Encounters with the Touring Pro kind....

JTnumbers

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If there's already a thread on this please merge. So, This is a place to tell stories of when you met, encountered, or played with either Pros or Famous People.

What made me think of this was my buddy that I work with went to Myrtle Beach this weekend for Spring Break with friends. A dog happened to run into their yard and started doing business. He then hears, "Caddy what are you doing?" Out walks Dustin Johnson. Yes, the DJ. My friend didn't really notice him at first so he didn't know until he had to leave. But when he asked him, "Do you play on the Tour?" Dustin's response was, "Occasionally."

I met J.J Henry when I played TPC Scottsdale in January.

I met Rickie Fowler's family at the Tour Championship.

That's all I got right now.
 
I met Phil at the US Open last year. He was awesome.
 
Dufner used to come in to the bar I worked at on a routine basis back in school. Nice dude.
 
i've met Arnie, Mark O'Meara, Peter Jacobsen, Fuzzy Zoeller, Nick Price, and Terry Porter (NBA) all at one tournament.
 
Dufner used to come in to the bar I worked at on a routine basis back in school. Nice dude.

Didn't you see Gary Woodland in an Escalade one time?
 
I work at the Bridgestone invitational at Firestone when there here. The first year I went to the practice rounds as you get in free for working. I was walking and got clipped by a guy carrying a bag and I turned to say excuse me and it was Steve Williams carrying Tigers clubs. That same day I got to talk to Louis Oosthuizen for a few minutes. Very nice guy, and than the following year, he was in a car accident heading to course right outside where I worked
 
Didn't you see Gary Woodland in an Escalade one time?
Oh yeah, that too!

Was in Orlando for a Callaway event last week, saw a couple dudes there!
 
I've met a few guys. Most of them have been really nice.


Oh and by the way, Bridgestone Golf rules!
 
No big time golfers beyond P4B, but I did get to meet Waylon Jennings and spent some time with Frankie Avolon, but few here will remember who either of them are.
 
John hurley grew up in my town. Not quite pro yet.

~Joseph~
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I met one at a drug store in Mission, KS in 1992. So this was totally unexpected.

We were at my sister's house for a birthday party and they needed more chips and pop. Closest thing was a drug store a couple blocks away, near Mission Hills. We are in line to pay when in walks a guy who looked real familiar, and his 10 year old son. It was the middle of summer so he had on shorts and a short sleeve shirt. Dude's thighs were like tree trunks and his forearms looked like he could really hurt you if he hit you!

He goes around and gets whatever he needs and comes up in line behind us. The funny thing was that his some comes up with a whiffle ball bat and say "dad can you buy this for me, I'll pay you back when we get home". (He said yes). I turn around and say"I know who you are, don't I? And he says, "Probably, I play a little golf." So I offer him my hand, he shakes it and wish him luck for the upcoming season, telling him that all of Kansas City is rooting for him. He says thanks, it's our turn to pay so we pay and leave.

Told a friend of mine who played a lot of golf with Tom Watson growing up in Juniors and school tournaments about it and he said that was the best thing I could have done and he probably appreciated me not asking for his autograph or otherwise making a big deal about it. (This friend went on Tour the same year as Watson but didn't have near the success!)
 
No big time golfers beyond P4B, but I did get to meet Waylon Jennings and spent some time with Frankie Avolon, but few here will remember who either of them are.

I do, hehehe
 
Several years ago I saw the 76s coming through the airport after playing the Warriors earlier that night. I had been sitting in the airport bar with a friend waiting for a flight, getting medicated. We drunkenly got all excited to see NBA players. We went up to Andrew Toney (?) and Barkley for autographs (proof of being stupid drunk!) and Barkley was super patient, engaging and nice. Later we went back to the bar. We saw Manute Bol in there and sent him a drink and he got PO'd, made some loud gutteral moan/exclamatory statement and was generally a complete arsehole. We were struck by the contrast...the guy that we personally engaged and who had every right to be an arse to us was fantastic but the guy we stayed away from and tried to do something nice for was a jerk.
 
