Around The Corner

It is now time to turn our collective attention to the PGA Championship. Every year the fourth major is the subject of much discussion based on the fact that there are a significant number of club pros in the field. The uninformed among us maintain that this weakens the field. Too bad the PGA can't offer Gay Brewer or Tommy Aaron an exemption to shore it up a bit. Both Opens also feature qualifiers of whom you have likely never heard.

While the PGA's field may be composed differently , every one of the club pro qualifiers very much deserves to be right where he is. It is their championship. Club pros started it, club pros run it, club pros are kind enough to let regular tour players reap handsome rewards from playing the event. To argue that qualifying club pros don't belong in the tournament shows a stunning ignorance of how difficult it is to maintain a respectable game while working in the golf business.

First and foremost, its very tough for the majority of club pros to find the time to play or practice. There are apparently an infinite number of lost umbrellas and misplaced headcovers. Keeping the golfing populace out of lime green slacks isn't easy either. And when a club pro can play, it's often with a customer or member who is less skilled and requires attention.

The last sentence of the paragraph above brings to mind a round I played while I was a teaching pro. Fifteen holes in well over six hours with a French gentleman who spoke little English. He had never set foot on a course before. He wore green loafers and no socks. It was a "playing lesson". I did my best. The incident still haunts my sleep on occasion. You get the idea.

So before you gripe about those club pros, remember that they often go weeks or months at a time without playing. Most of their putting practice occurs on the pro shop carpet during rainy days. They have personally witnesses thosands of shanks and a myriad of other even more creative efforts. They belong, and deserve your support.

While I'm on the subject of the PGA, I highly recommend that you visit the PGA's Official Tournament web site. I urge you to take the walking tour of Valhalla by the Head Professional Keith Reese. There's lots of good stuff here. Go and see.

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