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

Reminiscing about Tom Watson & the 2009 Turnberry Open…

July 19, 2009 By admin

Tom Watson teeing off in front of the Lighthouse at Turnberry.

WOW, I can’t believe it has been five years since I went ‘across the pond’ to spot the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry for ESPN/ABC. What a week that was seeing an Open, the links golf course at Turnberry and Stewart Cink beat the indomitable Tom Watson, at age 59, in a four-hole playoff. All for less than $US 1,000 and that included an $US 800 airfare. There truly is nothing like experiencing an Open in person though it was very exciting to see Rory McIlroy win at Royal Liverpool on television this year. Where have the years gone- Louis Oosthuizen at St. Andrews in 2010, Darren Clarke at Royal St. George’s in 2011, Ernie Els at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in 2012, and Phil Mickelson at Muirfield last year. You do see much better watching on television but definitely go once when you get the chance. Hard to believe it sounds like it will be Tom Watson’s final Open farewell at St. Andrews in the 2015 Open. I could not help but sense that a new era arrived with Rory winning a third major and youngsters like Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia coming in second. I know Sergio is not that young but he is not that old either. Maybe it will be Rory that breaks Jack or Tiger’s record?

In the grandest of sporting gestures, Tom Watson raising the flagstick on No. 15 to enable Steve Marino to know the location of the hole.

Everyone remembers the 2009 Open for Tom Watson’s valiant drive to win golf’s oldest championship at age 59. I remember it for something Watson did on the 15th green on Saturday. Watson’s playing partner was Steve Marino and he hit a shot wide right on the difficult par-3 15th hole. Marino was having a difficult day and now his ball was lost down in a gulley. Not only did Tom Watson go down the hill to help find the ball, once it was found, having sense of mind, respect and compassion for his playing partner he went up the hill and removed the flagstick and raised it over his head so Marino would know where the hole was. I think this speaks the world of Tom Watson, not only the golfing world. What a great guy! To do this while trying to literally make history by winning the Open at age 59 really made an impression on me. Not that he needed to because I am a big Tom Watson fan. It was vintage Tom Watson for sure!

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 think Tom Watson just ran out of gas in the playoff with Stewart Cink. Why the golf gods and Bruce Edwards up above did not stop that ball on the green on the 18th in regulation I will never know. My routine for the week was to head to the 15th grandstand after my ‘work’ spotting for ESPN/ABC was complete. I would watch the last four or five groups play the 15th and then walk in with the final group. It was an exciting playoff and not over until Watson’s drive on the third playoff hole (the par-5 17th) was found in nasty rough.Watson’s up-and-down on the par-3 sixth hole was a miracle. All the credit goes to Cink for playing the four playoff holes 1-under par. Well played Stewart Cink, indeed he was ‘the Champion Golfer of the Year’ in 2009!

‘Need Place to Stay, Will Pay’ sign did the trick. Or was it my friendly smile?

I also remember the 2009 Open for the sheer travel adventure that it was for me! I arrive in Glasgow on Sunday morning from New York’s JFK via Amsterdam without a place to stay. After a bus to City Centre and a bacon roll at the train station, I boarded a train to Ayr. The train took me past Troon and Prestwick with golf courses in full view. In Ayr I hopped a bus to Turnberry and was on the Ailsa Course by 1:30 pm. After an afternoon of rollicking amongst the hillocks and dales of the links course meeting people and enjoying the view I headed for the bus stop in front of the clubhouse. The sign I held said it quite plainly- “Need Place to Stay, Will Pay.” A young man named Stuart came to my rescue and we took the bus back to his place in Ayr. Not only did I have a bed to sleep in but the five pound fee included a walking tour of the city. As important I met Colin in the pro shop whose mother was letting out rooms for the week with one still vacant. As it turned out, after intense negotiations to meet my budget, Maybole would be my home for the week. Though I would walk to the nearby bus stop early each morning to catch the bus to Turnberry, many times someone would stop and offer me a ride without fare. Likewise, rides would appear on the way home too. All I can say is I was adopted by many loving people while living my dream that week in Maybole and Turnberry. I am happy for Stewart Cink achieving his dream of winning a Major but will always remember the 2009 Turnberry Open for what if Tom Watson won it at age 59. Who knows what will happen at St. Andrews in Watson’s last Open in 2o15…

I have countless pictures from my week at Turnberry. Okay I counted them and there are 1,384 (actually Microsoft File Explorer counted them for me). I split it up into two picture galleries- the first one being the trip and the people I met along the way (71 pics) and the second one being the competitive golf (76 pics). Both tell stories in the captions. I wish I had a way to contact every person I met to say thank you again for a wonderful Open experience of a lifetime!

