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Memories of the 2008 PLAYERS Championship won by Sergio Garcia!

May 30, 2008 By admin

With my friend SJ volunteering at the 2008 PLAYERS!

My first PLAYERS was in 2008, the year I left Corporate America to travel around America to follow the tour. I put my material possessions in storage and came to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida (Northeast Florida, near Jacksonville) in late January. I volunteered at each of the four ‘Florida Swing’ events (the Honda in Palm Beach Gardens, the WGC at Doral near Miami, the one with lots of names in the last 7 years at Innisbrook near Tampa Bay and Mr. Palmer’s own at Bay Hill in Orlando), then came back to Ponte Vedra Beach, rented an apartment for a month and waited for THE PLAYERS Championship to take place in early May. After that I literally followed the tour for three years renting rooms for a week and coming back to Ponte Vedra Beach in the winter. In January, 2011 I bought my little ‘creative condo’ and for the last three years have done more of the same continuing to develop (in my opinion) as a freelance golf writer and broadcast assistant. My travel golf pursuits culminated in the “Journey to Olympic Golf,” a 100-day, 14-country, 18,471-mile odyssey from where they last played golf in the Olympics in 1904 in St. Louis to where it will be played, after a 112-year absence, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016. Sorry for the rather long bridge from 2008 to today but having gone from summer to spring this year I need to recalibrate the personal GPS once in a while.

Some of the ‘course prep’ team in 2008!

My first PLAYERS in 2008 was quite special in terms of the folks I met as a volunteer that year, originally in corporate hospitality but then on the ‘course prep’ team. I still remember the call from Eileen Taylor, who is the head of volunteers, asking me if I was available the Friday before to help stake and rope the Stadium Course. Of course I was and what fun it was and how many great people I met over the last six years. On the “Journey to Olympic Golf” I learned that “once an Olympian, always an Olympian.” Same for PLAYERS volunteers, “once a friend, always a friend.” So here are my pictures and some stories from 2008:

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

2008 PLAYERS: Tiger Woods Admits Jack Nicklaus Forever Better than Me

May 7, 2008 By admin

PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem reads Tiger Woods’ letter where he states that “I count myself among the millions of fans who consider you to be the greatest of all time.”

Tiger Woods Admits Jack Nicklaus “Forever Better than Me”

Tiger Woods has razzle-dazzled us with his golfing abilities as he competed in 253 tournaments in a little over 13 years on tour. Winning 71 of them, including 14 majors, he has earned the distinction of perhaps the best player to ever play the game sans Jack Nicklaus.

Many would argue the most important title of the best “golfer” of all time; not simply the best “player” of the game.

Tiger is on that track to challenge Jack Nicklaus.

Only time will tell if his greatness will extend beyond Nicklaus’ in golfing lore.

Nicklaus with his 18 major victories played in 594 PGA TOUR events winning 73 of them.

With only three more victories Tiger will surpass Nicklaus.

On average, that is only a half a year’s work for Tiger.

My first time in the Clubhouse at TPC Sawgrass was in 2008.. Nicklaus Mural… Steve Elkington’s still covered up.

The only thing ahead of the now freshly minted 34-year old Tiger at that point to beat is Slammin’ Sammy Sneed’s 82 wins in the record book.

That’s another year and a half of work for the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world to overtake Sneed.

Wait a minute you say—hold the presses—isn’t it all about winning Major Championships?

Yes it is and Tiger is four behind Nicklaus in that category.

Can Tiger get hot and win five-of-six Majors again like he did back at the end of 1999 through the start of the 2001 seasons?

Let’s see where the majors are being contested in 2010.

At Augusta National (Masters), Pebble Beach (U.S. Open), the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland (British Open), and at Wisconsin’s Whistling Straits (PGA).

Tiger is 4-for-15 at the Masters, never missing one since first playing there in 1995 as an amateur.

The back of the Clubhouse at the 2008 PLAYERS.

Tiger is 3-for-15 in U.S. Opens including 1-for-1 at Pebble Beach, where he won in 2000 by 15 strokes. He also has never missed a U.S. Open.

Tiger is 3-for-14 in British Opens including 2-for-2 at St. Andrews winning in 2000 and 2005. The last person to win an Open at St. Andrews other than Tiger is John Daly.

