Memories of the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach Won by Graeme McDowell!

June 15, 2010 By admin

The home hole playing Pebble Beach… I felt like I was home for sure…

Any time you are at Pebble Beach it is a real special time but to be there for the 110th United States Open, the fifth time it has been played on these famed American golf links, was truly an amazing experience. Walking the course seven times, spotting the best golfers in the world, I felt like I thoroughly experienced the golf course without ever even playing it. Of course I was deluding myself and realized it when I was able to play the course a few years later and wrote an Ode to Pebble Beach, the One and Only…

Three Amigos- Ed, Jack & me at the 2012 U.S. Open at The Olympic Club where Jack and Billy Casper were honored.

The US Open at Pebble Beach was another opportunity to meet and get to know Jack Fleck, the 1955 US Open Champion, and his good buddy Ed Tallach. I would see Jack and Ed at the next few Masters and then Jack at his home in Fort Smith, Arkansas on the “Journey to Olympic Golf” right after starting off with a round of hickory golf at Glenn Echo in St. Louis, host club to Olympic Golf in 1904. Sadly it would be the last time I saw Mr. Fleck as he passed shortly after.

Plus I was able to reunite with my West Coast buddies from when I worked and lived out there in the 1980s, especially my golfing buddy Rich and his sons. The weather was amazing and the golf course beautiful, so beautiful!

That’s me in the background watching Tom Watson tee off on the 17th in the playoff with Stewart Cink. Photo Credit: The Golf Channel.

I remember asking Tom Watson a question in his media center interview and will always remember his response which was applicable not only to golf but to life too! The par-5 6th fairway was shaved down all the way to the cliff. Inside the red line was grass cut like the fairway so my question to Tom was “is it unfair to have a lie like that but not be able to ground your club?” His response was that “it was fair because it was there for all to see.” My translation for life is that life is fair as long as you are honest and open-minded, we all have choices to make and consequential responsibilities to see through.

Thumbs-Up for Graeme McDowell after winning the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach!

Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland won his only major title, one stroke ahead of runner-up Grégory Havret of France. McDowell was the first European to win the U.S. Open in forty years, since Tony Jacklin of England won in 1970. Havret remained closely in contention, but McDowell ground out a round of 74 to win his first major championship. I remember walking up the 18th with GMac and being there greenside to witness a celebratory and meaningful father & son embrace on Father’s Day!

Here are my 121 picture memories of the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach won by Graeme McDowell:

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Filed Under: Hickory Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

Memories of The 2010 Memorial Tournament won by Justin Rose!

June 6, 2010 By admin

Sir Walter & I go back a long way, here we are the the 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla.

I was fortunate to visit Muirfield Village Golf Club, stay in the Jones Villa and play the Tournament Course on two occasions back in my Corporate America days. Besides the club and the course, which are exceptional, the experience was memorable and special because I did it with my golfing and life buddy Sir Walter. I called him Sir Walter because of his love for the game and incredible knowledge of its history. Most of the places I have traveled to play golf, he had already traveled to play golf, especially to Scotland and Ireland, the latter of which I sadly have yet to be. Sir Walter and his lovely wife Mary Jo call me Prince Andrew in return. A kind gesture which speaks to the love of the game and the love we have for each other that uniquely manifests itself when we play golf together, no matter the golf course, no matter the occasion.

Jack’s idol Bobby Jones was the first to go into the Memorial Garden at Muirfield Village GC.

But oh those two trips were the essence of our golfing lives—staying onsite at Jack’s Place a few steps from the Memorial Garden. I have only had that sense of golf’s history and in-explainable sense of what the game is all about two other times in my life—teeing off the first tee on the Old Course at St. Andrews within the shadows of the Clubhouse and teeing off the first hole on The Slammer & The Squire Course within a pitch of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

I have yet to be introduced to and personally meet Jack Nicklaus though I have shaken his hand and acquired his autograph. One memorable time was after he received the PGA TOUR’s Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2008 THE PLAYERS Championship, my first. Something was said there that not too many people took note of but I thought it was a big deal especially now looking back at the career of Tiger Woods since that time. In Tiger’s own words, read by Commissioner Tim Finchem because he was injured and not present, Tiger said to Jack that “your impact on golf has been incredible to say the least and I count myself among the millions of fans who consider you to be the greatest of all time.” Wow, I was surprised at the time and now it looks like Tiger may never challenge Jack’s record of 18 Majors.

With Mr. Palmer in the home office in Latrobe, PA.

If I have one golf dream it would be to spend a few moments with Jack like I did with Arnold Palmer in his home office in Latrobe. It was an amazing feeling to be in the presence of the legend himself. It took me back to my childhood days watching their golf on TV with my Dad, my brother L.P. and sometimes Uncle George. The iron club and putter in the corner would always come out with an ensuing discussion on posture and swing mechanics to be like Jack and Arnie!

Being there all week in 2010 for Justin Rose’s win was pretty special. There is nothing like a golf club, any golf club, spruced up for a big tournament. The tees, fairways and greens in the best shape ever and enveloped by the extra special landscaping and flowers of tournament week. The buzz of the world’s best golfers testing the course, each other and most importantly themselves to greater golfing heights. The people, the galleries and the celebratory atmosphere of drink, food and good times!

Jack Nicklaus with 2010 Memorial Champion Justin Rose. Photo Credit: Google Images

Justin Rose’s 2010 Memorial Tournament win was his first win on the PGA TOUR and he did it in high fashion with a bogeyless 66 on Sunday. Seve Ballesteros was the Honoree and awarded a spot in the Memorial Garden a year before he passed. Jack’s tournament is the best looking forward and looking back at the game’s greats! I hope an opportunity comes my way to meet him and ask him a few questions.

My times there at the Muirfield Village Golf Club with Sir Walter and in 2010 are special ones!

Prince Andrew

ps here are 55 picture memories from the 2010 Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village GC:

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Filed Under: Hickory Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

2010 Season: Memphis; Visiting Elvis at Graceland & Beale Street too!

June 1, 2010 By admin

In front of Graceland… what a tour!

2010 was the year that I followed the PGA TOUR pursuing CBS Sports at as many events as possible. It was my second year to venture out to the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February. Then come back for Tiger’s historic speech at TPC Sawgrass and do the Florida Swing with NBC Sports including the Tavistock at Isleworth CC. Next up was my second Masters (Phil Mickelson’s third win) with CBS Sports followed by Hilton Head and a road trip up to Charlotte to see Rory McIlroy win for the first time in America at Quail Hollow Club. Then it was back home to Ponte Vedra Beach for THE PLAYERS Championship (Tim Clark) before heading west to Texas for the Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan’s Colonial.

On the way up to Jack’s Memorial Tournament in Columbus, Ohio that is when I stopped off in Memphis, Tennessee to visit Graceland and pay my respects to Elvis! Also, how could one be in Memphis without a visit to Beale Street?

Beale Street and the great B.B. King’s Blues Club!

After the Memorial I headed out to Pebble Beach again to see Graeme McDowell win the one hundredth U.S. Open. After being in my hometown for the Champion’s Dick Sporting Goods Open I headed south to Aronimink GC for Tiger’s tournament and the Greenbrier, witnessing Stuart Appleby’s magical 59 to win! I headed north for the wild & wacky PGA Championship at Whistling Straits won by Stuart Appleby and caught the Barclays Playoff event at Ridgeway CC in New Jersey. Then I took a memorable trip out to Las Vegas to witness history as Jonathon Byrd suddenly won a sudden death playoff with an ace! The year ended quietly in Florida attending both the LPGA and PGA TOUR Q-Schools. My what a year 2010 was!

