My experience caddying for Monte at the 2023 U.S. Senior Open

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26 minutes ago, KD1 said:

I can't believe someone was scared enough to slip something in Monte's chicken parm. Who are the prime suspects?

I usually don’t go for these kinds of jokes, but it’s obviously Vijay. Cmon.

[MonteScheinblum]

Here’s a bummer.  The small silver lining 4 years ago was I led the field in driving distance.

 

I was 3rd yesterday at 303 that included two balls that got held up by the rough.  On the first driving hole today I hit one about 340-350.  Guy told me I was the longest in 2 days by a wide margin.

 

On the other driving hip I hit a push fade into the lake.  They gave me credit for about 220 where I took the drop and it cost me leading the field again.  
 

Ended up 27th

 

Insult to injury.

 

 

 

[ebrasmus21]

I’m not sure how this isn’t understood at this point.  Nevertheless I’ll repeat myself….

 

Monte got a bad haircut, the cut was too short and in fact so short it drained Monte of his golfing strength. 
 

Monte = direct descendant of Samson 

[dirthead]

@MonteScheinblum, the measure of a true man isn’t what they do in the best of times, but what they do in the worst of times. You pushed through a horrible situation and showed what perseverance means. You are a true inspiration and I applaud your effort. Great job!

[Ajgaguy83]

@MonteScheinblum you gained a fan here…… impressed with you on so many levels after reading this thread, seeing your character, humor, and learning of your ability and teaching (of which I previously was unaware).

 

I’ve already pointed a friend towards your site who has taken up the game recently. 

Rest up and feel better. 

[_Hawk3y3_]

Thanks to all of you for your kind words, and thanks again to @MonteScheinblum for giving me permission to document all of this (oh yeah, and for the whole once in a lifetime carry my bag at a major championship deal). Because Monte gives so much to this community, I felt obligated to share this experience with you all. I'm little more than a lurker on this forum, but I hope you found these posts worthwhile. I feel rather guilty that I was having the best week of my life while he was having the worst of his. The best way I've found to get past that feeling so far is to admire the way Monte approaches not only the game of golf, but his approach to living life as well. He spreads his time and talents around to so many different people, and always does so in a manner that makes people smile. The little things he did this week...always trying to be entertaining whenever a decent sized gallery was present, having conversations with fans, giving autographs and golf balls to kids, thanking EVERY volunteer and worker he came across...Monte does it the right way, folks. He battled like a warrior this week, and it was my privilege to share my experience with all of you. Thanks for all your support. Here's hoping we can will Monte to a better finish next year!

[Superscroll]

5 hours ago, indianagolf2 said:

I'd go to er, your electrolytes might be messed up..they can get you fluids. 

 

 

This.  Getting your electrical system out of whack can bring heart problems into play.  

 

 

Very neat to get some inside baseball here.  Greatly appreciate the willingness to share.  

[MonteScheinblum]

Thank you again everyone.  Takes some of the sting out of what felt like the Hindenburg 

[_Hawk3y3_]

Best moments of today...

 

Don't remember which hole, but Monte badly misreads a putt, then does an impersonation of a blind man.

 

Monte gives a ball to a fan after a circus up and down for par on 6.

 

Monte hits his 4th shot on hole 10 (600 yd sweeping dogleg right) and it plugs in the lip of a greenside bunker. Stupid hard shot. After asking somebody from the crowd to hit his bunker shot, he plays a career and puts it to 3 feet. He then says loudly, "Everyone please pardon this" and flips the bird to the bunker. Priceless. 

 

Monte plumb bobs a 3 inch tap in on 16 to general applause. 

Edited July 1, 2023 by _Hawk3y3_

[_Hawk3y3_]

Here's another cool little storyline...of the 24 amateurs in the field this year, only 2 made the cut: Christian Raynor, who Monte played a practice round with Monday, and Mark Strickland, who was paired with Monte for the first 2 rounds. And they happen to be paired together today. I'm not at the course yet, but intend to follow them for a few holes when I get there. Both are awesome guys, and it'll be fun to watch the race for low amateur after getting to spend time with both of them this week.

[MonteScheinblum]

I spend most of my time here making fun of you guys and the way you approach golf.

 

Now it’s your turn.

 

After pushing my body way too hard for two days in the heat, being 56 years old, while being dehydrated, electrolyte imbalance and not eating……my body is rebelling…..lol

 

Even if by some divine miracle I had made the cut, I’m not sure I could have played today.  
 

I can barely get out of bed to go to the bathroom.

 

The worst thing that happened was I recently got a complete physical and the doctor said aside from being over weight, I’m as healthy as someone 20 years younger.  Blood work and all other factors are perfect.

