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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
How amateur golfers choose their pro in the Dick's Open Pro-Am
ENDICOTT, N.Y. — Sixty seconds on the clock and a dozen names are on the board — pick just one. In between trays of frozen Miami Vices, smoked old fashions and lobster-roll sliders displayed on the 1st tee in En-Joie Golf Club sat orange and black hightop tables with numbers ranging from one to 50. Tuesday night, clusters of men gathered in groups around each table, hunched over their bourbon s'mores pudding cups and half-finished drinks as they scrolled through their phones and a yellow and green paper. Advertisement They have to pick one name that's left on the board. But who? Do they go with Derek Sanders or Boo Weekley? John Daly was an option moments ago, but one of the groups ahead already nabbed the two-time major champion and all-around folk hero for Wednesday. Time's ticking down. Only a handful of seconds left before the buzzer. It's all fun and games for everyone playing. The Dick's Open Pro-Am rounds are how amateur golfers get their chances to interact with the professionals and help donate to charity. More: What to know for the PGA Tour Champions Dick's Open For some golfers, this particular Pro-Am is a yearly event. As soon as the tournament dates are announced, they're booking flights, hotels and lining up tickets. They try to pick a new pro golfer to play with every year. Boo Weekley of the United States plays his shot on the third hole during the first round of the Chubb Classic 2025 at Tiburon Golf Club on February 14, 2025 in Naples, Florida. For others, this is a once-in-a-lifetime day. It's their chance to potentially play with a favorite golfer, maybe even pick up some new tips on their swing. Advertisement But while it is all fun and games, the draw party is serious business. 'We were Googling as soon as they handed these out to us just to figure out who we had as our big names,' one amateur golfer, Kevin Dutkowsky, said while gesturing to his green paper littered with pencil markings. 'As the names were picked, we obviously had to go down our list, but they're all so accomplished that it's pretty easy to find someone every year.' Dutkowsky said the Dick's Open has become a reunion for his extended family. He flies in from Tampa Bay to Endicott, which is where he grew up. Dutkowsky is playing in the Pro-Am on both days, teeing off alongside Soren Kjeldsen on Wednesday and Neal Lancaster on Thursday. Advertisement While some people like the Dutkowskys may have relied on some Googling and a bit of personal experience for their selection strategy, other golfers were looking for someone with personality on the course — or even off the course, too. One group, led by Bradley Cook, went as far to use AI to make a decision for who would be the best professional with which to spend 18 holes. Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark tees off at the Genesis Championship 2024 at Jack Nicklaus GC Korea. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) 'By about the 20th slot, we took a picture of what was left on the board, sent it through ChatGPT with certain criteria,' Cook said, 'which required an engaging professional who has won two PGA events, enjoys giving basic swing and other analysis and would be most likely to have a beer at the bar with us afterwards.' Advertisement This is Cook's fourth year participating in the Pro-Am, and he brought along his wife and kids to enjoy the experience as well. 'It's amazing, it's a generational experience for us,' Cook said. 'It started with my grandfather and now our kids, and hopefully the kids get to play in it in a few years.' Cook ended up selecting Australian golfer John Senden for a Wednesday afternoon tee time. John Senden putts toward the second hole during the first round of the Kaulig Companies Championship at Firestone Country Club on Thursday in Akron. (Photo: Jeff Lange/Akron Beacon Journal) Cook's friend, TJ Carden, played in a separate party for his first-ever Pro-Am. He worked as a caddy for his grandfather, who played at the golf course, and got a chance to play with a pro through his company, United Health Services (UHS). Advertisement Carden's colleagues were the ones to pick his golfing pro, John Rollins. They did most of the research ahead of time and came in with a list of names to select. To Carden, this experience is as close to a dream as it gets. He's known the sport his entire life, and though he claims he doesn't have the best swing around, just watching Rollins up close up counts as something Carden won't forget. 'This Pro-Am, the Dick's Open, is absolutely a bucket list item for me,' he said. 'I'm just going to soak in the whole thing.' So with their finished glasses in hand and the knowledge of who their golfing partner will be for the day, the groups slowly marched toward the exit. The next time they'll be here, they'll be living and breathing the experience of their makeshift strategies becoming a reality. Advertisement Whether they implemented the potential tips from their pros or end up sharing a meal with them after, well, that will be determined on the course. This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: How amateur golfers choose their pro in the Dick's Open Pro-Am
