Interesting experiences following PRO players live

[SPIF]

Must have been, then. I was still in HS in 98, and it was the first year the event was held there. Guess TW was 22!

[Hawkeye77]

Eye am the Walrus!

[Edward_Majorwin]

"The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter."

I've been sitting here for 10 minutes since I read this line and I still can not muster up an image of how someone acts when they're "pretending to be tired" while walking towards a store's exit and carrying multiple jugs of milk. I'd surmise his pace was very slow and there were multiple fake yawns???

That's just poor fiction folks!

 

[ray9898]

 

[dalehead]

When I moved to Orlando in 1988 I got a membership at the Grand Cypress Golf Academy. Great facility. Nice two sided range, three practice holes, a 3 a 4 and a 5, great putting and chipping green, and all the balls I wanted to hit. Bought a house half way between there and Bay Hill. Those were the days!

One Friday afternoon I was out by myself to play 9 holes on Grand Cypress’s New Course. I had just hit my second shot on the first hole when a ball rolled up behind me. Followed a couple of minutes later by a guy in a cart, full of apologies. It was Bob Lohr who played the tour in the 80’s and 90’s with a couple of wins. I offered to let him play through but he said let’s play together. Great guy. We talked about life on tour, equipment, equipment contracts ,and had a great time. He had a Titleist staff bag, Taylor Made woods, Ping Eye 2 irons and wedges (blue dot) and a Taylor Made TPA putter. He commented that the thing he liked about Titleist was as long as he played the ball they didn’t care what clubs he put in the bag. Obviously things have changed since then. He said he wouldn’t sign with Ping because they would require him to use one of their putters. Saw him again a few months later. He had changed to Hogan Apex Grind irons because of the Ping groove controversy, and a Ray Cook Blue Goose putter, which he explained was milled out of gun metal. Guess it kicked off a trend.

In those days Grand Cypress would let the many mini tour players who lived in the area practice there. It was the first time I was around so many good players. I had moved from Syracuse NY, not exactly a golf Mecca. You would see those guys on the range hitting shot after shot long and straight. These were guys you never heard of, unless you read the fine print tournament results in the old Golf Weekly magazine. That’s when I first realized how hard it is to make it on tour.

[Hankshank]

Have seen a dozen or so Scandinavian Masters(different names, European tour). I must say, I have never really seen any really bad behaviour by a player. The one player that stands out, positively, is Southern Scandinavian Sören Kjeldsen, who I followed some year in the beginning of the 2010’s. Remarkably polite, friendly and well tempered. A true gentleman and a role model for younger players.

[Londoner]

I used to go to the Open regularly.

When at St Andrews we would take a tent and sleep on the new course, which they used as a car park during the day.

I lived in London then and we used to drive up. One of our pals knew nothing about golf but was happy to share the petrol money and have a boozy weekend.

When the 4 of us were at the course we headed to the practice ground. I was in awe of these guys skill. Trevino was hitting wedges and his caddy was catching them in a canvas bucket.

When big Jack finished he walked straight toward me and smiled. I managed to mutter play well Jack and he actually replied and said "thank you, enjoy the tournament".

As he walked away through the crowd, Bob, our golf/sport ignoramus pal , said loudly "who's he then"?

I just slunk off to the nearest beer tent.

My greatest moment ruined.

[TimK1]

I never realized as most just how good these guys are until you see them live. We get spoiled by TV but it does not do it justice until you see them live. Having a pretty low index I know most the guys in my area who carry low handicaps or even plus handicaps and we all agree, none of us, ever would make it on an obscure mini tour, let alone anything else.

There are thousands of good players all over the country who never would have any chance. I think a lot of people just do not realize how good these guys really are.

 

[Golfjack]

Exactly. I think golf is an exception only because they are only slightly taller and fitter than many of us. Other sports, we wouldn't get picked on the team. Golf you couldn't tell sometimes. But these guys strike the ball amazingly well, and short game immaculate, with lights out putting. I guess you have to be on the touring level to truly understand the differences between mini tours and the higher level tours. I'm guessing consistently excellent and then finding another gear even on super long or tight courses.

[TimK1]

For me it comes down to short game and putting for the upper level pros. Also the wedge game from 150 in. 75 percent of the time they are within 20 feet for birdie. When the putts go in they are up near the top of the leaderboard.

There ability to make par from anywhere is amazing.

So at a 3.4. Here is my basic game. I can't drive it longer than 250. I normally hit most fairways. My average is 10 to 13 greens a round. I don't three putt often but nothing really goes in either outside 10 feet with any regularity. I can normally attribute two bogey's a round on poor chips or not getting close enough for a par putt.

On a good day I shoot 72 or 71 on a bad day it 76 to 77. I'm not playing courses either that are anywhere close to PGA tour courses. My club is nice and challenging but for a Am. The pros would tear it up.

