Quick look at The Greenbrier Classic

Absurd, improbable, preposterous, unlikely, doubtful. Pick whichever adjective you’d like. When a player is 11 strokes back of the lead with one round remaining, it’s easy to see how winning a tournament might not be front of mind. It just doesn’t happen. That was the plot at the 2019 Players Amateur in Bluffton, South Carolina. Leader Stewart Hagestad, a former University of Southern California golfer, showed no signs of slowing down, posting a score of 21-under through 54 holes at Berkeley Hall Club’s South Course to lead Alex Smalley by five shots. Hagestad looked like he was going to cruise to victory and earn the available exemption into the 2020 RBC Heritage. Spencer Ralston? He was the guy 11 shots back with 18 holes to play. Ralston, a University of Georgia senior-to-be, woke up Sunday on that warm July morning facing a huge deficit, and by that afternoon the seemingly impossible became possible. “When the day started, never did I think I had a chance of winning,� said Ralston. “I started the day with no expectations, and then that ended up happening.� The “that� was Ralston shooting a final-round 63, including an eagle and eight birdies. He signed for a four-day total of 269. Meanwhile, Chris Haack, Ralston’s coach at the University of Georgia, had been getting the play-by-play from rules official and good friend Bob Patton throughout the day as things began tightening. “When (Ralston) got to 6-under, [Patton] started texting me,� said Haack. “He told me that he got to 7-under, and then, wow, he made eagle and got to 9-under. It was exciting and crazy all at the same time.� Imagine how Ralston was feeling. Finishing his round close to 45 minutes before Hagestad’s final grouping, Ralston found a seat in the clubhouse with some other players who were eating lunch and watching Wimbledon on TV. Unbeknownst to Ralston, he was the clubhouse leader. With Hagestad taking a step back, Ralston realized he suddenly had a chance to win the tournament. “I knew I had played a good round but hadn’t looked at the leaderboard. One of the rules officials told me to grab something quick (to eat) and to warm up because I was only one or two strokes back,� said Ralston. That’s when he realized where he stood and that there was the real possibility for a playoff. A rules official joined Ralston on the driving range, and he kept Ralston in the loop via radio communication about what was happening on the course. As Ralston tried to maintain focus, he learned that a Hagestad bogey on hole No. 17 meant the pair was tied at the top of the leaderboard. Preparing for a potential playoff, it didn’t cross Ralston’s mind that on top of the Players Amateur title—and what was looking like a once-in-a-lifetime comeback—a win would also mean an invitation to his first PGA TOUR event. “I knew an exemption into the Heritage was on the line at the start of the week,� said the Bulldog captain. “But on that day, because I didn’t really think I had a chance of winning, it never really crossed my mind.� With Hagestad on the 18th green, Ralston multi-tasked, warming up while anxiously awaiting word from the rules official at the scene. “Three-putt,� Ralston heard, and that’s when he knew the victory was his. Hagestad had bogeyed three of his final six holes, shooting a final-round 75. All Ralston could do was turn around and hug his cousin and caddie Sims Griffith. “We’ll see you in April at the Heritage,� the rules official said to Ralston on his way back to the clubhouse. “That was a really cool moment that I will never forget,� said Ralston. “One of my goals is to play on the PGA TOUR, and I haven’t played in an event yet, so that is the next step. It felt like a big achievement to get that opportunity as an amateur.� Unfortunately, Ralston, like the rest of the world, had to put his plans on hold due to COVID-19. Following the final round of Mackenzie Tour Qualifying Tournament in Dothan, Ala., where he earned conditional status, Ralston learned that the TOUR was postponing the RBC Heritage. The Southeastern Conference had canceled its golf championship, slated for the next week, as well. “Seeing what’s going on around the country and the world, it’s crazy,� said Ralston, who tied for 30th in Dothan. “We got some more details from coaches the next day, learning that our tournaments had been canceled. It seems like every time you look at social media there is something new happening.� For a while, it looked like Ralston would have to wait until the 2021 RBC Heritage to make his TOUR debut in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Fortunately for Ralston, the TOUR rescheduled the RBC Heritage for June 18-21, a spot on the schedule originally belonging to the U.S. Open. With the NCAA canceling all spring sports, including golf, Ralston has been idle from tournament golf. Haack has kept in touch with all his Bulldog players via Zoom meetings throughout the crisis and is looking forward to his captain having the chance to take on Harbour Town Golf Links in June. He’s not surprised at the success Ralston has had since he first took notice of Ralston’s maturity level and skill at a high school recruiting camp Ralston attended. “Every time a guy has a chance to play in a PGA TOUR event, it’s a big deal and stepping stone to see what it’s like at the next level,� said Haack, who has coached six Bulldogs who have gone on to win PGA TOUR events: Brian Harman, Harris English, Russell Henley, Chris Kirk, Brendon Todd and Bubba Watson. “I’ve been telling [Ralston] and the other guys to just stay positive and not to let anything get them down,� Haack continued. “This might be a much-needed break, and they didn’t even know it. There’s always a way to put a positive spin on things.� After proving his ability to overcome a seemingly insurmountable lead this past summer, it likely won’t prove too difficult for Ralston to stay positive ahead of his PGA TOUR debut.

