(Editor's note: Sean Melia, a CNC
sports correspondent and Acton resident, recently played in a
pro-am event on the Cleveland Golf Tour. What follows is an
account of his experience.)
Recently, I was
invited to play in the Cleveland Golf Tour's Pro-Am event held
at Sterling Country Club. This trip, which was spurred by an
earlier article I wrote, was definitely an eye-opener.
Everything that Brian Hebb, the chairman of the tour told me was
true and to see it up close and personal really drove it home.
I got to the
course early for two reasons, I needed a little bit of practice
and I wanted to get a feel for the atmosphere. Did it really
feel like a type of fraternity? Was it something that was
preparing these golfers for their next step professionally,
which could either be a jump to the Champions Tour or a leap to
the Nationwide Tour or , even better, the PGA Tour?
In my time hanging
around the players before the round started I can safely say
that it indeed is a fraternity. The players joke around with
each other, my first sight of this was as soon as I got out of
the car in the parking lot where one player who was wearing a
Jesper Parnivik type outfit asked Geoff Sisk if he wanted a
banana that was in his bag. This banana had been in his bag for
easily a week or so and Sisk without a beat said, "I think
that banana is perfect for banana bread."
The banter spread
to the putting green where guys were talking about others'
experiences they had on other tours and in other tournaments
since they last saw each other; stories of missed cuts,
ridiculous course set-ups, and great shots. It felt like any
Sunday afternoon at any country club, only these guys can shoot
in the 60's on a regular basis.
When the round
started I was paired with Hebb. The other two amateurs in the
group were Brian Thomas and Brian Thomas Jr, two great guys who
made the round very enjoyable. Hebb had a wealth of knowledge to
pass on to us throughout the round, proving that an old dog can
learn new tricks. Hebb is one of those rare breeds who took up
golf late in life, age 26, and caught on quickly. As the founder
and chairman of the tour he is very golf savvy. He plans to try
to qualify for the Champions Tour this November and with
everyone whispering that his game is slowly improving with every
round it could make for a great story.
Throughout the round I learned quite a bit. The
biggest thing was how the mental side of the game really affects
the performance of players. Hebb told us about two days spent
with a sports psychologist helping him focus through the tough
days on tour. When players like Scott Hawley, Robbie Oppenheim,
and Mike Harris travel from Canada the night before the start of
the tournament because they were in a Canadian Tour event the
previous four days one knows that mind over matter plays a huge
part. Getting used to the travel and grind is 80 percent of the
battle, and that is something that the Cleveland tour is
ingraining in all these players.
Another thing that
really impressed me with the tour was how well it is run. The
developmental part of the tour really rings true. Between the
caliber of the players and the people running the tour it is not
a stretch to say that many people from this tour will use it to
catapult themselves to bigger things, and when I say that I am
not only talking about the players but about people like Dom
Dastoli and Andrew Dearborn who are behind the scenes. There is
plenty of talent in all facets of this tour and that is why this
day was such an awesome experience.