his junior and senior years, and winning the Sun Belt Tournament in 1979. Over the next few years, he won or placed in numerous tournaments, earning five- and six-figure purses. He captured the Bob Hope Classic in 1986. In 1989 he won the Texas Open, 22 strokes under par, only one stroke off the all-time P.G.A. record. He finished second at the Walt Disney Classic by one stroke. At a Nabisco Invitational, he placed fifth. He also participated in the Masters and U.S. Open. A top-20 P.G.A. money winner, Hammond is considered by many to be the most gifted athlete in Frederick County’s history.