Golf In A Parallel Universe (2 page)

Then I think about my recent lessons with Gerald which has transformed my game almost back to my old form. I think about one day after we finished our lessons we sat down and had a couple of beers. I think he already had a few. He was in one of his talking moods where he rambles on. “Why I did you not stick with golf when you were young?," he asked me. He told me I have natural talent and if I would have stayed with it when I was young, I may have turned out to be something special. I told him I really liked baseball when was young. But I was never any good, I was never a good batter. I told him that I wish that I had had stuck with golf, then maybe I would have become a good golfer some day. He said “Baseball and Golf is just like a singer” You either have the natural talent to sing or you don’t. In baseball and golf you either have that natural swing to hit a baseball or a golf ball or you don’t. “Sure you can alway take batting lessons or golf lessons but you will always be mediocre," he said. “Only the ones with natural talent and then become a student of the game and work hard will be a special player, whether is is baseball, golf, singing or whatever it is in life. “Jim, I can speak from experience, and Believe Me!," he says emotionally. “You blew it. You have a natural golf swing. You had the chance when you were young and now it is too late” he told me. Then he paused. “But maybe not, just maybe not” he said in a strange tone. “You mean, I still have a chance of being a professional golfer?," I said laughing. “Be careful what you wish for, just be careful what you wish for Jim" he said in a drunken stupor. He got up and walked away. Then he stopped and turned around and said “Keep it parallel Jim. Keep It Parallel." I was thinking this is just one crazy drunk dude.

I approach my putt and took a look. Easy putt, about 15 feet with a break to the left. If I play it just outside the right side of the cup, it should break and drop in the hole. And I will shoot a 79. Then I notice that my hair is standing straight up. This from Static Electricity from the lightning storm. Same thing happened to me and my buddy in high school on the golf course one time. We were stupid and thought it was funny and laughed. Fortunately lighting did not strike that time. I always thought if it ever happens again, I am not sticking around. But here it is happening to me again. “Do I get the hell out of here now? Or do I stick it out?," I asked myself. I decided foolishly to stick it out and finish. I am sizing up a 15 foot putt. If I can make this, I will break 80.

It is really dark now because of the dark clouds. I take my time. “just give me a few more seconds." I say to myself as I line up the putt and address the ball. I make myself relax, I do not want to get tense. I am ready now. I make a smooth stroke and the ball is on the way to the hole. The thunder and lightning is getting more intense as the ball rolls. It looks good, but then maybe not hard enough. I crouch down with my putter in the air. The ball hangs on the edge of the cup. And drops! I wait for the sound of the sound of the clink of the ball hitting in the bottom of the cup. And then, Boom!! So incredibly loud and Super Bright light. I know what just happened. Or at least I thought I did.

I open my eyes. The light is so incredibly bright as I stand back up with the putter in the still in sky. I am looking directly at the Sunlight. The gallery cheers and I look around. I am stunned. My Caddie Zack runs over and gives me a big hug. Then I shake hand with the other player and walk off the green, smiling and dazed and confused. All this is new to me. But at the same time it feels familiar and normal. Sort of like a dream. When you have a dream sometimes, no matter how strange, it all seems normal. Dave Johnson, the Masters Chairmen walks up to me with a big smile shakes my hand, “Congratulations Jim!

I know exactly where I am, and what I just did. I only have a faint memory of playing by myself and trying to break 80. But I am still confused. I feel like there are two of me in one body. We proceed to the tent to validate our score cards. I have done this a thousand times, but it seems new to me for some reason. My caddie Zack and I go over each hole and we validate the score and I sign the card. Finally it is official I am the 2014 Masters Champion.

In the world of Golf, the Masters is one of four major tournaments. Major tournaments are different than normal tournaments that you have every week. They are basically like the Super Bowl or the World Series of golf. You have four major tournaments in a year. The Masters, The U.S. Open, the British Open, and the PGA Championship. Most players dream about just winning one of those in a lifetime. The top tier golfers try to get multiple in a year. They are going for the “Grand Slam” which is to win all four Majors in one year. That has never been done in modern golf history.

