PLAYERS MEMORIES

I had the opportunity to be part of the NBC announcing crew at the PLAYERS several times in the 1990s. It was always then commissioner Deane Beman's goal for the PLAYERS to become the fifth major championship. It's not there yet, because Tiger has only won one time and is not playing this year as he's recovering from knee surgery.

They've tried and tried. Even the name, PLAYERS, not The Players, is to remind you of the MASTERS. The winner gets a check for almost $2 MILLION dollars and an exemption for a zillion years. The PLAYERS now has a better date, between the MASTERS and the U.S. Open. Still it is not a major. But, usually with the best field of the year, it is fun to watch and it was fun to broadcast.

NBC took over the telecast right after the PLAYERS moved across the highway to the new TPC course, with the signature par 3, 17th hole. Which was my first assignment. At that time the tournament was telecast only on the weekend, so on Friday we all saddled up for a full rehearsal. I was enjoying chronicling the number of tee shots the dropped, rolled, fell, missed, and sunk in the water surrounding the 17th green.

Then after a four hour rehearsal we all gathered in the production trailer for a critique. I drew first blood. It seems commissioner Deane Beman who watched his own special feed of the rehearsal, did not approve of the description and the account of the shots that found Davy Jones, locker at the 17th. As Deane explained, these were the greatest golfers in the world and I should not point out their mistakes. Thank goodness, the next day, Johnny Miller pointed out on the 18th fairway a golfer who had a shot that he could "choke" on. His statement meant that the next year I could count the misses on the 17th.

A few years later I was hosting the PLAYERS on the 18th tower. By this time I was getting up in age and faced nature's call during our four hour telecast. The closest bathroom was in the clubhouse, which in turn was perched on a small mountain that looked to me like Mount Kilimanjaro. There was no way I could get there and back during one of our commercial breaks. I just mentioned my problem to one of the PGA suits and gave it no more thought.

The next morning when I arrived at the bottom of the 18th tower the stairway was surrounded by PGA officials. They stepped away, like a curtain opening on Broadway, and there it was. Protected by a green tarp was my own, personal, private, Port-O-John. I knew it was mine, as on the door was an NBC Peacock just above my name.

One thing we always looked forward to was our own tournament on Monday after the PLAYERS. Naturally we hit from the forward tees, but everything was just like Sunday with the same pin placements. In addition there were scorers at each hole with all of our scores posted on the many electronic scoreboards around the course.

The 13th is a par 3, 130 yards, with water on the left and a back left pin placement. A perfect 8 iron for me. I put a pretty good swing on the ball with just a touch of a hook. And it hooked, right into the water. Following great laughter from my four-some, I teed it up again. Same spot. Same swing without the hook. Three bounces and short roll. Into the cup. Cheers all around for my first and only hole-in-one, for a three, and with my handicap a two.

At the 17th I hit it into the water.

Comments are welcomed, please click on the "Comment" link below.