 

So I decided being 30-40 pounds over weight was no biggie.  This week changed my mind.  Had I been in better condition I might have been able to combat what happened better and actually played competently.  Even if that’s not the case, I need to shed my knee surgery and Covid weight.  
 

Before knee surgery in 2017 I was 210ish.  Now I’m 240+.  
 

I have been half heartedly saying this for 3 years and have given a few feeble attempts to rectify it.  Now I think it’s time to put up or shut up.

 

 

 

 

[kowalgolf]

3 minutes ago, MonteScheinblum said:

I spend most of my time here making fun of you guys and the way you approach golf.

 

Now it’s your turn.

 

After pushing my body way too hard for two days in the heat, being 56 years old, while being dehydrated, electrolyte imbalance and not eating……my body is rebelling…..lol

 

Even if by some divine miracle I had made the cut, I’m not sure I could have played today.  
 

I can barely get out of bed to go to the bathroom.

 

The worst thing that happened was I recently got a complete physical and the doctor said aside from being over weight, I’m as healthy as someone 20 years younger.  Blood work and all other factors are perfect.

 

So I decided being 30-40 pounds over weight was no biggie.  This week changed my mind.  Had I been in better condition I might have been able to combat what happened better and actually played competently.  Even if that’s not the case, I need to shed my knee surgery and Covid weight.  
 

Before knee surgery in 2017 I was 210ish.  Now I’m 240+.  
 

I have been half heartedly saying this for 3 years and have given a few feeble attempts to rectify it.  Now I think it’s time to put up or shut up.

 

 

 

 

Try the Optavia diet for 1 month. 350 bucks eat their food 6 times a day every 2 hrs. Equates to 1100-1300 calories. I lost 22Lbs. and down 30 after 20 months. Lots of sweets and shakes. Tricks your brain eating small quantities.

[JetSpeed79]

7 minutes ago, MonteScheinblum said:

I spend most of my time here making fun of you guys and the way you approach golf.

 

Now it’s your turn.

 

After pushing my body way too hard for two days in the heat, being 56 years old, while being dehydrated, electrolyte imbalance and not eating……my body is rebelling…..lol

 

Even if by some divine miracle I had made the cut, I’m not sure I could have played today.  
 

I can barely get out of bed to go to the bathroom.

 

The worst thing that happened was I recently got a complete physical and the doctor said aside from being over weight, I’m as healthy as someone 20 years younger.  Blood work and all other factors are perfect.

 

So I decided being 30-40 pounds over weight was no biggie.  This week changed my mind.  Had I been in better condition I might have been able to combat what happened better and actually played competently.  Even if that’s not the case, I need to shed my knee surgery and Covid weight.  
 

Before knee surgery in 2017 I was 210ish.  Now I’m 240+.  
 

I have been half heartedly saying this for 3 years and have given a few feeble attempts to rectify it.  Now I think it’s time to put up or shut up.

 

 

 

 

Alright here’s the plan. You drop the weight and then we branch out your website: Rebellion Home Fitness (supplements, workout videos, fitness equipment… the whole thing). 
 

Broom Force Fitness Supplements - sweep the fat away!

No-Turn Fast - (intermittent fasting)

Use the Bounce 3.0 - trampoline based workout (videos and equipment)

Drive 4Cookie Dough - (gotta have a cheat day, c’mon)

Power Shift - We take the “f” out of shift and make this one a cleanse. (they can’t all be winners)

 

Going to be huge! (I’ll invoice you for consultant fees). 

[carrera]

Keep it simple.  Walk your dog a lot more...reduce carbs...eliminate snacks and calorie-heavy things like sodas and IPA's.  Skip dessert...always.

 

You'll feel better without feeling like you are on some unsustainable diet/lifestyle choice.  

 

Nike method of losing weight and feeling healthier!

[Ghostwedge]

Like to find out why B.Gay, S. Flesch and Petrogolf bailed...

Monte tee`d it up, got side railed and still battled for 36 holes.

Respect.

[_Hawk3y3_]

1 hour ago, MonteScheinblum said:

I spend most of my time here making fun of you guys and the way you approach golf.

 

Now it’s your turn.

 

After pushing my body way too hard for two days in the heat, being 56 years old, while being dehydrated, electrolyte imbalance and not eating……my body is rebelling…..lol

 

Even if by some divine miracle I had made the cut, I’m not sure I could have played today.  
 

I can barely get out of bed to go to the bathroom.

 

The worst thing that happened was I recently got a complete physical and the doctor said aside from being over weight, I’m as healthy as someone 20 years younger.  Blood work and all other factors are perfect.

 

So I decided being 30-40 pounds over weight was no biggie.  This week changed my mind.  Had I been in better condition I might have been able to combat what happened better and actually played competently.  Even if that’s not the case, I need to shed my knee surgery and Covid weight.  
 