The trip and the people I met:

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The competitive golf:

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

Memories of the 2009 US Open at Bethpage Black Won by Lucas Glover!

June 19, 2009 By admin

Couple kids enjoying the US Open with their oversized golf balls!

From one coastal premier public golf course to another—the West Coast version—the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines headed east to the East Coast version—the 2009 US Open at Bethpage Black. Lucas Glover won his only major title, two strokes ahead of runners-up Ricky Barnes, David Duval, and Phil Mickelson. This was the second U.S. Open at Bethpage Black; the first in 2002 was won by Tiger Woods, also the defending champion. The 2009 edition was hit heavily by continuous rain throughout the tournament, and resulted in multiple suspensions of play. Mickelson announced that this would be his last tournament for a while, before he took time off to tend to his ailing wife, Amy, who had been recently diagnosed with breast cancer. It was Mickelson’s fifth runner-up finish at the U.S. Open, breaking the record of four by Sam Snead, Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus. His sixth came four years later in 2013 at Merion. Glover birdied 16 and parred the final two holes to seal the victory.

Enjoying the 2009 US Open with my brother-in-law Bob!

I love having the US Open at Bethpage Black as I stay with my sister who lives not too far away. This year I did features on the people I met during the week—People of the US Open! While I know the focus is the golf competition inside the ropes, for me as much fun, as much entertainment, and as much inspiration lies outside the ropes, hence an earlier name for ‘Andy’s Golf & Travel Diary’ was “Outside the Ropes Entertainment!”

Another Monday finish at the US Open, this time the completion of the Final Round, last year the 18-hole playoff and 2-hole sudden death win by Tiger Woods over Rocco Mediate.

The cross bunkers of the majestic par-5 4th hole!

The par-5 4th hole at Bethpage Black being the Signature Hole does not adequately convey its beauty, its historical design or its spiritual aspects walking it for 5 days in a row watching the best golfers in the world trying to master its competitive greatness as well. Plus the entertainment outside the ropes not far from the greatest city in the world!

Here are 121 picture memories of the 2009 US Open at Bethpage Black won by Lucas Glover!

TROML Baby!

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Filed Under: Hickory Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

Memories of the 2009 PLAYERS Championship won by Henrik Stenson!

April 28, 2009 By admin

President Bush No. 41 honored with Life TIme Achievement Award.

The 2009 Players Championship was my second so I knew my way around TPC Sawgrass a little better than 2008. It was an extraordinary year both before and during the golf competition which has become known as “Golf’s Fifth Major” and one-and-only THE PLAYERS Championship.

On a somber, sad yet joyous note there was the tribute to Dave “Duffy” Lemon, a.k.a. “Reptile” on the 17th green. I literally had met him a few days before his death. He lived next door at the beach and we chatted a little with a promise to “talk more golf” next time. See the article I wrote at the time below past the picture gallery.

On Wednesday, which is always Military Day at THE PLAYERS, in 2009 it was incredibly patriotic with President George Walker Bush, No. 41 present to receive the PGA TOUR’s highest honor, a Lifetime Achievement Award. There was a procession up the 18th fairway and a memorable ceremony near the green complete with an F-16 flyover.

Hal Sutton’s portrait revealed in the Clubhouse in 2009.

Hal Sutton’s “Be the right club today” portrait was unveiled in the clubhouse on the other side of the front door from Steve Elkington’s “3-iron first to win on the 18th with a birdie.” Both two-time winners joined two, now three, two-time winners Tiger Woods (second win in 2013), Davis Love III and Freddie Couples. Three-time champion Jack Nicklaus and first time winner at TPC Sawgrass Steve Pate complete the seven-portrait greeting in the lobby of the Clubhouse.

On Sunday I spotted Henrik Stenson’s group for NBC Sports and he shot a bogey-free 66 to come out of the pack and lap the field and win by four strokes. At the start of the final round he was tied for second with Tiger Woods and five others five strokes behind Alex Cejka. It was the most amazing round I ever witnessed with two incredible bunker saves on Nos. 3 (back bunker with back flag) and 5 (short upper right bunker) before his first chip putt birdie on No. 7.

“Spectacular,” as Sj would say, memories from 2009!

