Golf, football mix in Colts’ visit to Legends

When you look at a football field, it’s hard to believe that it takes only a short wedge to cover the distance, goal line to goal line.

That’s a pretty manageable shot in golf. But put an NFL quarterback on the goal line, and that distance seems like forever.
From 1 to 6 p.m. Friday at The Legends of Indiana Golf Course in Franklin, the Indianapolis Colts will reunite with the Indiana PGA for their annual promotion of golf in central Indiana on Play Golf America Day.
This will be the fourth straight year the Colts will join Indiana PGA pros in free 10-minute lessons, club fitting and an autograph session for kids in a unique and intimate day of golf and football.
Created to showcase the game of golf in a fun and relaxed atmosphere, Play Golf America days are presented by the PGA of America with presenting sponsor American Express. These events are conducted at the local level; there will be 55 such events across the United States this year.
“Obviously, we are thrilled at the promotion of golf, integrated with people outside of the industry, as is the case with the Indiana
PGA event,” said Ron Stepanek, director of player development for the PGA of America. “The fact that the Indiana event actually has an NFL presence is unique. There are six other PGA sections that involve NFL teams in the Play Golf America promotion, but Indiana is the only section in the country that actually gives participants the opportunity to interface with the players and coaches.
“We, at the national level, appreciate the support of the Indianapolis Colts in making this one of the PGA’s most successful and popular events.”
The Colts’ involvement has been orchestrated by Craig Kelley, who is the team’s vice president of public relations and is an avid golfer and member at The Legends.
“The Colts are happy to be involved in the Play Golf America program for the past four years,” Kelley said. “I think we gain a deeper appreciation each year to the benefits of our participation. Our players and coaches always enjoy the opportunity.
“I tip my cap to the Indiana PGA for involving the Colts and giving us the chance to be with kids and help them become exposed to a sport they can enjoy for a lifetime.”
This year’s Colts’ lineup will include the following players:
Anthony Gonzalez, wide receiver: Now in his third year with the Colts, “Gonzo” has become an integral part of one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses.
In 2008, he appeared in 16 games and caught 57 passes for 664 yards and four TDs. He was a Rhodes scholar candidate while at Ohio State.
Jim Sorgi, quaterback: In his sixth year as the Colts’ backup quarterback, Sorgi has posted impressive numbers when given the opportunity to play.
Sorgi played college football at Wisconsin and finished his career as the school’s leader in passing efficiency.
Melvin Bullitt, defensive back: Also in his third year with the Colts, Bullitt led the team with four interceptions in 2008. He was an outstanding performer on the Colts’ special teams.
Bullitt graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in leadership and education.
Jamie Silva, defensive back: The Boston College grad majored in communications and was a contributing member to the Colts’ special teams in his rookie season last year.
He had 18 tackles in a college game against Florida State and was named the MVP of the Champs Sports Bowl with 10 tackles and two interceptions against Michigan State.
Tim Jennings, defensive back: He appeared in 16 games last season with the Colts. Jennings recorded 74 tackles (56 solo), two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
He was a three-year starter at Georgia and was an all-SEC first-team selection.
These players will sign autographs for fans 18 and younger from 4 to 4:30 p.m. at The Legends swimming pool. There is a limit of one item to be autographed per fan.
Sorgi, a returning participant of Play Golf America Day, will address young fans on the value of preparation — something he knows well as Peyton Manning’s backup.
Friday’s activities also will include a Demo Day beginning at 1 p.m. This will feature Titleist, Cobra, Callaway, TaylorMade, Nike and Mizuno. Golfers will be able to test the latest and greatest from golf’s industry leaders.
Indiana PGA pros will be offering free 10-minute lessons all afternoon. Don’t be fooled. You can receive a life-changing tip during those 10 minutes.
As a teacher, I can attest that many problems can be identified in the first 10 minutes of any golf lesson.
The lineup of Indiana PGA golf professionals is star-studded. Don Essig III, recently inducted into the PGA of America Hall of Fame, will join his son, Chip Essig, as well as Ryan Ford, Scott Downing, Roger Lundy, Tony Clecak, Keith Clark, Chad Cockerham, Jeff Smith, Steve Cohen, Jon Chapple and me in providing free 10-minute lessons from 1 to 6 p.m.
And from an entertainment standpoint, WFNI-1070 AM will be doing a live radio remote broadcast from 3 to 6 p.m.
Golfers also will be able to enjoy a special $25 green fee Friday at The Legends. It’s an additional $14 per player to ride. Call 736-8186 for tee times.
Play golf, get a free lesson, hit some new clubs and see some Colts. Now it just doesn’t get much better than this.
Ted Bishop is director of golf for The Legends of Indiana Golf Course in Franklin and secretary for PGA of America.