Before knee surgery in 2017 I was 210ish.  Now I’m 240+.  
 

I have been half heartedly saying this for 3 years and have given a few feeble attempts to rectify it.  Now I think it’s time to put up or shut up.

 

 

 

 

Time to start the Grazzi's Italian chicken diet with a side of those SentryWorld cookies to boot.

[MonteScheinblum]

9 minutes ago, _Hawk3y3_ said:

Time to start the Grazzi's Italian chicken diet with a side of those SentryWorld cookies to boot.

Those cookies and things like it are my second biggest weakness.

[parmark]

You really have to hand it to @MonteScheinblum for gutting it out. If you noticed after Thursday's round three pro's had scores on the plus side of par and withdrew.  I was fortunate to be able to attend yesterday and watching @MonteScheinblum was a rollercoaster.  It was a thrill to see him compete at that level, and on the other hand it hurt like hell to watch him suffer like he was. You just wanted to reach out and lend a hand. More than once my wife leaned over and said "I wish he'd walk over here, I want to give him a hug!"  The fact he stuck it out and competed, and saw up close just how rough it was for him, total compliments to the man.

 

Also guys, we ALL owe @_Hawk3y3_ aka Devin huge props for the yeoman work he did all week in both working earlier in the week with Monte and then the effort in documenting the two rounds.  Between the warm weather, the crowds and just trying to keep track of everything going on and knowing where to go, it truly was remarkable how well he captured the goings on and kept a step ahead of the crowds.

 

The coolest thing I saw all week, both Monte and Devin, how cordial and nice they were to all the volunteers and worker types. They went out of their way to make it a point to say thank you and acknowledge them, you could see some of the folks light up and smile from those gestures.

 

Plus on a personal note, I will forever be indebted to @_Hawk3y3_ Devin for making this event an absolute blast for both me and my wife that we will remember forever. I mean having lunch next to David Toms, and seeing Lee Janzen and Billy Andrade and a few others we have grown up watching hanging out wasn't even the best part of the day.  And that was pretty cool.

 

Good thing @MonteScheinblum Chicago clinic is in two weeks.  I think I saw some things in his swing I can help him with 😂

Edited July 1, 2023 by parmark

[_Hawk3y3_]

1 hour ago, parmark said:

You really have to hand it to @MonteScheinblum for gutting it out. If you noticed after Thursday's round three pro's had scores on the plus side of par and withdrew.  I was fortunate to be able to attend yesterday and watching @MonteScheinblum was a rollercoaster.  It was a thrill to see him compete at that level, and on the other hand it hurt like hell to watch him suffer like he was. You just wanted to reach out and lend a hand. More than once my wife leaned over and said "I wish he'd walk over here, I want to give him a hug!"  The fact he stuck it out and competed, and saw up close just how rough it was for him, total compliments to the man.

 

Also guys, we ALL owe @_Hawk3y3_ aka Devin huge props for the yeoman work he did all week in both working earlier in the week with Monte and then the effort in documenting the two rounds.  Between the warm weather, the crowds and just trying to keep track of everything going on and knowing where to go, it truly was remarkable how well he captured the goings on and kept a step ahead of the crowds.

 

The coolest thing I saw all week, both Monte and Devin, how cordial and nice they were to all the volunteers and worker types. They went out of their way to make it a point to say thank you and acknowledge them, you could see some of the folks light up and smile from those gestures.

 

Plus on a personal note, I will forever be indebted to @_Hawk3y3_ Devin for making this event an absolute blast for both me and my wife that we will remember forever. I mean having lunch next to David Toms, and seeing Lee Janzen and Billy Andrade and a few others we have grown up watching hanging out wasn't even the best part of the day.  And that was pretty cool.

 

Good thing @MonteScheinblum Chicago clinic is in two weeks.  I think I saw some things in his swing I can help him with 😂

You're too kind, brother. It was a privilege to walk with you, and an outright pleasure to finally meet your (much) better half.

[yoose]

2 hours ago, MonteScheinblum said:

I spend most of my time here making fun of you guys and the way you approach golf.

 

Now it’s your turn.

 

After pushing my body way too hard for two days in the heat, being 56 years old, while being dehydrated, electrolyte imbalance and not eating……my body is rebelling…..lol

 

Even if by some divine miracle I had made the cut, I’m not sure I could have played today.  
 

I can barely get out of bed to go to the bathroom.

 

The worst thing that happened was I recently got a complete physical and the doctor said aside from being over weight, I’m as healthy as someone 20 years younger.  Blood work and all other factors are perfect.

 

So I decided being 30-40 pounds over weight was no biggie.  This week changed my mind.  Had I been in better condition I might have been able to combat what happened better and actually played competently.  Even if that’s not the case, I need to shed my knee surgery and Covid weight.  
 