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Longtime PGA TOUR Caddie Dave Lemon Dies Unexpectedly at Age 54

Dave “Duffy” Lemon, a.k.a. the “Reptile” caddied for John Mahaffey when he won the 1978 PGA Championship. He was a regular guy that grew up in Chicago and caddied on the PGA TOUR for 27 years. I met him only three days ago as I was to become his new upstairs neighbor living on the beach in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. He started a conversation with me about life on the tour caddying for the likes of John Daly before he won at Crooked Stick. Unfortunately that conversation ended Christmas Eve morning when I came back from the YMCA just in time to see the coroner take his body from his apartment on a stretcher draped in black. Dave “Duffy” Lemon, a.k.a. “a really nice guy” is dead at age 54 as a result of complications of kidney failure and diabetes.

Duffy as his close friends knew him liked his caddie nickname “Reptile.” He told me there were a lot of Dave’s out there caddying on tour and the nickname made him unique so people could remember him. So even back then in the early 80s the world of marketing impacted the caddies. He told me he received the nickname playing a little golf up in Hilton Head with some tour buddies. He wasn’t that good so his golf ball was always out past the outskirts of the fairway in the friendly confines of the swamp and jungle where the reptiles live. Hence Duffy being appointed the “Reptile.”

The surfer dude young civil engineer Dustin next door recalled Duffy recently telling him “he was living on borrowed time.” He would wait patiently outside his apartment sitting for a friend to pick him up and take him to dialysis treatment. Duffy mentioned to me in our brief encounter that his vision would become so clouded at times from the diabetes that he could hardly see. I had to put my name and number in his cell phone for him. His life was simple and good which is pretty much what all of us hope for especially around this time of year.

I can tell you he had friends. His dialysis-driving friend was there with him three times a week. Tony called to check on him in the morning and knew immediately something was wrong and came over to find out what it was. His landlord and billiard-shooting friend Terry who virtually let him live at the beach rent-free. They met at a bar during the PLAYERS many years ago and were friends for life after that. His upstairs neighbor Jeff who could fix just about anything. The PGA TOUR didn’t forget one of its own as Terry told me they contacted him to pay his rent and make sure Duffy was being taken care of. Maybe there will never be a movie about Duffy’s life but it surely is an example of the goodness of life around the game of golf and living here in America.

Our conversation, I wish could continue. Maybe it will. That’s the funny thing about the game of golf- it is never what you expect and usually it is what you least expect. I am researching a golf book about the history of the golf course I grew up on in Binghamton, New York. I never expected to, but what I received was a million stories about my deceased father who was a one-time club champion including newspaper articles I had never seen with his picture of him in them. I think the Duffy conversation will continue though it will be others doing the talking for him.

Doesn’t it seem we always find golf clusters in our lives? When the surf was low neighbor Dustin managed the building of the Tom Fazio designed Amelia National Golf & Country Club course. Duffy, the PGA TOUR caddie was downstairs. Golfers bring a special type of friendship and bond to each other. Maybe it’s the fact that the game is difficult to excel at and humbles you and your playing partners in a way that only brings you closer together. I think professional players and caddies take it to a higher standard of being. Where else can you see a player lose the game and a lot of money and then genuinely take his hat off, congratulate and shake the hand of the person who defeated his hopes and dreams? A caddie like Duffy is the fiber of our community. It is a good game that brings out the good in people. “Reptile” is certainly one of the good guys that have left us behind only to make us more thankful for the gift of life and to think about what we should be doing with that gift.

Merry Christmas Duffy and Happy New Year in your new home up in Heaven.

Say hello to Payne Stewart for me.

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

Jerry Kelly Marches On to Victory in New Orleans in 2009…

April 27, 2009 By admin

It seems like Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker are always side-by-side on the PGA TOUR. Photo Credit: Google Images

The other Wisconsin boy Steve Stricker shot a final round 67 to move up from T21 to T7. He waited around for two hours and watched the finish from the tunnel underneath the Zurich hospitality tent at TPC Louisiana.

He saw his buddy Jerry Kelly finish off a Sunday 71 by ramming a four-footer hard into the cup for a one stroke victory his first in seven years. Kelly embraced him in the tunnel and blurted out “I could not have done it with out you this week.”

That says it all about friendship on the PGA TOUR and how difficult it is to win no matter who you are.

Kelly was quick to point out how much the friendship means to him in the post victory interview. “Steve Stricker this week took time, again, to help me so much with my putting. He’s been such a great friend to me. I hope he can say I’ve been a great friend to him through the years as well.

“But to have someone special like that out here, I can’t say enough for the man because he’s been there for me.”

Through the years it is evident Kelly has been there for Stricker too—that is what friendship is all about.