Photo Caption: When you look at a football field, it’s hard to believe that it takes only a short wedge to cover the distance, goal line to goal line.
That’s a pretty manageable shot in golf. But put an NFL quarterback on the goal line, and that distance seems like forever.

Cleveland golf course setting for many cherished memories

On Father’s Day 1974, it was too cold to play golf in Logansport. So my dad and I bypassed our normal Sunday afternoon round at the Rolling Hills Par 3 and watched Hale Irwin outlast the field in the U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

Roll the clock ahead several years to the golf shop at the Phil Harris Golf Course in Linton. I am standing behind the counter trying to balance customer service with golf on television, something pros do on occasion. The image of Tom Watson chipping in at the 17th hole at Pebble Beach to beat Jack Nicklaus and win the 1981 U.S. Open still appears vividly.
Now it’s 1984 at The Masters, and I am standing by the greenside bunker on the ninth hole at Augusta National Golf Club. A young and rising star named Ben Crenshaw holes his sand shot on the way to winning his first green jacket.
And now, some 25 years later, these same guys still captivate crowds at the Senior PGA Championship at Canterbury Golf Club in Cleveland.
The Senior PGA Championship was born in 1937, and the first two events were conducted at Augusta National.
This year, Canterbury Golf Club joins Oak Hill Country Club of Rochester, N.Y., as the only layouts in the country to have hosted all five of the rotating U.S. men’s premier golf championships — the PGA Championship, the Senior PGA, the U.S. Open, the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Senior Open.
Designed by Herbert Strong and opened for play in 1921, Canterbury has been recognized by Golf Digest as one of the top 100 courses in America. The club has hosted 13 significant or major championships including Nicklaus winning the 1973 PGA Championship to earn his 14th major, breaking the record held by the legendary Bobby Jones.
One unique aspect of Canterbury is that it is only 650 yards from the clubhouse to the farthest point of the golf course. This cozy, little venue has deep rough and perfect fairways. As the weekend approaches, the fairways will become hard and fast, making it difficult for players to keep the ball out of the rough.
I had the privilege of playing in Tuesday’s pro-am, and I can attest first hand that these Canterbury greens might be the fastest and most treacherous that I ever have encountered. The greens are firm, which makes it
nearly impossible to keep the ball below the hole.
Kerry Haigh, PGA managing director of championships, said, “I would rather stare down a rattlesnake than a 2-foot downhill putt at Canterbury.”
Ian Woosnam was my touring professional in the pro-am. The Wales native is best known as the 1991 Masters champion. He was the captain of the 2006 European squad that won the Ryder Cup at the K Club in Ireland. Woosnam was a member of eight Ryder Cup teams and always has been known as a tough, feisty competitor.
As I expected, “Woosie” was absolutely charming. He exhibited the quintessential pro-am demeanor, spending the entire day offering tips and anecdotes to my team, which consisted of two Pepsi officials and Dave Marr III from the Golf Channel.
Tuesday was Woosnam’s first ever trip around Canterbury. I was impressed with how he was able to get his work done and still make the day special for the team. This is the essence of a pro-am. The pro helps his players with their games, tells a few stories and leaves memories of a lifetime. Woosie lived up to our expectations.
Marr comes from great stock. He jokes that he was a mistake at birth: “I received my mom’s talent and my dad’s disposition.”
Marr’s father was the legendary Dave Marr II, the 1965 PGA champion, captain of the 1981 Ryder Cup team and the velvety voice of ABC golf telecasts. He also worked for NBC and the BBC.
In my professional career, I have been fortunate to be around many of golf’s all-time greats, Sam Snead and Byron Nelson, to name a few. No one made a bigger impression on me than the elder Marr. He always was classy, satirically funny and carried an unforgettable presence about him.
Sadly, his announcing buddy, Bob Rosburg, the 1959 PGA champion, died this week after a fall in California.
The younger Marr has become a staple of the Golf Channel. Spending the day with him at Canterbury was a reunion of the oddest sorts for me. It was our first meeting, but it rekindled many heartwarming stories about his dad.
The pro-am ended way too soon for my liking because I wasn’t tired of hearing more Marr tales.
“My dad was paired with Arnold Palmer in the alternate shot competition on the first day of the Ryder Cup. Dad was really nervous on the first tee, and it never went away. He didn’t play well. He and Arnie got beat 6-and-4,” Marr remembered.
“They were having lunch, and Byron Nelson, who was the captain, came to the table and asked Arnold who he wanted as a partner in the afternoon. Arnold pointed at my dad and said, ‘I have my partner right here.’ My dad never lost another match in that Ryder Cup. Arnold’s faith in him was the difference.”
Here at Canterbury, there are 113 players representing 33 states. There are 32 international players representing 14 countries.
The field consists of 23 majors champions, who have combined to win 42 major championships including five U.S. Opens; nine Senior PGA Championships; seven PGA Championships; seven British Opens and 10 Masters.
There are 11 U.S. and European Ryder Cup captains as well as eight members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Experts call it the strongest field in the history of senior golf.
And I am pretty sure that Dave Marr II is looking down on this Senior PGA Championship, and with that wry Texas cackle he says, “Well, Rossie, this is some pretty good stuff, huh? And, you know that kid of mine, he definitely got my voice and his mom’s golf swing!”
Well, Dave, your son is a 6 at Shinnecock.
Ted Bishop is director of golf for The Legends of Indiana Golf Course in Franklin and secretary for PGA of America.