Tiger is 4-for-12 in PGA Championships though 0-for-1 at Whistling Straits.

Without a choice due to his reconstructive left knee surgery, Woods missed the Open at Birkdale and the PGA at Oakland Hills in 2008.

Get the picture here?

Not only is 2010 the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese Zodiac but as far as major championship venues, this is Tiger’s year.

With my buddy SJ at the 2008 Jack Nicklaus Lifetime Achievement Award presentation on the back lawn.

It is definitely possible that in two years’ time we could be sitting here with Woods as the undisputed best golfer of all time.

It will be a lively discussion…

Tiger has already stated his belief that Nicklaus is and will always be the best golfer of all time.

On the Wednesday of the 2008 PLAYERS Championship, Nicklaus received the Lifetime Achievement award from the PGA TOUR.

Tiger was neither able to attend nor compete in THE PLAYERS due to his third left knee arthroscopic surgery.

Commissioner Finchem read the following letter from Tiger to Jack:

“No one I can think of is more deserving.

“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.

Tiger & Jack, both Masters Champions but Jack has 18 majors and Tiger only 14 and that hasn’t changed in the last 8 years! Photo Credit: GolfPunkHQ

“Your record of 118 (worldwide) tournament victories (including 73 sanctioned by the PGA TOUR) and 18 major championships alone is reason enough to receive this honor.

“However, equally important are your commitment to philanthropy, your skill as a course designer, and your steadfast dedication to family.

“These values insure your contribution to golf will forever be unmatched and make you the man whose path we all seek to emulate.”

“Thank you for being such a tremendous mentor to me and so many others.”

“Congratulations Jack, Tiger Woods”

And who says Tiger Woods is self-centered?

My program with Jack’s autograph on a historical day in golf!

Let’s compare his performance or potential in the areas of greatness he outlined in his letter to Jack.

Tournament records: It is probable that Tiger is likely to surpass Nicklaus.

Philanthropy: The billion dollar athlete will undoubtedly surpass Nicklaus if he has not already.

Skill as course designer: to be determined as Tiger is only getting started.

Steadfast dedication to family: well, not exactly as evidenced by recent disclosures.

So Wednesday, May 7, 2008 is the date stamp for Tiger Woods admitting Jack Nicklaus is the forever unmatched greatest golfer of all time.

Jack Nicklaus, the Greatest of All-Time per Tiger Woods!

However, President Clinton taught us it all depends on what the meaning of the word “is” is.

Maybe Tiger will sing a different tune once he has 83 victories and 19 majors in his pockets.

In the minds of many people it all depends not only on what Tiger does on a golf course over the next two years, but what Tiger does at home in the next two months with respect to his wife Elin and his children Sam Alexis and Charlie Axel.

Tiger: Do you want to be the world’s all-time greatest “player” or the world’s all-time greatest golfer?

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 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 website www.AndyGolfTravelDiary.com by e-mailing him to AndyReistetter@gmail.com

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

Memories of the 2008 WGC-CA at Doral Won by Geoff Ogilvy!

March 23, 2008 By admin

My second tournament on tour was the 2008 World Golf Championship (WGC) at Doral and it was amazing!

Why?

China’s Liang Wen-Chong on the practice tee. Cool to see some international players play that I had never seen play before or even heard of.

Because all of the best players in the world were there at Doral competing in a 72-hole medal play tournament. All 79 of them with various qualification scenarios:Top 50 players from the Official World Golf Rankings; Top 30 from the previous year’s final PGA Tour FedEx Cup points list; Top 20 from the final 2007 European Tour Order of Merit; and the Top 3 from the prior year’s final Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, and the Sunshine Tour Orders of Merit.

The last few criteria meaning several new players from around the world who had never previously played on the PGA TOUR in America!

In 2008 those players were guys like Japan’s Toru Taniguchi, Sweden’s Robert Karlsson, India’s SSP Chawrasia, South Africa’s Anton Haig, and China’s Liang Wen-Chong.

That was cool and exciting to me. Here were guys that grew up half way around the world and learned to play the same game as I did growing up!

Amazing graphic. Tiger had won six of the previous eight WGC-CAs. If it was a WGC, it was Tiger’s back then!