But here are the memorable Memphis pictures! Enjoy!

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Filed Under: Hickory Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

Memories of the 2010 Colonial Invitational Won by Zach Johnson!

May 30, 2010 By admin

Not only did Zach Johnson win the 2010 Colonial Invitation, he won it in record fashion with the lowest total score of minus-21 under par! It was a memorable week to be in Fort Worth as Phil Mickelson returned to playing golf with his healthy wife Amy after missing the tournament in 2009 (and defending his second win at Colonial in 2008; Phil also won in 2000) when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. A Pink Saturday and a pink balloon release were quite spectacular.

Colonial CC is the ‘Home of Hogan’ and to see the Hogan Room in the Clubhouse, the Hogan Statue overlooking the golf course, and the Wall of Champions was quite the experience!

Relive the 2010 Colonial and Zach Johnson’s historic victory (he also won in 2012, remember when he forgot to move his ball marker back on the 72nd hole but still won by one stroke over Jason Dufner?) through this photo album of 56 images:

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Filed Under: Hickory Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

A Jason Day of Inspiration at the 2010 HP Byron Nelson Championship

May 23, 2010 By admin

Featured Columnist Andy Reistetter is on site at the 2010 HP Byron Nelson Championship at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas, Texas.

Jason Day with Mrs. Peggy Nelson with Byron in the background on the scoreboard after Day’s historic first win!

Maybe it wasn’t Texas-style inspiration, like back in 2007 when Scott Verplank won the first year after the legendary Byron Nelson passed.

But it surely was an inspiring 2010 HP Byron Nelson Championship at the TPC Four Seasons.

Earlier in the day, Chris Smith tapped in on 18 after making his first cut and paycheck after his wife Beth died tragically nearly one year ago.

Last week Smith’s daughter Abigail, 17, and son Cameron, 13, had a good time caddying and driving the cart for their dad at the somewhat relaxed atmosphere of the Nationwide Tour’s BMW Charity Pro-Am.

This week it was all business for the 41-year old golfer who won the 2002 Buick Classic.

“Beth would want happiness. It’s what we all have strived for, forever. Just because something tragic happens, you’ve got to look forward and be happy and enjoy life.”

(Quote courtesy of Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News)

It all came down to the dramatic 18th at TPC Las Colinas where Day prevailed over Adams.

It all came down to the dramatic 18th at TPC Four Seasons where Day prevailed over Adams.

Later in the day, it was Jason Day teeing it up on the 18th hole with a one stroke lead over Blake Adams.

Adams had the tee after a birdie at the 16th hole, and hit a 3-wood wide right that the wind took wider right on the difficult driving finishing hole.

Day was trying to avoid another watery grave on the 18th hole where he hit his tee shots into the water in the first and third rounds.

Fortunately on Saturday he was able to get up and down for a “pro par,” and take a two stroke lead into the final round.

In Day’s own words he hit a “kind of chunky 3‑iron down to the right” in the land where there are no sprinkler heads with yardages on them.

He then hit a 4-iron from a place his caddie Colin Swatton told him was 205 yards away from the hole.

He pulled it slightly left, and then it hit the bank and rolled down into the water hazard for the third time this week.

Fortunately he carried the red line defining the water hazard and was able to drop in close proximity to the green.

Amazingly Blake then hit without any knowledge of Day’s watery fate and clipped a tree coming out which deflected his ball into the same hazard though almost 100 yards from the hole.

Jason Day in the Media Center with PGA TOUR Media Official John Bush answering questions after winning for the first time.

Day was able to chip up and drain a 16-footer to win his first PGA TOUR event in his 66th start with a bogey on the final hole.

Adams’ double bogey dropped him from a solo second place finish into a three way tie for second and cost him over $200,000.

Sometimes inspiration is found in tragedy.

“I was disappointed that I hit it in the water and made it so hard for myself, but in the end I’m happy I holed that putt and won the tournament.”

“It’s just really good memories, even though I made bogey. It doesn’t matter how it gets done, as long as it gets done.”

A Champion, A Gentleman and Our Inspiration Forever is Mr. Byron Nelson.

At 22 years of age it hasn’t really been that long of a road for Day who turned pro in 2006.

Though maybe the road Jason was on was traveled more than it should have been on the way to his first “W.”

“I wear my heart on my collar, and I worked so hard to get to where I am today, and this means a lot to me.”

“I believed that it was going to come sooner. Unfortunately it didn’t, and it was my own fault that it didn’t come sooner.”

“The first year I didn’t practice hard enough.”

“(It was) me being lazy and thinking ‑‑ someone (gives you) a really good contract deal (and) everyone is telling you you’re the best, and it’s easy to slack off.”

“I’ve been working very hard this year and last year, and it’s starting to pay off.”

What’s the inspiration for Blake Adams, who took the lead from Day after a birdie on No. 10?

The second place finish is his best ever on tour.

In only his 14th event, the 34-year old true rookie who played in his very first PGA TOUR tournament at the SONY Open in Hawaii earlier this year, was ever so close to victory.

With his little boy Jake as his shadow, and wife Beth holding their newborn girl Libby the experience is all positives in his mind.

“I was always a big fan of Mr. Nelson, and this is a tournament I always wanted to show up and play in, but it’s a learning experience. This will be a special place; it’s my best finish. Hopefully I can improve on it for years to come.”

16-year old amateur Jordan Spieth coming off the 17th green on Sunday.

Adams played with 16-year old high school junior Jordan Spieth for the first two days.

Like Smith, Day and Blake the amateur was an inspiring story line as strong as the Texas wind on Sunday afternoon in Las Colinas.

What was Jordan’s favorite competitive moment of the tournament?

The par-3 17th with the hole placed on the far right and closely guarded by rocks, flowers, and water.

“You’re going to look back and say that you wish you’d fired at this pin, even if it goes in the water. You’ve got to try to make a hole in one here.”

When does a 16-year old kid ever look back?

I know one of mine didn’t when he backed out of the garage into my car.

Spieth is the real deal well beyond his years in terms of maturity, communication skills, and yes golfing skills.

Thinking hole-in-one?

“I can’t wait to get back out there and do it again.”

Neither can we wait the three weeks before he tees it up in Memphis in his second PGA TOUR event.

How does he do it?

“All I’m doing is just pretending there (are) no cameras, I guess, I’m just trying to talk to y’all, like I’m just talking to you, just trying to be myself.”

What was the advice of his parents?

“You need to enjoy it, no matter how you play. Everyone is out here to support you; you don’t have any expectations going in, you know, you’re just playing your game and taking it shot by shot. Just enjoy the experience, and that’s what I did.”

Now that is an inspiring story!

Byron Nelson is bigger than life in Texas and a legend in the game of golf.

Jason Day at age 22, and even in all the excitement of winning his first tournament, knew what may be the biggest inspiration of the week.

The youngster referenced it at the end of the awards ceremony on the 18th green and then again in his press conference.

“It means the world to me, for this to be my first TOUR event. To be even in the same breath as Mr. Nelson is just amazing.”

The sign on the 18th tee says it all…

Byron Nelson: A Champion… A Gentleman… Our Inspiration.

By the way Verplank shot a Sunday 67 to finish tied for fifth place with San Antonio resident Cameron Beckman (68).

Aussie winner Jason Day lives in Fort Worth.

Maybe it was a Texas style inspirational day after all…

Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer. He follows the PGA TOUR volunteering and working part time for the various golf broadcasting networks.

