I'm a golf nut. It's like having a disability. This year has been chaotic; I've shot 37 on both the front and back of my difficult course (slope=128), and I've shot almost 100 for 18 holes. I play golf a lot, I subscribe to golf magazines, I have lots of clubs, and I watch golf on TV. Although I have a really busy life, I work something about golf into it whenever I can. So, this afternoon, I sorted hundreds of work documents while I watched the singles Rider Cup matches. As I write, the outcome is still uncertain. Whatever happens, I will always remember two country boys from Kentucky - "Boo" Weekley and Kenny Perry.
Talk about "Country Boys", these two take the cake! "Boo" is the nickname for a guy who qualified for the PGA tour wearing camoflage, a guy who didn't know the rules for match play, a guy who said he'd rather be out hunting or fishing than playing golf, a guy who didn't make it to the PGA tour until age 29, then lost his card, then got it back three years ago. Kenny Perry, on the other hand, is a PGA tour veteran, 48 years old, and wealthy from many years of good performance on the golf course. Can you imagine, a big time golf pro named "Kenny"? He still thinks he's a country boy, and he isn't really interested in the British Open.
"Boo" and Kenny have been great performers in this year's Rider Cup. But they are not "blueblood" country club players. Kenny's dad gave him a hug wearing denim overalls with shoulder straps - farmer's clothing. Golf has been democratized!
These two players say a lot about America. Our country is so varied, but people everywhere have a chance to get in the mix and succeed. Way to go, "Boo" and Kenny.
And, by the way, the Americans just won the Rider Cup! Hip, hip, hooray! And all those rich professional golfers played for zero dollars this week - they played for pride. How sweet it is!
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