Photo Caption: On Father’s Day 1974, it was too cold to play golf in Logansport. So my dad and I bypassed our normal Sunday afternoon round at the Rolling Hills Par 3 and watched Hale Irwin outlast the field in the U.S. Open at Winged Foot.
Roll the clock ahead several years to the golf shop at the Phil Harris Golf Course in Linton. I am standing behind the counter trying to balance customer service with golf on television, something pros do on occasion. The image of Tom Watson chipping in at the 17th hole at Pebble Beach to beat Jack Nicklaus and win the 1981 U.S. Open still appears vividly.

Golf industry deserves government's attention

Wednesday was National Golf Day in Washington.

Representatives from the PGA of America, United States Golf Association, Golf Course Superintendents Association, National Golf Course Owners Association and the PGA Tour convened in our nation's capital to spread the word about golf as an industry.
Golf has been excluded from a disaster-relief bill designed to aid businesses suffering from catastrophic damage due to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, etc.
If that wasn't bad enough, the recent stimulus bill limits golf courses from being able to apply for conventional Small Business Administration loans. In addition, while the SBA is waiving the standard 3.5 percent closing fee for traditional businesses, it is not for golf courses.
Besides this, golf courses are small-business America when it comes to health care. Premiums continue to rise, and employers face tough decisions when it comes to health benefits for employees.
Everyone is waiting to see how Congress deals with this issue.
One remedy that we heard this week is a pooling mechanism which will allow small businesses across America to generate large numbers of employees to join in
the same plan driving health
care costs down. There could be
a tax credit for businesses who
participate.
The uninformed populous views golf as an elitist sport catering to wealthy white males. The fact is that 70 percent of all golf played is at public courses with an average fee of $28.
Women represent the fastest growing group of new players. The most famous athlete in the world today is Tiger Woods, who is black.
Golf promotes a healthy lifestyle. It preserves green space and uses far less fungicides,
pesticides and herbicides than agricultural food crops.
I met with Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the highest-ranking Republican in the Senate; Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., the Republican whip; Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis.; Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt.; and staffers from Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ariz.
Many in Congress confuse the PGA of America with the PGA Tour. Obviously, the PGA Tour is what you see on television every weekend. The PGA of America is the club professional that you see every day at your local golf course. These are the men and women golf professionals who are helping juniors and teaching adults, running charity events, promoting the latest in golf equipment and making golf a better game for those who play.
Golf as an industry that generates $76 billion a year in revenue - more than the newspaper or motion picture industry. Golf facilities produce $3.25 million annually for charities.
There are a million people directly employed in golf and another million working in outside services that involve golf. That is three and a half times the number of employees who work for GM, Ford and Chrysler. Golf produces $62 million a year in wages.
Locally, all golf courses have been pummeled with rising property taxes. Most area school districts have spent millions of dollars on new buildings or major renovations, and golf courses have more than shared in the burden.
Every golf course in Johnson and Bartholomew counties has seen property taxes double in the past five years. Many facilities are being forced to use 8-10 percent of annual revenue to pay property tax bills.
All we asked this week in Washington was that Congress treat golf equitably when it considers legislation that will affect the golf industry.
It is imperative that Congress look at golf in the same way it does any other family-oriented business. Local officials have the same responsibility.
I would encourage all golfers
to know where your local, state and national officials stand on some of these issues. Now more than ever, course operators need the help and support of our
golfers.
More than exhibition
Rory McIlroy is the 20-year-old Irish rookie sensation trying to make his mark on the PGA Tour. The bushy redhead already has been involved in some eye-opening encounters in his first few months on the Tour.
McIlroy was involved in a rules controversy at The Masters when, after leaving a ball in the green side bunker on the 18th hole, he kicked the sand in disgust.
Masters officials spent several hours reviewing McIlroy's actions before deciding not to penalize him. A penalty would have resulted in a disqualification because the young Irishman would have signed an incorrect scorecard.
This week at the Irish Open, McIlroy was asked about the Ryder Cup.
"The Ryder Cup, it's a great spectacle but an exhibition at the end of the day. It's not that important an event for me."
Ironically, he was paired on Thursday with Colin Montgomerie, who has been selected to captain the Europeans in the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor in Wales. Monty was quick to respond to McIlroy's comments.
"Rory will understand when, and it's not an 'if,' the pressure will hit him hard. It's not an exhibition," Montgomerie said.
I hope McIlroy makes the 2010 Ryder Cup Team so he can experience what a unique and special event the Ryder Cup.
Next week I will be at the PGA Senior Championship at Canter-bury Golf Club in Cleveland.
Jay Haas is the defending champion. This year's field includes Tom Lehman, Hal Sutton, Tom Watson, Andy Bean, Hale Irwin, Fred Funk, Sandy Lyle, Larry Mize, Jerry Pate, Dave Stockton, Craig Stadler, Tom Kite, Nick Price, Fuzzy Zoeller, Ian Woosnam, Bob Tway, Greg Norman, Lanny Wadkins, Mark O'Meara and Costantino Rocca, just to name a few.
I look forward to sharing the experience with you.
Ted Bishop is director of golf for The Legends of Indiana Golf Course in Franklin and secretary for PGA of America.