After the score cards are validated we go through the ceremonies. It feels surreal and my memories of my other life are fading away quickly. They introduce me to the crowd. And there are lots of hands shaking and interviews. And then the Big Sit down on TV and the Green Jacket. I can hardly talk. I am so stunned and nervous. In the interview we went over the last few days. I had played out of my head this week. First, I made the cut which I was very happy about. And going into today, I was 5 shots off the lead. But I made a run for it with a little luck. I holed out for an eagle from 170 yards out on one hole. Then I got on a hot streak with a string of birdies on the back nine. The leaders going in the day both stumbled going down the stretch. I sank my birdie putt on the 18th green and shot a 64 to captured the prize. I am shocked and happy. After the ceremony, a lot of my fellow players congratulated me and gave me a hard time. One of the Legends of Golf, Jerry Churchill came and congratulated me. He talked and rambled on as usual. But I appreciated that he came up and talked to me. He surprised me when he told me that he had been following me for a long time. That was a great honor. It was a great feeling winning the Masters. It has been a dream of a lifetime for me as a professional golfer and I relished the victory.

After all the interviews and the congratulations, I went back to my hotel. A lot of times the players will get together and have a big party after a Win and that’s what happened this time. Someone organized and got a banquet room. A group of us was down in the lobby and we were all talking. They let me know there will be a party tonight. I told them that I will catch a quick shower. Some people laughed and said, “Man! You are sunburned dude! I guess things just got a little too hot for you today” they said laughing. They told me to be back in about an hour and we will have a little party. When I got to my room, I see myself in the mirror and think “Man! I do really really sunburned.” I said to myself. I took off my shirt to take a shower and saw myself in the mirror again. For a few seconds I was strangely caught off guard. I seemed surprised to see that I had slim toned body. As if I was expecting myself to be fat and overweight. But then I would think, what's going on? I look the same as I have for years, I take pretty good care of myself. So very strange for me to think that way.

I take a shower and put on some short pants and t-shirt. My phone is exploding with text and calls. Everyone is calling to congratulate me. My Agent Bobby Williams, who I rarely hear from lately calls and tells me that “The Today's Show” on NBC wants me on at 6:00am Tuesday morning. And the “Tonight's Show” also on NBC with wants me for the Tuesday night show. The taping for the Tonight Show is actually in the afternoon. He asked me if I can make both of these. I am stunned, but tell him I can make it. He says he will make the flight arrangements to New York and will send me the info. “Jim” he says, “Be prepared, opportunities are about to start rolling in with endorsements which may be big bucks, so just be prepared and hang in there. he tells me." I tell him thanks and he has to go, he has another call. The phone keeps ringing with people calling to congratulate me. Finally I turn the phone off. I need to relax and cool off for a few minutes. I turn the Air Conditioner down to cool off. I grab a beer from the hotel fridge and sit down by the window. I have a little bit of a nice view on the 6th floor. I take a drink and look out the window and think about what I just did. I look over at the Green Jacket which I have hanging up on a hanger on the back of a chair. It starts to sink in, that I am the 2014 Masters Champion. I still cannot believe it. This means everything as a professional golfer. I am so happy right now that I cannot stand it. I take another sip of my cold beer and it taste so good. I think about how it was a miracle that I even qualified to play in the Masters. And then to make the cut! And now this! Wow, this is so surreal.

Then I start getting in a reflective mood, take another sip of my beer. I have been a Professional Golfer for 10 years now. I played on the high school golf team when I was a kid. Then I went to college and worked hard on my game and had a very successful college career with my golf game. I eventually turned Pro at 22 and been playing ever since. I have had marginal success. I have won 3 tournaments in my career and have some decent money in the past. But mostly it has been very difficult, especially the last few years. Professional Golf is not the Glamorous sport that people think. At least for most players. Sure the top tier money players have a great life with lots of money. But for a lot of the Pros it is a struggle. Especially for the lower tier golfers like me, being a professional golfer is a grind. It is more of a business than a sport. It cost a lot of money to cover expenses of travel, caddies
etc.
And each week you pay the expenses to play in a tournament. And only half the field make the cut. And then if you do not make the cut. No pay, no money, zilch. Try making a few missed cuts in a row and see how you feel.

But this was my day. I beat the Big Boys. In Professional golf, on any given day, or Tournament the difference between the number one player in the world and the 150th player in the world is razor thin. Over the long run is where you see the difference. That's why see No Named players make a big splash with a big win, and then never hear from them again. But the top tier golfers continue to win and make a name for themselves and make a lot of money.