He resides in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida near the PGA TOUR headquarters and home of The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

He enjoys pursuing his passion for the game of golf and everything associated with it. He can be reached through his website Andy’s Golf & Travel Diary or by e-mailing him to AndyReistetter@gmail.com.

I think the 2010 HP Byron Nelson was my very first media credential and of course there is a story that goes along with that!

It was a great experience to meet Mrs. Peggy Nelson and read her book Life with Lord Byron: Laughter, Romance, and Lessons Learned from Golf’s Greatest Gentleman.

Mr. Byron Nelson, what an inspiration and larger than life in person and in golf!

Filed Under: Hickory Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

Memories of the 2010 PLAYERS Championship won by Tim Clark!

May 1, 2010 By admin

The always impressive NBC spotting team!

The year 2010 was my third PLAYERS Championship and my buddy SJ and I had it dialed in to perfection… report at 11 am and spot for NBC Sports, some days 27 to 36 holes… walking the Stadium Course watching the best players in the world attack it and the golf course attacking them back a bit too… go home, maybe stop at Pussers or Sarita’s, on the way and get cleaned up… head down to The Corner for dinner and dancing and dancing the night away at Ragtime… then having an early morning breakfast at Village Inn (if you remember that place)… going home, getting a good morning’s sleep in and do it all again for four days straight!

Tim McGraw concert after the Military Celebration!

Some things change in life and at THE PLAYERS, thankfully, but the Military Appreciation Day and the Volunteer camaraderie never will no matter who the champion is come Sunday afternoon. This year it was a great up-and-down on the 18th green by Tim Clark to shoot a Sunday 67 and seal the victory over Robert Allenby and Lucas Glover who both shot 70.

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Filed Under: Hickory Golf, People in Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

2010 Honda Classic: Saturday Morning Report

March 9, 2010 By admin

Weekend Update for the Honda Classic

By Andy Reistetter, 3/5/09

Featured Columnist Andy Reistetter is on site at the Honda Classic this week.

CLICK HERE for the 15-Minute Video Presentation of the Script Below.

Welcome to the Saturday Morning Report.

I am Andy Reistetter and I am here at the 2010 Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

The Honda Classic is advertised as “18 holes of refined sport and raucous celebration.”

The PGA National Resort & Spa is a gorgeous resort open to public partying during the tournament week. With onsite concerts complemented by fireworks on Friday and Saturday nights the venue is true to its proclamations.

For the golf fan the Honda Classic at PGA National is one of the most fun stops on the PGA Tour.

This is the 38^th playing of the Honda Classic which dates back to the 1972 Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic where Tom Weiskopf beat Hall of Famer Jack Nicklaus by a stroke for perhaps the only time in his career.

Kenny G orchestrated the start of the party this week with his Wednesday Kenny G Gold Pro-Am. This year he played with the legendary Jack Nicklaus, Dan Marino, and Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees of the marching on New Orleans Saints.

One observer in the gallery told me it was the most entertaining golf he had ever seen.

This is the 4^th year at PGA National with Mark Wilson winning in 2007, Ernie Els in 2008 and Y.E. Yang winning his first PGA TOUR event right here last year. The 38-year old South Korean then went on to tame the Tiger and win the PGA Championship at Hazeltine.

The Champion Course here at PGA National is a rather long par-70 at 7,241 yards. It was designed and built by Jack Nicklaus and Tom Fazio in 1981. For amateurs it is a par-72. The pros play two par-5 holes- the 479 yard 6^th and the 508 yard 10^th as par-4s.

The most famous holes comprise “The Bear Trap”- the 179 yard par-3 15^th, the 434 yard par-4 16^th and the 190 yard par-3 17^th.

This golf tournament is all about conditions- of the golf course and the weather.

The Florida wind has been blowing hard all week and changed direction just as the tournament started. Vijay Singh commented that it was a new golf course come Thursday different from the one he played in practice rounds.

The sun has been shining with temperatures in the mid 60s.

Rain early in the week has softened the greens making for approach shots that hold nicely but also greens that get a little bumpy later in the day.

The sun and the wind will continue to dry out these greens and make the course very difficult on the weekend.

On Thursday I followed Y.E. Yang, Mark Wilson and Stephen Ames.

Yang got off to a horrendous start with an early 9 on his second hole the 450 yard par-4 11^th. He hit his approach shot fat and into the water guarding the front of the green and was wet again on his second attempt.

He followed his opening 79 with a respectable 70 though he missed the cut by 6 strokes.

Mark Wilson started the tournament with three consecutive bogeys. He made two consecutive birdies on his back nine holing a 20-foot putt for deuce and holing a bunker shot on the difficult 6^th hole.

Wilson followed his opening 73 with a 70 which included an eagle at the par-5 3^rd hole. He made the cut by one stroke and is back in the pack at T44 position.

Stephen Ames matched Wilson’s 73 on Thursday though he got his game going late in the round with two birdies on the last 5 holes. He carried that winning feeling over into Friday with a bogey free 6-under par 64. Ames stands at T12 position.

Probably the coolest thing I saw on Thursday was Sergio Garcia’s play on the 226-yard par-3 7^th hole. It was dead into the wind with a back hole location. He turned down his club and hit the lowest shot I have ever seen- never more than 5 feet off the ground.

It seemed to go through the fountain in the pond midway to the green. He masterfully ran it up through the gap between the front bunkers. Though it rolled through the green he got it up and down for a par.

Friday in the second round I followed the first round leader Nathan Green, Vijay Singh and a struggling Padraig Harrington.

The Aussie Green who felt a little beneath the guys he was playing with who happen to have three majors apiece rose to the occasion with a 66 and a share of the lead on Thursday. Yesterday though after a birdie on No. 3 he started making par after par which isn’t all that bad at PGA National.

Though when you walk that par tight rope for so long it is only a matter of time until you fall off.. He made a nice 12-footer on No. 10 to save par but ended the par streak when he finally missed a 12-footer on No. 16. His even par round of 70 still keeps him in the mix for the weekend at T5 position.

Harrington had only one birdie to go with two bogeys in each of his first two rounds. His pair of 71s has him in T47 position. He did rally to make the cut almost holing his 5-iron on No. 15 and then making the tester coming back for deuce.

Harrington just could not putt all day long missing three other birdie attempts inside 10 feet including a 4-footer at the 18^th. Ten shots back going into the weekend who knows what can happen to an Irishman a few days shy of St. Patrick’s Day?

Vijay couldn’t putt either but his iron shots were so good that he ended up just kicking the ball in the hole. The 47-year old player now religiously utilizes reads from his caddie and pats down ball marks in his line without consulting other players. I thought for sure Paddy Harington was going to say something to him about that.

Singh played the best of the three some and was by far the most exciting to watch. After 3-putting Nos. 5 and 6 he made 6 birdies in the last 12 holes to shoot a 66. Along with Thursday’s 67 he stands alone in third place.

The most exciting thing I saw on Friday was Vijay missing a 4-footer for birdie on No. 16 and then making a bomb of 65 feet for deuce on the very next hole.

C’est la vie when the score is good who cares how and when they go in?

The cut came at plus three with 74 players of the 144 player field advancing to the weekend.

PGA National is holding its own with a cumulative scoring average of 71.7- almost two strokes over par.

Two young guns Camillo Villegas and Anthony Kim top the leader board and go off in the final twosome of the day at 1:40 p.m.

Like Vijay Singh they both had multiple wins in 2008 yet went winless last year and so far this year.