Controversy-free round gives official time to take in scenery

EDITOR’S NOTE — Golf columnist Ted Bishop is working as an official during the Masters in Augusta, Ga., this week. His columns from the tournament also will be published Saturday and Monday in the Daily Journal.

AUGUSTA, Ga.
Thursday’s opening round of the Masters was marked by spectacular weather.
We arrived at Augusta National Golf Club shortly after 7 a.m. After a brief rules committee meeting conducted by Fred Ridley, tournament chairman, we headed to our hole assignments.
Let me clarify one detail from Thursday’s column. In the haste of meeting the deadline before I bolted to the Golf Writers of America dinner last night, I misstated my assignments. I was on hole No. 2 on Thursday and will be on No. 1 today.
We have full days; and in the pressure to meet my newspaper deadline, I messed up relaying the first-day assignment.
So, my spot in Round 1 was about 50 yards short of the green on the right side of No. 2, just inside the ropes — not a bad place to watch the entire field and fortunately a fairly quiet area for rulings.
In my 30-plus years of working in golf, I have always felt like mornings are the most peaceful and beautiful time of the day on the golf course. Multiply that times 50 when you are at Augusta National.
During Wednesday’s rules committee meeting, the comment was made by the Augusta greens chairman that this year’s color may be the most spectacular in tournament history.
The fairways and roughs are the deepest green I’ve seen. They are accented by brilliant color
from all of the flowering ornamentals; and I will have to say that in my limited time at Augusta National, this year could be the prettiest I have ever seen the course.
Arnold Palmer hit the ceremonial first tee shot at 7:50 a.m., and the first group of Ian Woosnam, Chez Reavie and Briny Baird officially started the tournament at 8 a.m. sharp. The lead threesome arrived in my area at 8:25 a.m., and the games were on for me.
Right out of the box, I got two balls within 24 inches of each other in my area after the second shots were hit. Reavie and Baird hit their shots within reach of each other and I thought, “Here we go.” But the balls were far enough apart that no marking was required, and the players proceeded.
No. 2 is a 575-yard downhill dogleg left par-5. On Thursday it was slightly downwind, and as the day wore on, a half-dozen players reached the green in two. The pin was placed on the front of the green, which is guarded by bunkers on both sides.
Many players hit their second shots into the greenside bunkers. No player was able to make birdie from the left bunker. In fact, no shot was pitched closer than 20 feet from that spot.
Players who bailed out slightly right were faced with a pitch shot from a tight lie over a bunker. The only way to get the ball close was to pitch it a little long and hope the ball would roll back down the hill to the pin. This is classic Augusta National. Position is everything on the par fives.
Nick Watney made the first eagle of the day playing in the seventh group. He landed his second shot on the front of the green and made a 10-foot putt. The only other eagle was made by Stephen Ames, who was right of the hole about 15 feet and sank the putt.
The longest drive of the morning was from Retief Goosen, and he made bogey after playing a poor chip shot over the right bunker and then three-putting.
We had one official ruling in
the next-to-last group. Stewart Cink received a drop from the crosswalk.
I had another near-miss when D.J. Trahan flew a ball into the gallery. He had a tough lie that was compacted and thin from a water leak. He opted for no relief and chunked his pitch into the bunker. But Trahan saved par with a nifty bunker shot to within a couple of feet of the hole.
Tiger Woods hit a terrible tee shot on No. 2. He pitched it out and had the longest third shot of the day, which was about 175 yards. Woods landed his ball above the hole and made a 4-footer for par.
Gary Player and Ben Crenshaw both made birdies.
Length off of the tee was not the important factor on No. 2. Many birdies were made by players who were 50 to 60 yards short of the green instead of next to the putting surface pitching over or out of the bunkers. Again, typical Augusta National.
The funniest story of the day? Ron Hickman, PGA rules official from Mississippi, was summoned to the tee on No. 4, the par-3, by Player. The three-time Masters champion is making his 52nd start at Augusta and said to Hickman, “Somebody is wearing metal spikes in front of us, and they are tearing the greens up. You need to tell them to pick up their feet.”
I asked Hickman how he handled that one. He smiled and said, “I just walked over to my stool and sat down. I wasn’t going to go to the radio for that one. Masters officials would have asked me to leave and told me to buy a couple of shirts on my way out.”
Indiana’s Chip Essig was involved in a ruling on No. 5 with Sergio Garcia. The Spaniard hit his second shot over the par-4 hole into some bushes. Garcia asked for help from Essig because he didn’t want to break any branches and receive a penalty.
Said Essig, “I told Sergio that he was OK as long as he only bent the branches and didn’t break them. He asked me to help him get into the bush. I think that was the first time I ever climbed into a bush with another guy.”
The tournament office is a great place to gather. Everybody is pumped up in the morning, and the stories are flowing at day’s end. It’s a tough assignment. But, hey, somebody’s has to do it.
Now it’s off to the PGA of America reception and then another day in paradise.
Ted Bishop is director of golf for The Legends of Indiana Golf Course in Franklin and secretary for PGA of America.

Photo Caption: EDITOR’S NOTE — Golf columnist Ted Bishop is working as an official during the Masters in Augusta, Ga., this week. His columns from the tournament also will be published Saturday and Monday in the Daily Journal.
AUGUSTA, Ga.

Thanks to golf, former resident has gone places

Talk to golfers who have lived around Franklin for years, and there is one image that many recall.