There just is such a huge differece. I always tell this story. 35 years ago I was 21 and a plus 1 handicap. I was deluding myself into thinking I could make it to some kind of tour. I got a chance to play Glenn Abbey right after the Candien open was held there. I could barley stay under 85 and the course was way out of my skill set. I knew right then, I didn't have the talent. It's was a good lesson. I have enjoyed being a good local player but that is all I'll ever be.

[3jacker]

OK, glad we got that cleared up.

 

[TimK1]

LOL

Somwtimes I babble to much, yes we did!!

[Dr. Block]

Mid to late 90's (I forget the exact year), first round of the Western Open, Cog Hill Dubsdread, following Payne Stewart on the back nine. His group arrives at the Par 3 14th. On the right side of the tee on this particular hole is a vinyl sided maintenance building snug to the cart path just past a low wooden fence within arms length. The building is very close to the tee. Decorating the vinyl siding on this building are multiple dents from golf balls shanked off the tee over the years (dubs is a public course).

After Payne and company hit their tee shots, they are walking past the building, players and caddies point at the golf ball craters and chuckle out loud over the errant shots that must have taken place to produce them. Payne then takes a few steps back, produces a ball from his pocket, goes into a full Bob-Gibson-esque windup and lets a solid 70mph fastball go right at the building leaving a fresh, paint-chipping monster of a dent! Payne then takes a sharpie from his caddie and writes (in large legible poster-sized cursive) "Paul Azinger" next to the dent on the siding. Everyone (gallery, marshals, caddies and players) erupt in laughter, and as Payne walks away down the hill he quips to the marshal on the cross ropes that "Paul will be by in a few groups, make sure he see's that" :)

I remember thinking that not only was Payne hilarious, but he also had a heck of an arm.

[3jacker]

Back when I was a kid I attended the Pensacola Open when it was held at Perdido Country Club. I was following Peter Jacobsen when his group came upon a hole with a pretty good party going on in the backyard adjacent and left of the fairway. He and his caddy walked over, crashed the party, grabbed a burger off the grill and had a chat with the attendees for a few minutes, then he had to head over to his ball, burger still in hand. At that same tournament, Mac O'Grady hit shot right of the fairway near where I was standing. His ball was about 5 feet from me. When he walked up he looked at me/other bystanders and apologized for "hitting such an ugly shot." Then he said "but this next one should make up for it." He then hit about a 50-yard slice thru a hole in the trees and onto the green with a 6-iron. Once it landed he just laughed and exclaimed "J$@%$ Chr@# I can't believe I just did that!" He was in a lot of hot water with the Tour at the time, don't really recall anymore what about, but I had been under the impression he was a hothead/jerk. Turns out he was only rude to the Tour officials that he disagreed with. He was very engaging and funny with the fans. Joey Sindelar was there too, told me and my friends at the range that "if we see anything goofy going on" in his swing let him know. We laughed and said "yeah, right" and he said "no, seriously!" Some golfers just can't get enough input I guess. He gave us gloves, balls, all the stuff. Very nice guy. Made a big impression on me as a 15 year-old kid.

[Greg_B]

March 25, 1990, I am in Orlando, Fl on holiday and decide to go to Bay Hill to see the final round of the Nestle Invitational. It was my first PGA Tour event and first time at Bay Hill, and I was really impressed by everything - the course, the organization of things, the gorgeous women who were in the galleries, you name it. For a while I hung out at the first tee watching the groups get introduced and tee off. Everyone got applause when introduced of course. Peter Jacobsen was trailing the field and had teed off much earlier. The 10th hole runs parallel to #1 and is visible for those in the gallery on #1. Greg Norman gets introduced on #1 and receives a huge ovation, just as Jacobsen comes into view walking up #10 after hitting his tee shot moments earlier. PJ doffs his visor, gives the crowd a two-handed wave and bows deeply to acknowledge the ovation intended for Norman. Broke everyone up including Norman.

[davep043]

In 1997 I was a volunteer for the US Open at Congressional. On Tuesday, a friend from my home club and I were assigned to walk alongside a group for their practice round. The ropes are pretty lightly staffed early in the week, and they just wanted two volunteers walking parallel to the players, just inside the ropes on either side. So we're with Steve Elkington, Jeff Maggert, and Grant Waite. The walk from 9 to 10 (which is now 11) goes a couple hundred yards down a gently sloping walk, and Steve and Jeff went that way. Grant was hungry, so he went into the clubhouse for a sandwich. I stayed with Steve and Jeff, my buddy went with Grant. Leaving the grill, Grant went along the back of the clubhouse rather than following the sloping path I was following with the two players, so Grant and my buddy were just ouside the fence surrounding the Members' pool. Well of course a bunch of members' kids were lined up asking for autographs from every player walking past. Grant signs a few flags and hats, and the kids then hand them to my buddy. He looks at Grant, kind of wondering what to do, Grant says "Sign 'em!" So to this day there are a few millenials who have in their golf memorabilia a hat or flag signed by this unknown golfer named Chip.