Villegas is knocking the hardest on the door with two Top 10s in both his starts this year- a T8 finish in Phoenix though he shot a pair of 71s on the weekend after leading the tournament after the first two rounds. He finished in 3^rd place at the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship.

Kim leads the field with the most birdies- 13 of them. Remember his second round at the Masters last year where he set a new record with 11 birdies? Maybe we will see another burst of birdies out of the AK gun over the weekend?

I am always looking for new material for my exclusive series called “Corporate Leadership Inspired by The Game of Golf” and I found some already here this week here at the Honda Classic.

Graeme McDowell trying to hit his ball from the water hazard on No. 18 touched the water with his club and immediately called the matter to the attention of rules officials. After reviewing the video he assessed himself a two-stroke penalty.

Imagine if everyone in the plant or office conducted themselves in such a manner?

More inspiration can be found with Ernie Els who I saw win here two years ago and then a week later the Big Easy make an uneasy announcement that his son Ben was diagnosed with autism.

Els and his wife Liezl founded the Els Autism Foundation in 2009 and are seeking $30 million to build the Els Center for Excellence which will conduct research and provide education and therapy for autistic children.

Els will be honored by the Golf Writers Association of America at the Masters for his unselfish contributions to the betterment of society.

Imagine if everyone in the plant or office were as much of a team player willing to give back freely for the team as Ernie Els does?

“Corporate Leadership Inspired by The Game of Golf”- don’t we all need that?

Well my golfing friends this is Andy Reistetter live from the Honda Classic- thanks for joining me and have a great weekend.

Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer. He follows the PGA TOUR volunteering and working part time for CBS Sports, NBC Sports, and The Golf Channel.

He resides in Jacksonville Beach, Florida near the PGA TOUR headquarters and home of The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.

He enjoys pursuing his passion for the game of golf and everything associated with it. He can be reached through his website www.MrHickoryGolf.net or by e-mailing him to Andy@MrHickoryGolf.net

Filed Under: Hickory Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

February 2010: Tiger Woods; No Apology Needed

February 19, 2010 By admin

Tiger Woods on February 19th, 2010 making his apology speech in teh Sunset Room at TPC Sawgrass.

Tiger Woods on February 19th, 2010 making his apology speech in the Sunset Room at TPC Sawgrass. Photo Credit: Golf.com

Tiger Woods apologized February 19^th, 2010 for his irresponsible and selfish behavior.

“I want to say to each of you—simply and directly—I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in,” he said.

In his somber speech at TPC Sawgrass, home of The Players Championship, he put his life into perspective and shared the direction he plans to pursue.

“I once heard—and I believe it’s true—it’s not what you achieve in life that matters; it’s what you overcome,” he said. “Achievements on the golf course are only part of setting an example. Character and decency are what really count.”

Apology received, no further apology needed.

Tiger revealed more personal insight than ever before in two unscripted, riveting interviews with The Golf Channel’s Kelly Tilghman and ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi on March 21.

How did someone so powerful in life, yet so powerless to stop himself, finally hit rock bottom and start on an upward path?

“You strip away the denial, the rationalization, and you come to the truth—and the truth is very painful at times,” Woods said. “And to stare at yourself and look at the person you’ve become…you become disgusted.”

“As a person, it’s hard to believe that was me, looking back on it now.”

Tiger is trying to get back to his roots, recalling something his father once said that rung hollow to him until now: “In order to help other people, you first have to learn how to help yourself.”

So Tiger is taking the time to help himself.

He is on the road to recovery through a process by which he realizes there is a higher power in his life other than himself.

Maybe he does not need to control everything anymore.

Having realized the implications of his actions, Tiger is progressing to the next step—no different from when he is on a golf course, hitting driver and approach iron and putting the ball into the hole.

“I’ve hurt so many people, and so many people I have to make an amends to—and that’s living a life of amends,” he said.

What can come from admitting one has a weakness?

“When you face it, and you start conquering it, and you start living up to it. The strength that I feel now, I’ve never felt that type of strength.”

Maybe that strength came from learning something from people with little wealth, position, or title in this world.

Maybe in the course of his treatment, Tiger Woods has connected with the regular people living regular lives out there.

So Tiger is stronger now and likely will become a better person.

That will likely make him a better golfer.

Imagine that—Tiger Woods a better golfer than we saw last year, winning six times. Better than in 2008, when we saw him win the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, hobbling around on a broken leg. Or better than in 2002, when he completed the Grand Slam, winning the four major championships in a row.

Five, if you include The Players Championship.

All that matters to Tiger Woods these days is rebuilding his marital relationship and being a good father to his two children.

Yes, there are naysayers out there—those who say this is all an orchestrated effort to deceive the public again.

Maybe we deceived ourselves into believing and expecting a human being to be perfect.

The same people who think Tiger Woods owes them something—or worse yet, that they somehow own a piece of him and have the right to sit in judgment of him.

Life is too short for most of that nonsense.

Good for Tiger to come back at Augusta National, where any out-of-line behavior— including running to get a good seat when the gates open in the morning—is punishable by revoking forever your weekly badge privileges.

Remember that they closed the waiting list several years ago because realistically, there is little chance of a badge becoming available for the mere mortal soul.

I know a grown man who cried incessantly when he lost the badges that his father passed along to him because of the careless behavior of his friends.

Good for Tiger for focusing on what is important to him—his family and the game of golf.

Tiger’s legacy—and what he wants to do with his life—is the same as before.

“I felt that golf was a vehicle for me to help a lot of people.”

Throughout his success, Tiger has been very charitable. While donating $3 million in Haiti relief funds makes headlines, other work such as the Tiger Woods Foundation goes on quietly behind the scenes.

Factor in the unprecedented growth of the PGA Tour and the subsequent rise in charitable donations—all because of the Tiger Woods phenomenon—and one easily concludes that Tiger Woods has donated more than his fair share.

After all, hasn’t he basically given his life to us since he putted a few balls on The Mike Douglas Show at age 2?

So maybe Tiger Woods is on the right road—though, unfortunately for the most part, his travel will be in the public eye.

Let’s get back to why we came to know Tiger in the first place—back in the fall of 1996, when he said hello to the world and won his first event in Las Vegas.

This is a farewell to the darker days of his life and a joyous hello to the brighter side of life—a life free of addictions.

Good for Tiger—and who knows? Maybe the steps he takes in the years ahead will be a dozen majors to surpass Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18.

Fourteen plus 12—26 sounds like a nice career major total for Tiger.

Tiger Woods style—that’s good!

Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer. He follows the PGA Tour, volunteering and working part time for major golf broadcasters. He resides in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, near the PGA Tour headquarters and home of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.

He enjoys pursuing his passion for the game of golf and everything associated with it. He can be reached through his Web site Andy’s Golf & Travel Diary or by e-mailing him to AndyReistetter@gmail.com.

Reistetter has authored two books—one on inspirational living called “Love, The Rest of My Life (TROML) & The Pursuit of Eternity” and the other on inspirational leadership called “The Approach.” Both books are available by e-mailing AndyReistetter@gmail.com

Full Transcript of Tiger Woods’s Statement

FEB. 19, 2010

A transcript of Tiger Woods’s remarks at the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. on Friday.

TIGER WOODS: Good morning, and thank you for joining me. Many of you in this room are my friends. Many of you in this room know me. Many of you have cheered for me or you’ve worked with me or you’ve supported me.

Now every one of you has good reason to be critical of me. I want to say to each of you, simply and directly, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in.