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Blimp pilot suffers burns in crash at U.S. Open

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HILTON HEAD, S.C. – Vaughn Taylor and Luke List got the news as they were making the turn on Friday. Nick Watney, who had played with them during the first round of the RBC Heritage, had tested positive for the coronavirus. He is the first PGA TOUR player to test positive since competition resumed last week at the Charles Schwab Challenge after a three-month break due to COVID-19. Clay Neely, a PGA TOUR rules official, stopped the twosome to explain that was why Watney had withdrawn prior to their 12:21 p.m. tee time. The 39-year-old had tested negative upon arrival in Hilton Head but felt minor symptoms on Friday morning and after consulting with a doctor, Watney was tested for a second time which resulted in the positive test. According to protocols put in place by the TOUR, Watney – who was allowed on the grounds at Harbour Town until receiving his test results — will self-isolate and recover as per CDC guidelines and there will be contact tracing to make sure the virus is contained. Jordan Spieth, who is on the PGA TOUR Policy Board, was part of the extensive planning for just such an eventuality. “The whole plan put in place was, not if, but when somebody tests positive, what’s the protocol, and what are the next steps?” Spieth said. “So, I feel confident, just in being on those phone calls, in what the PGA TOUR’s going to do going forward here, and hopefully contact tracing doesn’t lead to anybody else testing positive within the bubble.” Taylor and List said that they would be tested again, as would their caddies. A total of 369 people – players, caddies and other essential personnel – were tested prior to the start of the tournament and all were negative. There were also no positive tests at the Charles Schwab Challenge last week. “I was a little shocked, to be honest,” Taylor said. “Heart started racing, got a little nervous. Just hope Nick’s doing well and we get through this.” Taylor and List, who won the Korn Ferry Challenge at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday, said it was hard not to think about Watney and the positive test as the round wore on. Both are in the field for the Travelers Championship – as long as both test negative. After finishing his round of 69 that left him 6 under for the tournament, Taylor said he was “little nervous” but he does not feel ill. He did not recall being in close proximity to Watney on Thursday. “We kept our space,” he said. “We didn’t shake hands. Right after the round, I washed my hands. Nick never coughed or sneezed. So, I feel comfortable.” Watney, who missed the cut last week and did not fly on the PGA TOUR charter to Hilton Head from Dallas, was on the property at Harbour Town Friday morning. Rory McIlroy talked to him on the putting green before the Northern Irishman teed off – and had a text from Watney when he finished his round. “But we were at a distance,” McIlroy said. “He was just saying, look, I hope I didn’t get too close to you. He feels badly that he was here today at the golf course. I said, look, it’s fine. You never know. “So, I said to him, if I was in your position, I probably would have been here too. Look, at this point, you just have to concentrate on getting better and getting healthy.” McIlroy said he appreciated the text and feels badly for Watney, who obviously is concerned about who he might have exposed. “Look, we’re still in the middle of a pandemic,” McIlroy said. “Until this thing’s over, we all just have to stay vigilant and keep your distance and wear our masks if we’re going out in public and keep washing our hands.” The No. 1 player in the world said he still feels “very safe” and comfortable with the protocols the PGA TOUR has put in place that include frequent testing and the charter flights between tournament sites. “I read a thing today that — look, by the end of the year, there’s going to be 200,000 deaths in the U.S. alone from COVID-19,” McIlroy said. “So, to think that us on the PGA TOUR, none of us were going to get it was very — I don’t think anyone thought that. “I think the consensus was someone is going to get it at some point, and Nick’s the one that’s got it, and he’s self-isolating and doing what he has to do.” Brooks Koepka, who found out about Watney’s positive test on the 17th hole, has traveled with a chef and essentially a private gym while staying in a private residence each of the last two weeks. He said he’s “got everybody on lockdown” and hasn’t had to leave either house since he got to Fort Worth, Texas, last week. “We’re doing what we can as far as players, the TOUR — everybody’s doing what they can to make it safe for us, for everybody,” said Koepka, who saw Watney in the parking lot on Friday morning. “We’ll see what happens. Obviously, testing us every week, and we’re filling out surveys every day. “We’ve got to see what happens. Hopefully — it’s unfortunate Nick got it, but at the same time, hopefully, it stays with just him and doesn’t spread because I think we’ll have a big issue on our hands if it keeps going as the weeks continue.”

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