In the late 1960s and early '70s, no matter the time of year or the weather, many saw the silhouette of a boy hitting balls at the top of the hill at Hillview Country Club with an attentive father looking on.
That would be the Rev. Walter Marchand lending a watchful eye to his son, Paul.
The elder Marchand was the minister of the First Baptist Church in Franklin. He was an accomplished musician by trade who brought music to his ministry.
"My dad was a sports nut," Paul Marchand recalled. "He loved all sports.
"Every August, we would take a family vacation to Canada. That was the only time that he played golf all year, but he played almost every day at the Ridgetown Golf Course in Ontario.
"He had taught me to play the cello, which I had done for about seven years. One day I made a little deal with my dad. I was ready to go after golf, and I needed a break from the cello. He said, 'OK, if you are going to be good, you have to put in the time.'
"We had some outstanding athletes at Franklin high school in those days. There was a lot of ambition and drive in my class," said Marchand, a 1974 Franklin grad. "But my dad was emphatic about doing something every day with golf. He had great discipline and taught me golf the same way that he taught music. I really learned how to teach golf by remembering his approach to teaching music."
Marchand left Franklin to pursue a collegiate golf career at the University of Houston. It was there that he became teammates with Fred Couples, PGA Tour star, and Jim Nantz, CBS broadcaster. Marchand was a couple of years older than Couples and Nantz, but the three formed a relationship that thrives today.
After he graduated from Houston in 1980, Marchand took a job as assistant golf pro at the Connecticut Golf Club. Through-out the 1980s, he bounced back and forth between assistant pro positions and trying to play at the professional level.
After his stint in Connecticut, he returned to Houston, where he spent time working at the Houston and River Oaks country clubs.
"I was real fortunate to work for three great pros in Jackson Bradley, Charlie Epps and Dick Harmon. They taught me a lot about golf and even more about teaching," Marchand said. "I learned something different from all three, and when I was at River Oaks, I had the opportunity to be around Claude Harmon, Dick's dad, in the last couple of years of his life.
"Charlie contacted me in 1988 and told me that he was going to retire at the Houston Country Club, and he thought I had a shot to be the head pro if I came back."
In 1989, Marchand took over for Epps, who last month helped one of own his students, Angel Cabrera, capture the green jacket at this year's Masters.
In 1993, the Houston Country Club re-welcomed George Herbert Walker Bush. The former president had been a member for many years before embarking on his political career in Washington.
"The president would come in and sit in my office. It was a bit uncomfortable at first," Marchand said with a laugh. "He was just trying to figure out what was going on at the club.
"We have spent many summer days together. He lives a simple set of values. President Bush is one of my most important friends, and it is all because of golf; it levels the field."
Marchand and his wife, Judi, are frequent guests at the Bush's summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine, and have accompanied the Bushes on five family vacations to Greece.