I know people want to find out how I could be so selfish and so foolish. People want to know how I could have done these things to my wife Elin and to my children. And while I have always tried to be a private person, there are some things I want to say.

Elin and I have started the process of discussing the damage caused by my behavior. As Elin pointed out to me, my real apology to her will not come in the form of words; it will come from my behavior over time. We have a lot to discuss; however, what we say to each other will remain between the two of us.

I am also aware of the pain my behavior has caused to those of you in this room. I have let you down, and I have let down my fans. For many of you, especially my friends, my behavior has been a personal disappointment. To those of you who work for me, I have let you down personally and professionally. My behavior has caused considerable worry to my business partners.

To everyone involved in my foundation, including my staff, board of directors, sponsors, and most importantly, the young students we reach, our work is more important than ever. Thirteen years ago, my dad and I envisioned helping young people achieve their dreams through education. This work remains unchanged and will continue to grow. From the Learning Center students in Southern California to the Earl Woods scholars in Washington, D.C., millions of kids have changed their lives, and I am dedicated to making sure that continues.

But still, I know I have bitterly disappointed all of you. I have made you question who I am and how I could have done the things I did. I am embarrassed that I have put you in this position.

For all that I have done, I am so sorry.

I have a lot to atone for, but there is one issue I really want to discuss. Some people have speculated that Elin somehow hurt or attacked me on Thanksgiving night. It angers me that people would fabricate a story like that. Elin never hit me that night or any other night. There has never been an episode of domestic violence in our marriage, ever. Elin has shown enormous grace and poise throughout this ordeal. Elin deserves praise, not blame.

The issue involved here was my repeated irresponsible behavior. I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did is not acceptable, and I am the only person to blame.

I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in. I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn’t apply. I never thought about who I was hurting. Instead, I thought only about myself. I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn’t have to go far to find them.

I was wrong. I was foolish. I don’t get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife’s family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around the world who admired me.

I’ve had a lot of time to think about what I’ve done. My failures have made me look at myself in a way I never wanted to before. It’s now up to me to make amends, and that starts by never repeating the mistakes I’ve made. It’s up to me to start living a life of integrity.

I once heard, and I believe it’s true, it’s not what you achieve in life that matters; it’s what you overcome. Achievements on the golf course are only part of setting an example. Character and decency are what really count.

Parents used to point to me as a role model for their kids. I owe all those families a special apology. I want to say to them that I am truly sorry.

It’s hard to admit that I need help, but I do. For 45 days from the end of December to early February, I was in inpatient therapy receiving guidance for the issues I’m facing. I have a long way to go. But I’ve taken my first steps in the right direction.

As I proceed, I understand people have questions. I understand the press wants to ask me for the details and the times I was unfaithful. I understand people want to know whether Elin and I will remain together. Please know that as far as I’m concerned, every one of these questions and answers is a matter between Elin and me. These are issues between a husband and a wife.

Some people have made up things that never happened. They said I used performance enhancing drugs. This is completely and utterly false. Some have written things about my family. Despite the damage I have done, I still believe it is right to shield my family from the public spotlight. They did not do these things; I did.

I have always tried to maintain a private space for my wife and children. They have been kept separate from my sponsors, my commercial endorsements. When my children were born, we only released photographs so that the paparazzi could not chase them. However, my behavior doesn’t make it right for the media to follow my two and a half year old daughter to school and report the school’s location. They staked out my wife and they pursued my mom. Whatever my wrongdoings, for the sake of my family, please leave my wife and kids alone.

I recognize I have brought this on myself, and I know above all I am the one who needs to change. I owe it to my family to become a better person. I owe it to those closest to me to become a better man. That’s where my focus will be.

I have a lot of work to do, and I intend to dedicate myself to doing it. Part of following this path for me is Buddhism, which my mother taught me at a young age. People probably don’t realize it, but I was raised a Buddhist, and I actively practiced my faith from childhood until I drifted away from it in recent years. Buddhism teaches that a craving for things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security. It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. Obviously I lost track of what I was taught.

As I move forward, I will continue to receive help because I’ve learned that’s how people really do change. Starting tomorrow, I will leave for more treatment and more therapy. I would like to thank my friends at Accenture and the players in the field this week for understanding why I’m making these remarks today.

In therapy I’ve learned the importance of looking at my spiritual life and keeping in balance with my professional life. I need to regain my balance and be centered so I can save the things that are most important to me, my marriage and my children.

That also means relying on others for help. I’ve learned to seek support from my peers in therapy, and I hope someday to return that support to others who are seeking help. I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don’t know when that day will be.

I don’t rule out that it will be this year. When I do return, I need to make my behavior more respectful of the game. In recent weeks I have received many thousands of emails, letters and phone calls from people expressing good wishes. To everyone who has reached out to me and my family, thank you. Your encouragement means the world to Elin and me.

I want to thank the PGA TOUR, Commissioner Finchem, and the players for their patience and understanding while I work on my private life. I look forward to seeing my fellow players on the course.

Finally, there are many people in this room, and there are many people at home who believed in me. Today I want to ask for your help. I ask you to find room in your heart to one day believe in me again.

Thank you.

Filed Under: Featured People, Hickory Golf, People in Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

Play St. Johns Golf & Country Club- On the Road to the PGA TOUR

December 2, 2009 By admin

Golf writer Andy Reistetter has been tracking the road to the 2010 PGA TOUR.

He was on site at the Nationwide Tour Championship at the Daniel Island Club in Charleston, South Carolina where 25 golden golfers earned their 2010 PGA TOUR cards.

Two weeks ago he was at The Children’s Miracle Network Classic at the Walt Disney World Resort where the Top 125 on the money list were finalized and qualified for the 2010 PGA TOUR.

This week he heads to Bear Lakes CC in West Palm Beach to report on the Finals of Q-School and the Top 25 golfers and ties who will fill out the fields for the 2010 PGA TOUR.

Along the way he enjoys playing the golf courses the pros play in a series he is developing called “The Monday After.” How should an amateur play a golf course set up for professional golfers- from the tips, same hole locations, “The Monday After” the competition concludes.

In this installment he played the St. Johns Golf & Country Club as a guest of General Manager Dan Zimmer.

For some of the finalists in this week’s conclusion of Q-School the hopeful road to the PGA TOUR went directly through the St. Johns Golf & Country Club in late October.

Eight golfers are competing next week for a 2010 TOUR card because they advanced through the first stage held right here in our own backyard at the Clyde Johnson designed 7,236 yard gem off County Road 210 in northern St. Augustine.

Keep an eye on Alan Morin, Billy Horschel, Chris Kirk, David Lutterus, Jesse Hutchins, Joe Affrunti, Major Manning and Rafael Gomez and see if the guys who played at St. Johns Golf & Country Club make it to the PGA TOUR.

Then go out and play St. Johns’ to test your game versus some of the world’s best professional golfers.

That’s exactly what I did recently and quite frankly the results were as my friends say “keep your day job.”

But I did discover what a great golf course St. Johns G&CC is… especially for ladies.

I played with a lady friend and she really loved the playability and picturesque natural setting of a golf course that gently meanders through open forested land and around lakes and ponds.

The routing of the course is world class in that the front nine goes out in a clockwise direction to the south and returns to the clubhouse while the back nine is laid out in a counterclockwise direction.

The bottom line is that you are “lost in nature” never knowing exactly what direction you are heading in. The challenge of gauging the wind direction and its effect through the trees may very well be St. Johns’ hidden hazard.