Meet several players through the years. Talked to Webb Simpson and his caddie at Chick Fil A in St. Simons after one of his rounds in 2011. Then meet Jonathan Byrd at the same place in 2012. Meet Butch Harmon at the Tour Championship a few years ago. I have a lot of brief encounters with a lot if the tour players. Even got to chat it up with Feherty at the AT&T Classic one year.


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Played 18 with Kris Tamulis. Awesome lady & golfer!
 
I am friends with a few guys on tour. I caddied at Bayhill for a tour star. And I was taught a clinic with a pretty cool tour star.
 
I"m fortunate in that my company donates to the title sponsor for the local web.com event so we always end up with a foursome in the pro-am and I've played several times. Add to that that I used to spend all 4 days at the course so every once in a while you get to know a couple guys. It's weird how many guys are unknown on that tour then 4-5 years later they explode on the PGA Tour and make a name. Some guys are just out there going through the motions (I'm sure the pro-ams get boring for them), but others make you feel involved and welcome. I'm sure I'll forget someone but here is what I remember.

Camilo Villegas - It was his first pro season and he had a lot of energy and was very kind and fun to play with. I then followed him all four days and got to know him quite a bit chatting here and there. I took my son (who could care less about golf) one day and he walked up to him and started conversing with him between holes. He signed some stuff for me; glove, ball, and I got him to sign one of his Titleist hats with the "Camilo" tag on the back. I had asked his caddy about it and after the Sunday round he motioned to me to follow him to his car and he pulled one out of his luggage. One of my more memorable golf weeks.
Michael Putnam - Another young guy. He was kind of quiet at times but we had fun playing with him. I had a tricky shot on one hole and was going to try something goofy with a 2-iron (before I had a hybrid). He told me to hold on a sec and pulled out one of his hybrids for me to hit. I didn't pull the shot off, but was impressed that he offered up the club.
Scott Gutschewski - Big guy who could hit it a ton. He dealing with some kidney stones at the time so he wasn't really into at the time. Still a nice guy.
Dicky Pride - Probably the absolute best time I've ever had on the golf course. The guy was freaking hilarious the entire time. He'd flick us some crap, and we'd give it right back. I don't think I've ever laughed so much on the course.
Darren Stiles - Experienced guy on tour who was pretty much going through the motions. Which is fine, he was pleasant to play with and wasn't a jerk or anything, just didn't really want to be there.

I know there are a few more, but I can't really remember the names. They must not have made it too far since I would try and follow most of the guys on tour for a while to see how they were doing.
 
Having a local event provides the opportunity to meet/say hello to players. Since I volunteer and have an on course volunteer position at the local LPGA event, I have had the opportunity to walk with and converse with several LPGA players. The pro-am is great since the amateurs have a cart and the players walk.

The only player I had an opportunity to play with happened many years ago. I was playing a local course and hit a shot on a par 3 to about 3 inches. When I got to the next tee an elderly man asked me how close it was. When I told him how close, he said "Ben Hogan once told me that making a hole in one is luck, but hitting it close is pure skill." He then introduced himself and asked if I wanted to join him. His name was Chandler Harper. Very friendly and a pleasure to play with. Most people probably have never heard of him so I included the wiki page about him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandler_Harper
 
I play Riverfront golf course in Suffolk all the time and Mike Vick is a member there and has a house our there as well. He also sponsors my buddy from college on some mini tour. He is a pretty good golfer and a lefty too. But one day we were on the course and it was getting a little backed up and we caught up the group in front of us. It was Vick and three of his boys. After about 4 holes of basically being on the tee box with them we played as a group of 6 for the last 8 holes. It was a cool day.

He was supper friendly and has some quick hands. He shot a 90
 
I am friends with a few guys on tour. I caddied at Bayhill for a tour star. And I was taught a clinic with a pretty cool tour star.

Care to share some names?
 
talked for a good bit with Scott Stallings last year during one of the Wells Fargo practice days, chatted him up with waiting at a par 3, and walked with him for 4 or 5 holes. Great dude, good sense of humor too.
 
Lee Trevino plays my course regularly
 
I once played with Mike Dean.
 
I spent a few hours with Luke Donald recently. :)
 
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