Looking at the picture of previous WGC champions and one quickly recalls how dominant Tiger Woods was back then. A battle with Phil Mickelson before when Tiger was leading the Majors Battle 13-3.

Geoff Ogilvy validated his 2006 United States Open title with his second World Golf Championship winning nearly wire-to-wire with only Miguel Angel Jimemez managing to match his open round of 65.

But my memories are really in the pictures and here they are:

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Filed Under: Hickory Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

Memories of the 2008 Honda Classic won by Ernie Els—My First Event on Tour!

March 2, 2008 By admin

1.1 Andy with Ernie Els 2008 Honda Classic Champion Wed 2-27-08

With Ernie Els in 2008 at the Honda Classic.

The 2008 Honda Classic was my first event when I went out on tour!

Having written two books and with golf an inspiration throughout my life, I had decided to leave Corporate America and pursue a golf career. I chose Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida since the PGA TOUR was headquartered there and THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP was at TPC Sawgrass every year. It also fulfilled a childhood dream to live in Florida just like Doc Donlin. Plus it was the beach! Looking back I could not have made a better choice and consider this area, along with the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine and the PGA Merchandise Show and The Golf Channel in Orlando, the modern capital of golf.

My career transition plan was simple. Come to Ponte Vedra for two weeks to get the lay of the land and then volunteer for the four Florida Swing tournaments starting with the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens. I wanted to learn the golf business from the bottom up. Did I know golf writing, golf travel and golf broadcasting would be where I ended? Not really but I did hope to land a job with the PGA TOUR. Looking back it amazes me the how my journey in golf evolved. A ‘No’ in one area turned into ‘YES’ in another and with nine seasons under my belt I can say I have enjoyed it all.

1 Andy Reistetter w Ernie Els Oubaai 12-30-16

With Ernie Els at Oubaai in South Africa on December 30th, 2016.

Actually, the volunteering turned into a paid broadcasting assistant position before I even knew it or even traveled south for the Honda Classic. Erin from NBC Sports saw my name on a volunteer scorer list for the Innisbrook tournament and called me up to see if I wanted to be a “spotter.” I didn’t know what that was at the time and asked her what it was. “We assign you to a group, you walk inside the ropes and report by radio players and shots to sequence the broadcast and we will pay you.” That sounded like fun to me and I asked if they needed me at the Honda and she said yes.

So at that very first tournament I volunteered for the tournament as a Shotlink guy and also worked as a spotter for NBC. I did manage to take a few pictures early in the week and 57 of them are in the gallery below.

The 18th back in 2008…

The story of course that week was Ernie Els first tour victory in four years. I got to meet him and get a picture with him. As it turned out I would see him a few more times over the years, most recently in South Africa at his home course at Oubaai. No nicer guy on tour, big-hearted and definitely the “Big Easy!” He would go on to win again at 2010 WGC at Doral, the 2010 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and of course, his fourth Major at the 2012 Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

So many beautiful memories and friendships made that continue today from that very first 2008 Honda Classic for me!

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Filed Under: Hickory Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

Mr. Hickory Golf…

October 15, 2004 By admin

CLICK HERE for all Mr. Hickory Golf articles!

Golf became a lifestyle for Andy Reistetter when at an early age his older brother ‘L.P.’ gave him the Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons book inscribed as follows:

“Golf is a lot like life, the more you learn and understand about it, the easier it is to meet its challenges.”

In 1998, “L.P.’ introduced Andy to Dick Donovan, the renowned golf book collector and bibliographer. The ‘book guy’ introduced Andy to life ‘across the pond’ in Scotland and to the Golf Collectors’ Society (GCS).

At his first GCS event in Madison, Wisconsin Andy met Joe DeWulf and Harry Horton. Horton who as a kid saw a dehydrated Ken Venturi win the U.S. Open at Congressional CC was an expert at repairing and restoring hickory golf clubs.

With Horton’s professionally renewed hickories in his hands, Reistetter caught the ‘play hickory golf’ bug and played several seasons exclusively with hickories while wearing knickers.

At last count Reistetter’s playable hickory club collection stands at 40 sets and he is ready to enhance your corporate or charitable event with a unique, inspiring and fun experience.