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World Amateur Attracts Elite Athletes

When the lights dim on a professional athlete’s career, the competitive drive that pushed him or her to the top doesn’t subside. The mind still yearns for a challenge, even for former NBA champions and World Series winners.

Golf quenches that competitive thirst for many people, challenging anyone who plays the game, and the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship is the ultimate amateur outlet. The event allows players of various skill levels to test their game and mettle against opponents from across the globe.

The lure of that competition attracted a pair of former professional athletes last year – World Series hero Tony Womack and two-time NBA champion Wes Matthews. Both players took up golf after their playing days were over and both are now avid players, playing multiple times a week.

Womack, who played 13 years in the Majors and was a vital cog in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ bottom of the ninth rally against the New York Yankees in the seventh game of the 2001 World Series, lives in Charlotte, N.C., and makes frequent Myrtle Beach golf trips.

Matthews, a former first round draft pick and a member of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 1987 and 1988 championship teams, lives in Atlanta and had never been to Myrtle Beach prior to last year’s event.

“It’s just the serenity, the peace, the competitive nature,” Matthews said of golf. “Being a retired NBA player, you’ve gotta have some competitiveness. That little ball is just tough to maintain, tough to direct.”

Both played in their first World Amateur in 2008 and both had a good time.

“For a first timer, it’s a beautiful tournament,” Matthews said. “(People) play to their handicap and you get to meet a lot of great people.”

“I had fun,” Womack, a one-time All-Star, said. “A lot of different guys, a lot of different egos, a lot of different characters. It was a fun.”

Matthews and Womack finished in the middle of their respective flights.  Womack, who has been playing the game for just four years, competed in flight one.

“Golf is a humbling experience whether you are a retired NBA player or football player or just the average person,” Matthews said. “This game is going to humble you. Whatever background you come from, golf is going to humble you.”

But being humbled rarely stops players from returning to the course, serving instead to fuel the passion people have for the game. No where is that more evident than the World Amateur.

A 72-hole stroke play tournament, the World Amateur attracts golfers of all skill levels, grouping them in tightly bunched flights based on handicap and age (there are six different divisions). Players play under PGA Tour-like conditions, though carts are allowed, competing to win their flight and a spot in Friday’s World Championship Playoff, held at the famed Dunes Golf & Beach Club.

At night, players gather at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, better known as the World Largest 19th Hole. All tournament participants and a guest can attend the 19th Hole where free food from some of Myrtle Beach’s best restaurants, free drinks and live entertainment are provided.

The 19th Hole is also home to a golf expo, demo areas, instructional clinics from some of the game’s leading teachers and more.

 “This is my very first time here and it’s been a golf experience like no other,” Matthews said. “I’ve met some great people, played with some great partners and learned about all walks of life.”

Regardless of your background, the World Amateur experience delivers a good time for all.

Tags

• tony womack,
• wes matthews,
• world amateur