Jerry Kelly won for the third time on the PGA TOUR at the 2009 Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Photo Credit: Google Images

When did Kelly really know for sure that he won again on the PGA TOUR?

“After I made the last putt. Pretty sure that was the only time I knew it was mine to have. I knew when Steve (Marino) hit it in that left bunker and there were no other 13s on the golf course that I just had to put my head down and play. Not look at the boards anymore. I knew where I stood.

“So basically I was playing against myself and against my nerves. I did very well with them until the final putt. The final putt had me drained because I thought I hit a good first putt, and it came up to short.

“I thought how did I do that? They say the hardest thing in golf to do is to lag so you can win on your next putt. I wasn’t trying to lag. I just wanted to snuggle it up there a little bit.”

When the four-footer went in for the one stroke victory Kelly’s caddie Eric Meller told him immediately after the win: You’ve got to stop saying the last time you won was (in) ’02 (and a) long ago. Now you can say, ’09 divine.”

It surely was a divine day for Jerry Kelly who earned the victory through sheer determination.

Other rewards came with the victory in New Orleans for Jerry Kelly… Photo Credit: Google Images

Kelly’s playing partner in the final twosome of the day Steve Marino made a spectacular shot late in the round to jump into contention. “I holed that chip shot on 16. All of a sudden I was there in the mix.”

But then on the par-five 18th hole his tee shot found one of those Pete Dye bunkers with a bulkhead that leads to nowhere.

“I was thinking of bombing it down there, and trying to knock it out in two. I hit a pretty good drive. It took kind of a bad kick, and it went all the way up to the top of the bunker and rolled back down. I just had nothing in there. I wish 18 would have turned out a little different. But I played well, and I can keep my head high.”

Marino failing to birdie the final hole to force a playoff with Kelly tied for second place with Charles Howell III, Charlie Wi and Rory Sabbatini who shot a 67.

The tournament was Howell’s to win after establishing a two-stroke lead mid way through the back nine. He was six-under after 11 holes but bogeyed the 15th and 17th holes.

“I played well, I got myself in position. I was four (strokes) back (at the start of) the day. I caught Jerry pretty quick. I did not quite get it done. I had a lot of good shots down the stretch. I still gave myself chances for birdie. I didn’t finish it off. I’ve got to keep working on that.”

“I don’t know really what to say. I’m just pretty frustrated. I got up to 15 (under par); I thought 15 or 16 (under par) would win it. I just I don’t know what to say. There are times I think I (will) look at the positives though, but it’s frustrating.”

Charlie Wi the first round leader on Thursday after an opening 66 started the day four shots back and made up all but one of those strokes shooting a bogey-free 68. After birdieing the first, second and seventh holes he missed short birdie putts on Nos. 11 and 12 came back with a deuce on the 14th and failed to birdie the par-five 18th hole.

Sabbatini had seven birdies in his five-under par round of 67 but bogeyed the difficult par-three 17th hole down the stretch. The winner of four PGA TOUR events last won at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in 2007.

David Toms who won this tournament back in 2001 the same year he won his Major at the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club bogeyed the first hole but then birdied the last four holes of the front nine. “It was fun. My heart started beating a little bit faster. I knew I had a chance. I just couldn’t make anything happen on the back nine.”

Shooting 68 and finishing T5 with Steve Marino the Louisiana native and local hero Toms knew he had to shoot a good round to have a chance.

“I started off bad, but they (his large galleries) were still into it and behind me. It was good motivation for me to continue to play hard and let things happen, and they did. (I am) looking forward to coming back next year and see if I can do better. ”

Toms after playing this Pete Dye designed swamp golf course reincarnated is looking ahead to the PLAYERS Championship at similar TPC Sawgrass. “There’s a lot of points, lot of money, lot of prestige. Being the fifth major, it’s held very highly with the players. I feel good about my game. I’m going to go there and hopefully have a good week.”

Wisconsin buddies Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker went on to win Greg Norman’s Shark Shootout later in the year in 2009. Photo Credit: Google Images

Mr. Kelly won the 2009 Zurich New Orleans golf tournament. There is no question about that. He is on the short list of invitees to the 2010 Masters.

With his love of New Orleans food there is no question what will be on the Champions menu if he wins the Masters. “I’m going to start with Drago’s charbroiled oysters. And then I’ll go with some Wisconsin stuff after that.” And no doubt his Wisconsin buddy Steve Stricker will be there by his side.

Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer. He follows the PGA TOUR volunteering for the tournaments and working part time for various golf networks. 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.AndyGolfTravel Diary.com or by e-mailing him to AndyReistetter@gmail.com

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