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Home , Jan Stephenson, Safeco Classic

MISCELLANY

A Summer on the LPGA Tour By Scott Wende/s

fter graduating from UW- lone star state. The weather was Dave Brandenburg allowed me to A Madison on May 13th this past hot and humid, in the 90's all week. work on my off weeks to help keep spring with a B.s. degree in Soil I learned a valuable lesson in my brain fresh on maintenance Science with a specialty in turf Austin. The sun is much harsher practices and earn some extra management, I headed for the than it is in Wisconsin. My legs money. I would like to thank Dave Milwaukee airport to start my new went from out of bounds stakes to for allowing me to work when I was job. I flew to Nashville, Tennessee lateral water hazard stakes in a home and also allowing me to come to start caddying for my sister, day! I suffered second degree and go when I needed to. Thanks Shelley Wendels, in the U.S. burns on my legs in one short day. again Dave. Women's Open qualifier. Shelley is That happened on a Thursday, so I After the two-week vacation a on the LPGA was forced to wear pants for the from the tour, it was time for tour. She missed qualifying for the rest of the week in the 90( heat. Shelley and me to leave for a five- Open at Old Waverly by one stroke, Shelley made the cut in Austin, so week road trip. We loaded up her so the Open will have to wait until my second degree burns where 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan and next year in Chicago. worth it. headed for Rochester, New York. My first official LPGA tourna- After Austin I flew home to Fond Shelley and I switched off driving ment of the summer was in Austin, du Lac and had two weeks off, so the 12-hour trip didn't seem too Texas the next day, so I jumped which I spent working at Rolling long. Once we arrived in Rochester onto a plane and headed for the Meadows on the maintenance staff. it was off to meet the family that

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THE GRASS ROOTS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1999 • MISCELLANY

The caddies doing their monday duty of walking the golf courseand checking yardages and green sweeps and breaks.

was nice enough to house us for Atlantic City; I left a winner. the week. Shelley and I arrived at Next stop was the third major of Me caddying in McDonald's Tournament the house and found that our hosts the year, the McDonalds LPGA practice round. had three cats. Shelley is allergic to Championship in Wilmington, cats, so we headed off to find a Delaware. The DuPont Country hotel. We found a Red Roof Inn Club was in fantastic shape and that was our home for the week. one of the nicest courses I have While in Rochester, I got the oppor- seen since Pumpkin Ridge in tunity to play Oak Hill, site of the Portland, Oregon, home of the 1998 U.S. Amateur. Shelley's 23rd 1997 Women's U.S. Open. Shelley place finish was her best of the missed the cut here so we left year. Right after she finished her Sunday morning for Toledo, Ohio. round on Sunday it was time to Toledo was the site of the Jamie load up the car and head out to Farr Kroger Classic. While Shelley Atlantic City for the next tourna- was playing in the Monday Pro Am ment. she meet Jamie Farr, but didn't Atlantic City was not one of my know who he was. She just knew favorite cities that I visited this that he looked like the guy summer. It was dirty and very "Klinger" on MASH. She was later expensive, except around the casi- informed that the man that looked nos. The boardwalk was very pret- like Klinger was in fact Jamie Farr, putting. ty and worth the walk down. While the host of the tournament. On in Atlantic City I was able to Thursday Shelley had a good start change cups on the practice green to the tournament, shooting 68, pack the minivan and head to the and on the 18th hole. I met the which put her two strokes off of gateway to the West. superintendent and was asked if I the lead. Second day jitters took St. Louis was a tough week for wanted to work in the mornings over and she finished that tourna- me as a caddy. Shelley was not before I had to caddy. I turned him ment in 50th place and we learned playing well and the five weeks of down because I wasn't sure if I was a little on how to handle the pres- living out of a suitcase was getting allowed inside the ropes before I sure of being in the top ten. When to both of us. The life of a profes- caddied on tournament days. I the pressure builds up next time, sional golfer is not as glamorous as later found out that I am allowed we will be better prepared to stay it seems. You are in a different city inside the ropes, but not allowed in the hunt and chase the leader each week, sleeping in a different on the greens. The gambling casi- effectively. St Louis was the next bed, eating at restaurants, and nos where nice to me that week in stop on the tour so it was time to away from your family and close

• THE GRASS ROOTS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1999 MISCELLANY

Jan Stephenson trying out a new putter.