Marchand spent 10 years at the Houston Country Club before he departed for Shadow Hawk Golf Club, where he currently serves as head golf professional/general manager. Some of his current members at Shadow Hawk include former Secretary of State James Baker and baseball stars Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Jeff Bagwell and Craig Bigio. Clemens' wife, Debbie, was crowned ladies club champion at Shadow Hawk last weekend.
From 1987 until 2002, Marchand was the Tour coach for Fred Couples, who in 1992 achieved the status as the top player in the world.
"Fred is a genius. He is a natural talent, and I think I gave him some structure and a more organized approach. My job was to get him to play his best. There is a certain chemistry that exists between player and coach. You pick and choose your spots."
After a seven-year stint with Butch Harmon, Couples now is back with Marchand as his Tour coach. The two worked together at the Houston Open in March, where Couples nearly pulled off a great victory. They spent the week together at Augusta.
This week I spoke to Nantz, an Emmy Award winner, about his relationship with Marchand.
"Paul has always been like a big brother to me," Nantz said. "We have traveled to many places around the world. He is the closest thing I have found to 'the perfect human being.' He always puts others first.
"He is a man of faith and family. There is no one more trustworthy. I am truly blessed to have his friendship and guidance on things in my life."
Nantz has risen to the top of the broadcasting profession. In his book "Always By My Side," Nantz writes that Marchand "is still a major influence in my life." It was through Marchand that Nantz met Jim McKay, ABC sports legend, and President Bush.
"Jim is one of my best friends. We talk often," Marchand said. "What he has accomplished is amazing.
"One of his real talents is the way that he weaves the human side into the story. He flew across the country when I was at the Connecticut Golf Club just to play golf with Jim McKay. We slept in the locker room the night before.
"Jim was so excited to meet this legend in broadcasting. He just kept asking McKay question after question about all of his colleagues. And now, McKay's son, Sean McManus, is the executive producer for CBS News and Sports, and he is Jim's boss.
"How do you describe the impact of all of this?" Marchand added. "It's all because of golf"
Favor returned, it was through Nantz that Marchand met Ken Venturi, who asked him to be his captain's assistant during the 2000 Presidents Cup matches at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club outside Washington.
"That was one of the highlights of my life," Marchand said.
In typical Marchand fashion, he took that experience and shared it with others. The players and captains were given the opportunity to present an unrestricted gift as a donation to a charity of their choice. Marchand donated $40,000 to the Indiana Golf Foundation in the name of his father, Walter.
"Even though he is no longer in the area, Paul keeps strong ties to where he is from. He has always been a great supporter of the foundation," said Mike David, executive director of the Indiana Golf Foundation.
It's pretty obvious that on one of those cold, cloudy winter days just north of State Road 44 in Franklin, Walter was teaching Paul more than just the golf swing.
Ted Bishop is director of golf for The Legends of Indiana Golf Course in Franklin and is secretary of PGA of America.