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Over the past four issues of Golf Magazine, I've explained how to plan for your biggest tournament of the year. It's the same advice I give my more famous students in the weeks leading up to the four men's professional majors. As part of this lesson plan, I've offered to personally come work with you one-on-one at the course where your major event will take place. We received a ton of entries and have narrowed them down to four finalists. Now, it's up to you to help us select the grand-prize winner. Check the entries below and vote for your favorite by sending an e-mail to editor@golf.com. Here they are:
Recovering Ron
June 23, 1989 was the day my whole life changed. That was the day I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's
Lymphoma. I was 32 years old at the time and was told that there was only a 10% chance of surviving the disease.
After three years of surgeries and chemo and radiation treatments, I've obviously survived. My golf game, however, hasn't. I was once a single-digit handicap, but now can barely play to a 15. Since I'm still in my 50s, I'm required to play our Club Championship from the back tees. Thus, my "Major" is to win my flight. With your help and my commitment, I know I can do this. I know it's not much of
a "Major," but it matters to me.
—Ron H., Piedmont, S.C.
The Intrepid Chipper
My tournament is
called "The Shootout
in Hell." It features 18
teams of four playing
alternate-shot. I don't chip well
under pressure, and my worst
nightmare is having my team
depend on my chipping to stay
in the contest. The first time
I played in the event, I chunked
a chip and we were out.
Last year, we were tied with
two other teams and went to
sudden death, and guess how
they settled the score? That's
right—with a chip-off. Guess
whose turn it was?
This is very important to
me—I don't want to be the
reason my team loses. I just
want to hit one good chip under
pressure, and I know I can do it
with your help.
—Ken M., Coronado, Calif.
Come Home a Winner
I've just completed
three tours of duty in
Basrah, Iraq. Due to
my military deployments,
I've missed the last three
Club Championships. I returned
home to Huntsville, Ala., in June
and have been gearing up to
play in the Championship in
September. I want to pick up
where I left off years ago. I was
a scratch player. I also have
dreams of qualifying for the All-
Army team to compete in the
All-Armed Forces tournament.
Bottom line, I'm home from
combat in Iraq and my dream
is to play a lot of golf and win
my club championship. I'll have
to shoot par to win it, and I'm
devoted to your lessons to get
me there. I'm committed! Please
help me achieve my dream!
—Gary S., Madison, Ala.
Doing it for Dad
My Dad and I have
played in our club's
Four Ball Tournament
every Labor
Day weekend for the past 15
years. We usually do well, but
last year was extra special. Dad
had suffered an aortic dissection
just before Christmas, but
we still played our way into the
finals. However, 78 holes had
taken their toll on Dad and we
lost 3 and 2 on Sunday.
My Dad turns 80 in December, and he thinks this is the last year he can compete. For all the years he carried me, and for all the things he taught me about the game and about life, I want to win this tournament with him. This is our major, and it's our last chance to win it. I hope you'll agree to help us do so. —William W., Washington, D.C.
Once again, e-mail your votes to editor@golf.com