I take another sip of my beer and then I start I think about my family. I have none. No one to share this with. I never married, no kids. I start to think about my parents. They died in a car accident my first year as a pro. They were driving to watch me in a golf tournament and had a terrible car accident and died on the scene. As I think about that, tears run down my face as I take on more sip of my beer. I miss them so much and wish they were here. At least they got to see me turn pro, it was my Dad’s dream, he was an avid golfer.

At 32 years old, time's not on my side. With all PGA golfers, no matter if you are a top tier money winner or at the bottom. or somewhere in between there are three stages of your career.The first stage is the beginning part of your career. You are young and dumb and enthusiastic. You work hard play hard, have fun and look forward to a great career and maybe have some success.
The second stage is the middle part of you career. At this point, you know the business and the tour. You have some success, and may make some good money and believe you got it made. The you get a little lazy, stop working on your game like you should, and the next few years your game starts to deteriorate. Then you got the third stage which is towards the end of your career. You are burned out, your game is not where it should be and your body and mind is breaking down. That's where I am now.

But here today, I am the Masters Champion. Miracles do happen. I am wondering if I should retire at this point and go out on top. I have a bad right shoulder that I hurt playing baseball when I was in highschool. I was sliding into home plate and my shoulder smashed into the catches knee pads. I broke my collarbone, clavicle and torn my rotator cuff. I recovered pretty well with a couple of surgeries but that was the end of my baseball career. But I took up golf, and the shoulder did not really bother me until recently. Now my shoulder bothers me quite often. The doctor said that tendinitis and calcium deposits have set in and it will degenerate over the years. So maybe retire now? Or play things out? I think about that the next few days.

I start to feel better, and now it is Party Time. They told me to be at the banquet room in a few minutes for the party. This should be fun. This is uncharted water for me as far as golf parties are concerned. All after tournament golf parties are really just impromptu get togethers at the hotel, because you cannot plan for this, You never know who is going to win or be around. Some players stick around for another day, others take off.

And there are three types of parties. One is a party after normal tournament win. The wives of the players usually get a group of players, caddies, and friends together to celebrate.

The second type of party is the type of party in which unfortunately that I have participated in mostly, at least the last few years. And those are called “Missed Cut Parties." So the guys who don't make the cut after the second day, get together and get plastered. Laugh and cry together. The old saying “Misery Loves Company." And that is certainly true at Missed Cut Parties.

And the third type is the Victory Party after a Major. Those are fun and usually have a lot of people show up and congratulate the player. You can have big named players show up, agents, television executives and even movie stars. So tonight this is for me! I am not sure what to expect but it time to go.

I take one last sip of my beer and start to stand up. “You did good Jim, you broke 80 today," I tell myself out loud as I am standing up from the chair. I pause. "Where did that come from?” I ask myself laughing. "Oh well time to party," I say out loud.

I head down to the Party not knowing what to expect. Will it be Fun? Formal? Boring? I don't have a clue. I make a decision to be careful with the drinking tonight. This is not a crazy Missed the cut party. So here we go. I walk in the room and immediately a couple of my buddies spray me with Champagne and everyone is laughing and hugging me. This is going to be fun. After that fun introduction, I look around. I amazed at all the food and drinks. We got a big batch of boiled and peeled, shrimp, Oysters on the half shell, every appetisers that you can image and incredible buffet. With lots of Beer Iced down and a host bar. “Wow what a Spread” I say. One of my buddies slaps me on the back and says “yea, you are paying for it money bags!” And everyone laughs. I am so used to being broke, I start to wonder how I can afford this. But then I remember that I just won the Masters, and I got a big paycheck. “So what the hell let's party” I tell myself. Actually I did not pay a dime. On parties like this, the guys pitch in. Hell, the top tier golfers have so much money, one may have just payed it out with the change in his pocket. I can tell this is going to be fun. I make a decision not to drink hardly at all. I want to have clear mind and enjoy this and not make a fool of myself. So at first I am a little nervous and then I settle down. Everyone coming up to shake my hand and congratulate me. Women who I do not know giving me a hugs, and it is great. Initially most of the people are people I mostly know. Some of my Golf Comrades that I have known for years. Some of my crazy buddies that will never pass up a good party are here, and they are getting a little rowdy.