Tuesday, September 23, 2008
While most golf fans hunkered down in their favorite chair to watch the 2008 Ryder Cup on TV this weekend, four local residents gathered among the crowds at Louisville’s Valhalla Golf Course, taking in one of golf’s premier events in person.
Locals Jeff Howerton, Jim Kerlick, Jimmy Riddle and Mike Thomas, each members of the Kentucky Golf Association-Professional Golf Association, took an opportunity to volunteer to work the event in exchange for Ryder Cup tickets during free time.
Thomas, who acted as a marshall for Valhalla’s first hole, said the atmosphere was electric.
“Better than I ever thought it would,” he said. “Just a huge amount of people. Pro-Kentucky crowd big time. Pro J.B. Holmes, pro Kenny Perry, and pro Boo Weekley and Anthony Kim. Probably the funniest thing you see is how the crowd booed when Boo Weekley was around. It was pretty neat.”
Although Thomas did not work the first hole while any golfers played through, Howerton did have an up close and personal encounter with a couple members of the European team.
Howerton drove one of the players’ shuttled after first round matches on Friday and among his passengers were golfers Ian Polter and Justin Rose as well as their caddies and a rules official.
The players were a bit quiet after their rounds, but Howerton said he did “chit chat” with one of the caddies.
“I talked mainly with Polter’s caddy and he was talking about how nice the facility was and everything, which it is incredible,” he said.
Howerton, owner and golf pro at Madisonville Golf and Country Club, also taught for three hours in the PGA learning center. While there, Howerton said he split his time among the putting and pitching areas, giving free five-minute lessons to those who signed up.
On Saturday, Howerton had another encounter with a member of Team Europe, Miguel Angel Jimenez.
As players pitched onto the green, Howerton cleared golf balls for three hours at the chipping practice area, but Jimenez was not so grateful.
“He kind of got on me for picking his balls up,” Howerton said.
When the volunteers were not working, they fought among the thousands of fans attending to get a view of the action.
The group chose a spot along the fairway on the fifth hole where golfers were expected to make second shots.
“Most of the time it was just a birdie barrage,” Howerton said.
For Thomas, among the notable memories was the play of Kentuckian J.B. Holmes.
“Of course the length of J.B. Holmes, how far he can hit a ball where he just makes a golf course look obsolete,” Thomas said.
While many Kentuckians cheered for Holmes, Howerton has actually seen Holmes win the 2004 Eli Barron Tournament at his own course.
“With him being there and knowing him and watching him play and then seeing him make that birdy and close out his player on 17, that was just great to be a Kentucky boy,” Howerton said. “That was really neat where you kind of feel a little bit like you actually know a player.”
In addition to the play, Howerton and Thomas noted the crowd’s energy as highlights.
“They were chanting, the Europeans were chanting back and forth, they were calling out the players,” Howerton said. “It was kind of rowdy at times.”
Thomas said the tournament ranked among the best sports atmospheres he’s encountered.
“I’ve been to Indy 500 and I’ve been to the Masters and been to big-time college football games, never saw anything compared to it,” he said. “It was what you saw on TV. Great crowds, just fun.”
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