As host for Q-School for five of the last six years this Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary had my number and the dismal 92 result far exceeded my 7-handicap expectations number wise.

Maybe I was being distracted by my lady friend or maybe the reason for posting such a high score was that I played the tips- the gold tees which are a challenging 74.7 rating and slope of 132.

Before teeing off I had the pleasure of meeting two brothers from Germany enrolled in the onsite world renowned Tom Burnett Golf Academy- 15-year old Willie and 20 year old Fritz Gabor.

With swings that appeared to be like that of new TOUR sensation Rickie Fowler these two golfers inspired by the likes of Martin Kaymer may be the ones who give Tiger Woods the old heave hoe in a few years.

Local PGA TOUR rookie Jeff Klauk who finished No. 71 on the money list this year winning over $1.2 million, Matt Kuchar and Aree Song are graduates of the Burnett Golf Academy.

Are you getting the picture here? Tremendous practice facilities, a world class designed golf course always in tip-top shape and a very friendly and accommodating staff that is “always exceeding your expectations” makes you feel like a member even if you play St. Johns only for a day.

For the record it is open for public play.

I started off well with a regulation par on the first hole which is a reasonably short par-4 of 400 yards from the tips.

On the other side of the practice facility is No. 10 which is a similar length par-4 of 407 yards.

Just like TPC Sawgrass home of THE PLAYERS Championship holes Nos. 1 and 10 are similar challenges from a design perspective. Why do golf course architects do that?

They do it so there is no advantage during competitions whether a golfer goes off No.1 or No. 10. Another subtle world class design element of St Johns Golf and Country Club.

I quickly put myself in trouble with an errant drive on the scenic par-5 second hole. Though managing a bogey the beauty of the pond down the right side of No. 2 that goes on to frame the green of the par-3 third hole mesmerized me into a quick feeling of tranquility on the links.

Not the competitive perspective one needs to score on a difficult but fair golf course.

Though the promoted signature hole is likely to be the finishing 18^th with an almost island like teeing area and the logoed bridge crossing this golfer thinks No. 4 is competitive in that regard.

Plus it was my only birdie of the day. Go figure that!

No. 4- the shortest par-4 on the golf course at 382 yards brings water into play off the tee on the right hand side. The water encapsulates the right half of the green which has a wooden bulkhead.

With a front right hole location my pitching wedge landed on the backboard behind the flagstick and zippered down past the hole leaving me the makeable 18-footer for birdie.

How exciting!

I am no Ben Crenshaw on the greens and the greens of St. Johns are no Augusta National but let me tell you taking 39 putts, 21 on the back nine is not my style.

Surely I was being distracted by something or someone?

To keep me in the game my lady golfer friend and I decided to engage into a match for the final five holes.

Brilliant or not so brilliant?

I am fortunate and happy to report the match ended in a draw with me winning the last with a 3-putt bogey. The logoed bridge depicted on the scorecard was like a bridge over troubled waters for me.

Though not winning the match it was my pleasure to buy lunch. The Grille Room is in a remarkable clubhouse and overlooks the 9^th and 18^th green complex.

As I sat there enjoying a tasty lunch and how lucky I was to win the final hole to draw the match to even I recalled coming out last year and watching some Q-School action around the Nos. 9 & 18 greens.

I had the pleasure of meeting Rod Curl the first full-blooded Native American to win a PGA TOUR event when he beat no one other than Jack Nicklaus down the stretch in the 1974 Colonial National Invitation.

His son Jeff advanced through the first round at St. Johns though he did not earn a 2009 TOUR card.

I remembered entering the clubhouse under the large clock as it struck high noon.

Isn’t it time for you to play St. Johns Golf & Country Club and find out where your game stands?

Or better yet take a lady friend and your best golfing buddy or two and enjoy the tranquility of an afternoon out on the links.

Situated equidistant from the hearts of Jacksonville and St. Augustine less than a mile off Interstate 95 its location is convenient whether or not you are on the road to the PGA TOUR.

Good golfing!

Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer. He follows the PGA TOUR volunteering and working part time for NBC Sports, CBS Sports, and The Golf Channel.

He resides in Jacksonville Beach, Florida near the PGA TOUR headquarters and home of The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. He enjoys pursuing his passion for the game of golf and everything associated with it. See more of Andy’s golf travel on his website Andy’s Golf & Travel Diary. Feel free to e-mail him to AndyReistetter@gmail.com

Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, East Coast Golf Journey, Northeast Florida

The Charm of Charleston; The Daniel Island Golf Club

October 30, 2009 By admin

Daniel Island Club hosted the Nationwide (now Web.com) Tour Championship from 2009 to 2011.

Golf writer Andy Reistetter was on site at the 2009 Nationwide Tour Championship at the Daniel Island Club in Charleston, South Carolina last week. He helped cover the action for The Golf Channel and thoroughly enjoyed witnessing in person the crowning tournament of the Nationwide Tour where 25 golden golfers earned their 2010 PGA TOUR cards.

To top that experience he was invited by Greg Keating, Vice President of Club Operations and Bobby Donnellan, Director of Golf to play the Rees Jones designed Ralston Creek Course on Monday morning. From the tips and with Sunday hole locations this devoted amateur golfer tells the story of the Nationwide Tour Championship and his “Monday Morning Golf” outing in his own words.

I have always wanted to go to Charleston, South Carolina so it was a no-brainer to drive up from Jacksonville Beach, Florida on Thursday morning to catch all the action of the Nationwide Tour Championship at the Daniel Island Club.

The Prince of Tides is a 1991 romantic drama film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Pat Conroy; the film stars Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte. Photo credit: Wiki.

My connection with Charleston was through the movie The Prince of Tides. You know the one nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture in 1991 with Barbara Streisand and Nick Nolte. I loved it when Nolte drove over the picturesque bridge in a convertible. So my dream was always to go to Charleston and drive over that bridge with the top down.

The Daniel Island Club is a couple of miles off the interstate highway. It’s a Wizard of Oz Munchkin like moment. It is that dramatic of an entrance into an enchanted land of Low country natural oaks, beautiful palms and saltwater marshes.

What is the quickest way to paradise from Interstate 526 around Charleston, South Carolina? Take Exit 24- Daniel Island and proceed to the Daniel Island Club.

Sixty of the best golfers on the Nationwide Tour did exactly that for their championship event- the culmination of the landmark 20thseason of PGA TOUR Driven excellence. There is no question that the skill, desire and work ethic of these golfers mirror that of the big tour.

In fact the PGA TOUR is simply the grown up version of its younger brother. Nationwide Tour graduates account for 258 PGA TOUR wins including 13 Major and 3 PLAYERS Championships. Make that 259 PGA TOUR wins with Nationwide Tour alumni Troy Matteson winning the Frys.com Open last week.

You do the math on that one- 20 years, about 40 PGA events a year is about 800 events… so about one in three come from the Nationwide Tour. With Tiger Woods with 71 victories and players coming directly from the European Tour being the key exceptions.

Matt Every, 2009 Nationwide (now Web.com) Tour Champion.

Matt Every who came in at No. 49 shot 63 in Friday’s second round and a pair of 67s on the weekend to overcome the tour’s best golfer Michael Sim who came out firing on all cylinders with a 64 on Thursday. The 25-year old Every would make his first win on the Nationwide Tour his biggest and hopefully his last. His stellar performance vaulted him to No. 10 on the money list. That gold status earned him his playing card on the PGA TOUR in 2010.