tough but fair golf course, unlike Boston was the next on the some courses I have been on. The schedule, so Shelley and I headed rough was long so hitting the fair- for Boston and Angie headed home My sister Shelley. way was a necessity and the greens to Fond du Lac. While in Boston I where fast but fair. My other sister had the opportunity to go to a play- Angie joined Shelley and me for the er/caddy clambake. I learned that friends back home. Shelley missed trip. It was nice having a familiar there is a right way and a wrong the cut here in St. Louis, so it was face in the crowd for Shelley and way to eat a clam. My first bite was time to head home for a week off. myself. While in Calgary the three a lot of grit; I didn't know I had to My week was spent working at of us went down the Luge track clean the clam off before I ate it! Rolling Meadows and Shelley's from the 1988 Olympics, whitewa- Boston was a great place to visit week was spent practicing and get- ter rafting on the longest stretch of too, but I do not think I would want ting a lesson from her golf coach. class four rapids and saw a lot of to live there. The off week flew by and soon it beautiful scenery. Calgary was one Twelve hundred miles later we was timed to head to Warren, Ohio. of my favorite places that I visited arrived in Springfield, Illinois. Warren was the site of the annu- this summer. Shelley played well enough to hang al caddy tournament for the tour caddies. I played in the tournament and took fourth place. The tourna- ment was a lot of fun and a chance for me to get to play golf instead of just watching and carrying the bag. CHIPCO® 26GTFLO Shelley missed the cut in Warren so we headed to Milwaukee to catch a plane to Calgary, Alberta, +Daconil Stops Canada, for the fourth major tour- nament of the year, the du Maurier Classic. Snow The du Maurier Classic was held at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club, by far the best golf course I have ever seen. Priddis Greens was in excellent shape. The golf course was located in the heart of the RHONE-POULENC AG COMPANY Canadian Rockies. The views where P.O. Box 12014,2 'IW Alexander Drive breathtaking and no pictures did Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 them justice. Priddis Greens was a 1-800-334-9745

THE GRASS ROOTS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1999 MISCELLANY in there with and had draw on the ninth hole when the the honor of playing with her in the pain got so bad she couldn't hold second round of the tournament. It on to the club anymore. We went to was a great experience to walk the doctor and found out that there down the fairway with a legend like is severe tendinitis in her right Mrs. Lopez. Shelley and I learned a elbow. Shelley had to withdraw lot from Nancy. We quickly learned from this week's tournament and why she is so good by watching the next the week's also, in hopes that way she handles herself around the her elbow would be healed up for golf course. Nancy was a great LPGA qualifying school October th nd inspiration to both my sister and 19 _22 . me; we will always treasure the My stint as an LPGA tour caddy experience. Caddying for Shelley will end at qualifying school in in the same group with Nancy Daytona Beach, Florida on the 22nd Lopez was by far the highlight of of October. As an LPGA tour caddy the summer. my job description was quite diver- The next two tournaments were sified. Not only did I have to carry held on the West Coast in Shelley's bag but also at times I was and Oregon. The first expected to read greens, be a stop on the West Coast was , comedian, a psychologist, swing Washington for the . analyst, taxi driver, bell hop, a I had the opportunity to help set up yardage detector, navigator and a the golf course for the tournament. scapegoat when things went wrong. I rode LYl a cart with LPGA rules These past few months, Shelley official Robert 0.; we picked out and I have gotten to know each the pin placements and tee posi- other better. We shared a lot of tions for the week of the tourna- great times and some that we'd like ment. Mr. O. gave me some good to forget. The good ones outweigh tips on setting up a golf course for the bad ones by far. I had the a tournament which I am sure I will opportunity to go to work every use a lot as a golf course superin- day and love the job I was doing. I tendent someday. Shelley and I made many great friends, and drove down to Portland, Oregon learned first hand about life on the for the next tournament. We took golf tour. I also learned that the the back way so we could see tour life is a hard one. Youare your Mount Rainier and Mount St. own travel agent, only get paid Helens. The three-hour trip from when you play well, live out of a Seattle to Portland took us nine suitcase, and need to adjust to a hours, but the scenery made the strange city each week. I saw first extra time worth it. hand that playing golf everyday, as Portland was a great week but your job, could be very fun and not without reserve. I had the rewarding, but also very frustrating opportunity to play Pumpkin and trying. Ridge, drive a 1997 Hummer, and Caddying this summer gave me stay with the owners of Columbia a lot of chances to see different golf Sportswear. Shelley shot 70 at the courses, different maintenance tournament on Friday of the tour- practices, talk to many superinten- nament and was in tenth place dents, and see a lot of neat and after the first day. She was playing interesting places. I had the oppor- very well on the second day until tunity to walk inside the ropes with the seventh hole where she hit a the best women golfers in the tree root. Already nursing a bad world. This summer will be one I elbow, the sudden jolt caused her will never forget and, yes, my sister to loose all feeling in her right hand and I are still friends. * and arm. She was forced to with-

THE GRASS ROOTS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1999