Before knee surgery in 2017 I was 210ish.  Now I’m 240+.  
 

I have been half heartedly saying this for 3 years and have given a few feeble attempts to rectify it.  Now I think it’s time to put up or shut up.

 

 

 

 

Good job toughing it out. Was rooting for you. Just have to try again next year!

 

intermittent fasting help me shed my 20 lbs of Covid weight. Started with 16:8, did 18:6 for a while and now back to 16:8. I don’t normally eat breakfast so it was an easy choice to eat later in the morning. Stopping eating at night was the hard part for me in the beginning.  It will be tough in the beginning, but after a couple weeks your body gets used to it. It might be easier to start off with 12:12 and then work your way to 16:8. 

[DaveMc82]

3 hours ago, carrera said:

Keep it simple.  Walk your dog a lot more...reduce carbs...eliminate snacks and calorie-heavy things like sodas and IPA's.  Skip dessert...always.

 

You'll feel better without feeling like you are on some unsustainable diet/lifestyle choice.  

 

Nike method of losing weight and feeling healthier!

It’s a lot like quitting smoking. Every time you fancied a cigarette, you’d have a glass of water instead. The same with sodas etc - replace them with a clear protein drink. There’s some awesome flavored ones that I actually prefer to sodas. 
 

If your body can hack it, lift moderate weights 3 times a week for higher reps. The muscle will burn more calories at rest and it’s easier to shed the fat. 

[Zitlow]

@MonteScheinblum was your dog happy to see you? Post a picture of him/her. 

[Ajgaguy83]

5 hours ago, MonteScheinblum said:

spend most of my time here making fun of you guys and the way you approach golf.

 

How should we approach golf? Serious question......

[MonteScheinblum]

11 minutes ago, Ajgaguy83 said:

 

How should we approach golf? Serious question......

That’s like asking how do I build a house.  I have hundreds of posts here and on my social media about the mistakes golfers make in how to improve.

 

Here are some examples that don’t even include specific swing change narratives.

Revolving door of tips addressing effects rather than root cause.

 

Making swings changes with with driver.

 

Mis use of range time.

 

Hitting wedges too far.

 

a

 

 

 

 

 

[mulliganman30]

Wish I'd been in this thread from the get go.   It really sucks with the unfortunate bad luck Monte had to deal with.    But he definitely deserves to be commended here.   It's pretty damn tough to try and battle through it when a lot of guys would have just withdrawn.    It also takes some pretty big stones to lay it all out there for the world see given what a great teacher he is. 

 

Monte I know your disappointed but  I think it's pretty damn amazing you have qualified more than once and hope you continue to qualify and meet your goals in one of these sooner rather than later.  

 

And also thanks for all you give to help us hackers and mere mortals becoming better at this game we all love.    And thanks to the OP for all you shared in this thread.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 2, 2023 by mulliganman30

[_Hawk3y3_]

Looking forward to an awesome Sunday finish. To say that the locals are excited about the good play of Kelly and Stricker would be a bit of an understatement. If anyone following the thread is going to be on the grounds today, reach out. 

[mshills]

Thoughts on the golf course (independent of the setup) and the setup? The obvious point is the rough is off the hook.

[Hawkeye77]

On 6/30/2023 at 3:33 PM, MonteScheinblum said:

Thank you for all the support.  That should have been a highlight this week and quite literally the most miserable I have ever been on a golf course.  
 

In the last 40 hours, all I’ve eaten is 6 crackers and a couple of forks of hash browns.  

At least today I wasn’t puking in the bushes every other hole.  
 

Don’t ever go to Gratzi’s in stevens point.

Man that sucks!! Still happy you qualified and look forward to hearing about it sometime!  
 

Note: even though price supports played a part decades ago in every little diner in Wisconsin wanting you to have cheese with your pie, lol, perhaps just eating pie and cheese (and a brat or four) is the answer for survival in Wisconsin!

[RobS14526]

20 hours ago, kowalgolf said:

Try the Optavia diet for 1 month. 350 bucks eat their food 6 times a day every 2 hrs. Equates to 1100-1300 calories. I lost 22Lbs. and down 30 after 20 months. Lots of sweets and shakes. Tricks your brain eating small quantities.

This diet has worked amazingly well for my better half. There's even some hacks out there to make some "treats" out of their packaged products. 

[_Hawk3y3_]

1 hour ago, mshills said:

Thoughts on the golf course (independent of the setup) and the setup? The obvious point is the rough is off the hook.

I've not heard a single player, caddie, or spectator give a single negative remark about the golf course. Not one. It is remarkably difficult, but as long as you keep it in the fairway and strike the ball well the course is playing quite fairly. Unless you're @MonteScheinblum, in which case you had so many unlucky breaks it was borderline hilarious.