The heart pounding and heartwarming story of the week on Daniel Island was 44-year old Fran Quinn. Turning pro in 1988 he made it to the PGA TOUR for the first and only time in 1992 when he finished T8 at Q-School.

First and only time until now.

After twelve straight seasons on the Nationwide Tour where he is now ranked third in all-time starts at 324, Quinn fought off a painful bladder infection and was inspired by his 11-year-old son Owen. “Dad, you’re going to do it. You’re going to have a great day,” were the words spoken early Sunday morning though it was the tone that was really inspiring.

With Fran Quinn who finished No. 25 to earn his 2010 tour card.

The son in his heart already knew his father was a champion and all he hoped was that everyone else would know the same thing come the end of competition on Sunday. His father was locked in as No. 25 when Brian Stuard missed an eight foot birdie putt on the final hole to finish T14 in the Championship and only $2,844 out of the Top 25 and a golden passport to the big show next year.

Quinn’s success really was determined by his finish on Saturday. At 6-under par for the tournament he missed a short par putt on the 13th green. He then hit a poor iron from the fairway bunker on No. 14 failing to get out which led to double bogey.

On the par-3 15th he hit a poor chip shot and then a good one for a one-putt bogey. On the 16th he drove it left into the water and came away with another double bogey. In total, he was 6-over par for four holes and back to even par for the tournament. It easily could have been the end of the story but not for this gutsy competitor playing hurt.

Beware of the ill golfer. After steadying the ship with a two-putt par on No. 17 he finished strong with a birdie on No. 18. That was the key to the tournament for Quinn. Despite his ailment, he finished with a birdie put the poor stretch of golf behind him. He came through with a decent 74 on Sunday, a T46 finish and the $3,750 he needed to finish in the 25th slot after starting the week at No. 20.

“Those words (of my son) were an inspiration for me all day,” the elated Quinn said afterwards.

Fran Quinn was one of 25 players to sign the Top 25 flag at the end of the day.

While Quinn was fortunate to remain in the Top 25, another golfer named Steve Wheatcroft came into the gold with Every. The 31-year old Indiana University graduate from Indiana, Pennsylvania shot three rounds in the 60s and an even par 72 on Sunday to finish T3, win $58,000 and vault from No. 31 to No. 20.

In the tough reality of championship golf and a limited number of PGA TOUR cards to pass out at the awards ceremony late Sunday afternoon when two come in two have to go out.

Along with Brian Stuard who started at No. 23 Alastair Presnell the “bubble boy” at No. 25 coming in slipped to No. 28 despite a respectable T19 finish.

The big picture of the Top 25 movement for 2009 was that Matt Every (1^st) and Steve Wheatcroft (T3) came out of nowhere and surged ahead to No. 10 and No. 20 respectively on the final money list.

Quinn held on for dear life to remain in the Top 25 while Stuard and Presnell were bumped out despite reasonable finishes in the Tour Championship at Daniel Island.

Welcoming entrance to the Daniel Island Club for the 2009 Nationwide (now Web.com) Tour Championship.

Daniel Island was the perfect place for the championship with the difficult “U.S. Open Doctor” designed Ralston Creek course, superb facilities and near perfect weather. The winning score of 21-under par on the 7,446 yard par 72 masterpiece was due surprisingly to a lack of wind in this beautiful coastal community. Generous fairway widths in the landing zones despite the deep Rees bunkers was also good news for the bombers.

The winding 557-yard par 5 9th hole with water right off the tee and water short left of the green on the second shot was an exciting finishing hole. A perfect drive meant an opportunity to reach the green in two and possibly make eagle.

The beauty of the grounds with the purplish hue to the whimsical vegetation and the majestic clubhouse setting on high ground to the left as the player walks down the 18th fairway for the last time on Sunday afternoon.

Imagine the thoughts, feelings and emotions of Michael Sim as he completed perhaps the most dominant season ever on the Nationwide Tour.

Or Matt Every who triumphed as Nationwide Tour Champion just in time to catch the train to the PGA TOUR for 2010.

The informal hospitality of the Low country and that of Daniel Island was certainly evident on the grassed plateau behind the clubhouse. Overlooking the vast marsh the view is literally endless with natural beauty as far as the eye can see.

An open hospitality tent designated the 19th hole provided spirits and musical tunes to dance to as the evening sun set over the marshland.

Jerry Foltz, the broadcasting face of the Nationwide (now Web.com) Tour, mc’d the tour card presentation ceremony.

On Sunday afternoon the festivities were taken inside the large ballroom where Golf Channel Host Jerry Foltz emceed the final chapter of the Quest for the Card series where the 25 golden graduates of the 2009 Nationwide Tour receive their official 2010 PGA TOUR card.

The graduation ceremony started with 25 empty chairs on stage draped in the numbered gold caddie bibs. One by one the successors are introduced and come across the stage to shake hands with Bill Calfee, President of the Nationwide Tour and Jim Lyski, Chief Marketing Officer for Nationwide.

Better than a high school or college graduation, this ceremony utilizes high tech life size portraits of each golfer with a twirling PGA TOUR card framing the background for the handshakes and presentations. There is no pomp and circumstance playing over and over again.

Family and friends whoop it up a bit as each player is introduced. This ceremony being the culmination of the hard work of a year or of a career brings out the emotions and tears of joy especially for the successful bubble boys and streakers like Every and Wheatcroft.

The joyous gathering spilled out to the grassy plateau where Jerry Foltz continued the festivities recognizing a Nationwide Tour volunteer for the past 31 years in a very inspiration manner.

Lady Lainey and her new car exemplify the family spirit of The Golf Channel and the Nationwide (now Web.com) Tour.

Lady Lainey drives to many tournaments from her home in South Carolina. Her car with over 300,000 miles on the odometer has seen better days. A grassroots collection was taken up with contributions received from players, caddies, other volunteers, and the media among others to purchase her a new car so she could continue her volunteer activities.

Though she did not leap on the car like Rich Beem did when he aced the 14th hole at Riviera in the 2007 Northern Trust Open Lainey was obviously moved by the outpouring of love and respect for all she has accomplished in a humble manner the last 31 years.

The celebrations on the grassy plateau continued on into the darkness on Sunday evening with hugs and kisses and pictures and toasts occurring nonstop for a few hours as players, caddies, family, friends and fans milled around enjoying the special moment.

Want to experience the Nationwide Tour family up close and personal? Make plans to attend the 2010 Nationwide Tour Championship at the Daniel Island Club in Charleston, South Carolina.

I was like a kid on Christmas morning amongst the purple pageantry of the Daniel Island Club.

I was like a kid that simply could not wait for Christmas morning to come. An opportunity to play the Ralston Course with exactly the same setup of the tour players was granted to me for which I am extremely thankful. My peg was in the ground at 8 a.m. walking and playing in a twosome with a distinguished member named Richard. He was distinguished to me in that it was immediately evident he loved the game and cherished the walk in the park we would surely enjoy over the next few hours.

Off we went with me playing from the tips a la my friend Sir Walter’s way… go to the back of the back tee, take one step with your right foot, then another step with your left, bend over and put the tee in the ground at the tip of your left shoe.

Wait a minute, this course measures 7,446 yards. Even for a 7-handicapper that is quite the challenge. Especially for a 7-handicapper who doesn’t get out as much as he use to. It is definitely try what they say about being in the golf business—you do play less golf.

I lied about my drives carrying 270 and rolling to 300… this one stopped well short of 250!

The key to being able to play a golf course of this length is having the fairways hard and fast so the ball rolls like crazy. That is the only way my 260 yard drives will ever stretch to the needed 300 yards. Looking back the length of the golf course was not overwhelming to me. It was long and I did hit every club in my bag. I was hitting the ball extremely solid and straight for the most part.

On the four par-3s I hit two hybrid 4 irons and two drivers to carry the marsh on the 250-yard 9th hole and to carry the water into the wind on the 227-yard 12th hole. I bogeyed No. 9 pulling my drive way left though I two-putt for par on No. 12.

On the par-5s after reasonable second shots I hit 6-iron, 8-iron and pitching wedges into Nos. 6 and 18. I played the par-5s one over par and the par-3s two-over par sadly three-putting No. 15 from 30 feet.

The heart of the Daniel Island Club like any golf course is the 14 par-4s which bring the designer’s challenge and intrigue into play. The shortest iron I had into any par-4 was an 8-iron on No. 17 which I played from the back tees at 368 yards. The longest was a 3-wood into No. 10 playing 468 yards into the wind.

The green at the par-3 third hole.

With Richard as a wonderful playing companion I started off well with hybrid 3-irons into the par-4 Nos. 1 and 2 and coming away with par. Thinking I was off to a good start with the third hole a par-5 coming up I pulled out my 3-wood to advance the ball as far as I could on the second shot on the 618-yard hole. A quick swing trying to hit the ball from the top of my backswing resulted in a duck hook that rolled to a stop in the left fairway bunker.

Now I was in Rees Jones country—a fairly deep fairway bunker with 160+ yards to the hole over water and the front part of the bunker. Another quick swing resulted in a top shot that encountered the signature Jones grassed finger trying to escape the bunker.

With the ball still in the bunker I was challenged with the same shot only ten yards shorter. Trying to calm myself down a bit I exchanged my 6-iron for a 7-iron. Taking a deep breath I made a perfect swing with the ball rising over the lip of the bunker, carrying the water, covering the back left flagstick all the way to the hole.

I chipped delicately from slightly past the putting surface from light Bermuda rough with an 8-iron. The challenge of disaster had passed as I tapped in for a bogey. Still a good start one over par after three holes.

The marsh views are spectacular and make for a memorable experience no matter how good one’s golf game is that day playing the Daniel Island Club.

After a hybrid four iron to 30 feet and a two-putt regulation par on the 188-yard par-3 4th hole disaster struck quietly but soundly on the 402 yard par-4 5th hole.

My drive right landed in another fairly deep fairway bunker. Failing to get my 8-iron I managed to escape barely with a 9-iron. Granted I am not the most skilled fairway bunker player but I am not bad. There is something about these bunkers that subtlety pull you into misjudging the lie or height needed to escape in a routine manner.

A skulled wedge over the green left me with a snarly heavy Bermuda rough lie that I was fortunate to get up near the green only to mischip and two-putt my way to a quadruple bogey 8- a snowman on a warm Charleston morning.

So much for the good start at least score wise. Though battered a bit I felt confident this was still my day. After parring the par-5 6th hole I drove right again on the par-4 458-yard 7th. Forced to punch out with a 5-iron I wedged to the green only to lip out a 40-footer and make bogey.

After a perfect drive on the 395-yard dog-leg-left par-4 8th hole the beauty of the Daniel Island Club unfolds with a vast marsh to the left of the fairway. The marsh goes forever necessitating a carry over it on the long par-3 9th hole.

The openness continues the full length of the 468-yard par-4 10th hole and then simply expands in all directions. To the north along holes nos. 11, 12, 13, and 14, To the east as far as the eye can see. If the marsh was an ocean you would be at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland.

What a feeling to be in awe of these natural surroundings.

The par-3 ninth hole with a intimidating carry over the marsh.

A good par on the 8th and the previously mentioned driver over the marsh pulled to safety left on the 9th and I carded a plus-7 43 on the front nine holes. Not bad but I played really well though the score does not indicate it.

I hit a pro long bunker shot from the short right bunker on the 10th green only to miss a 6-footer for par. Other than that putt and a similar 6-footer for par on No. 9 and the 3-putt on No. 15 I putted well all day.

An alligator-less par on the 583-yard par-5 11th hole and a solid driver par on the par-3 12th got my round back to stable condition. Another plus-1 start over the first three holes. I was determined to post a good score on the back nine possibly break 40 for my normal low 80s posting.

Though this was not a normal course. At 7,446 yards it carried a rating of 77.3 and a slope of 143. Who said only Pete Dye was diabolical? Honestly thought the course played fairly with no tricked up holes. Only solid well designed good golf holes coming at you.

I made a good par on the dog-keg-left par-4 467-yard 13th hole. Driving left I hit a flyer with a hybrid 4-iron that just kept rolling and rolling down the firm fairway. A nice chip and tap in gave me confidence.

Plus the back nine holes were the ones I covered for the Golf Channel so I knew them well. I had seen some great golf shots over four days. In fact, I have seen a lot of good golf shots at over 40 PGA TOUR events in the last two years.

Not that I am one of them but I have seen and know how it can be done. Get the ball in the hole however you can—great drive, recovery shot, long putt whatever just get it in the hole in as few strokes as possible and there you have the game of golf.

The par-3 15th hole at the Daniel Island Club.

A key to success for my back nine performance came after I pulled a 6-iron in the left bunker on the par-4 424-yard 14th hole. I had to carry 30 feet of sand, an embankment to a near sided hole location.

An honest assessment is that I did not have the skills let alone the lie to carry that shot off. I played out sideways and two-putted from 30 feet for a “good” bogey.

Two over after five holes on the back nine with a par-3, tough par-4, short par-4 and the par-5 finishing hole left I started to actively think about how good it would be to break 40.

Distracted I three-putted the 15th after a nice hybrid 2-iron to 30 feet. There’s nothing worse than a 3-putt to kill the mojo on a golf course.

Now I had the toughest hole of the Nationwide Tour Championship in front of me—a 450-yard par-4 dog-leg-left with water all the way down the left side with bunkers right.

After a solid drive I hit a hybrid 4-iron to 25 feet and drained the putt for my only birdie of the day. What a treat to birdie the toughest hole on the golf course. Richard was beginning to think maybe I was a pro disguised as a golf writer if there ever could be such a thing.

I tried to step up an 8-iron from 140 yards on No. 17 and fell short hitting the bank and rolling back in the bunker. Though I did not get my bunker shot all the way to the green I did perform well with a delicate chip and tap-in bogey.

Four bogeys and a birdie on the back nine. With a par on the closing par-5 I will shoot a respectable 39 on the back nine.

After a drive and a lay-up hybrid 4-iron my wedge fell short of the ridge protecting the back hole location I was faced with a difficult two-putt from 60 feet. The lag putt almost went in and left with a tap-in par for 39.

The 18-hole score of 82 putt a smile on my face.

The Top 25 Class of 2009!

Though no Top 25 finish or 2010 PGA TOUR card awaits this golf writer it was a fantastic round to play the course after seeing the professionals compete for four days.

I guess I should keep my day job if only I had one.

Daniel Island Club—Charleston’s in-town country club amidst a remarkable planned community.

Only a dream for some but if you can make it a reality I would highly recommend doing it. Did I mention the “other” golf course there is the Tom Fazio designed Beresford Creek?

By the way I did drive over the bridge a few times with the top down.

I think it’s a new replacement bridge but quite spectacular with its twin towers and streaming cables.

With great sadness, I leave the Charleston area for now.

Remember if you can; catch the Nationwide championship there in 2010.