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Derek Sanders is making his PGA Tour Champions Dick's Open debut after years as a caddy
ENDICOTT — Imagine a dream weekend playing golf. Who are you playing with? Do you have a caddy? Which golf course are you playing at? What's your tee time? The answers probably come to mind instantly, but it stays a dream — just a picturesque world created by an impossibly fictional scenario. Advertisement Derek Sanders' dream was to always play in three major events: A PGA Tour qualifying event, the PGA Tour and a PGA Tour Champions tournament. He'd accomplished the first two, and the final felt like that distant pipe dream. Until last week, when he got the phone call from Dick's Open Tournament Director John Karedes while brushing his teeth to get ready to attend a wedding. More: Lupo's spiedies, wings and John Daly cocktails: Your Dick's Open food and drink guide 'I still wake up every morning thinking it's a dream,' Sanders said. 'But it's getting really close to tee time.' Sanders knows everything imaginable about the En-Joie Golf Club. He knows how the ball rolls down the fairways, which greens are harder than others and where to lay off if he can't get to a par five. Advertisement He's been around the course for years as a caddy. And for the first time in his career, he's teeing off at the Dick's Open in his first PGA Tour Champions tournament. 'It's overwhelming,' Sanders said. 'Being a caddy for 12, 15 years out here, and then John (Karedes) giving me the spot to come play with these guys is a dream. I mean, you can't make this up.' John Karedes, Dick's Sporting Goods Open tournament directors, addresses media members April 15, 2021 at En-Joie Golf Course. Sanders had only had mere days to prepare for the tournament. He played in the Pro-Am with the other professionals, partook in the two practice days beforehand. But he took a 7:15 a.m. flight to New York the morning after the wedding he attended — which was last Saturday night. Advertisement He didn't even get a chance to bring his family or friends along with him. Instead, he'll have his caddie, Mike 'Fluff' Cowan. Yes, that's the same Fluff who was Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk's caddie, who's been caddying for nearly 50 years. 'Then I've got Fluff on the bag, the Hall of Fame caddie,' Sanders said. 'It's a good week, it's just amazing.' Sanders will have one other familiar face, though he'll also be playing in the Dick's Open. Jason Caron, who Sanders worked with as a caddie during the U.S. Senior Open just two weeks ago. Aug 16, 2019; Medinah, IL, USA; Caddie Mike "Fluff" Cowan waits on the 1st tee during the second round of the BMW Championship golf tournament at Medinah Country Club - No. 3. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports Caron said the two of them have a lot in common, which helped him trust Sanders so quickly. He's encouraged Sanders to soak up the experience at the Dick's Open, and to use his knowledge of golf as a caddie to his own advantage throughout the tournament. Advertisement 'He loves the game of golf and he does a great job,' Caron said. 'I mean, you can't really ask for anything more than that.' With the dream opportunity in front of him, Sanders said he's turning his focus toward playing well. He's been given numerous tips and pieces of advice from other golfers, including Caron, but it's been pretty cliché. Jason Caron plays a tee shot on the second hole during the first round of the 2024 Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Phoenix Country Club. () 'You're gonna want to downplay it because he wants to perform well, that's the problem, right?' Caron said. 'The more you downplay like you're playing with your buddies, he can go make five, six, seven birdies around and shoot decent scores and finish up there. You never know, right? So I just want him to go and have a good time, and hopefully, he'll enjoy the experience.' Advertisement Play like you're playing with your friends, play your own game and just have fun with the experience. But Sanders is still a competitor, and even if this is his first PGA Tour Champions event, he wants to do well. More: Dick's Open nets $500K from NY: 'It deserves to grow and thrive' He never had nerves as a caddie. Sanders had the up close and personal chance to see golfers win championships and get frustrated having a bad day on the course. Now he wants to make a good impression in his tournament debut. Sanders is almost hyperaware of the pairs of eyes that will fall on him now that he's one of the competitors. He's watched golf fans glue their eyes to the pros, while he's looked on and prepared to offer whatever advice needed after the swing. It elevates the heart rate, but it's not completely unmanageable, he said. Advertisement But then there's the nerves of playing against some of the best golfers in the world. 'If I didn't know any of these guys, and they weren't professionals and they didn't have six major wins like Ernie Els or (Miguel Angel) Jimenez and Jerry Kelly I don't think I'd be that nervous,' Sanders said. 'But now I'm going out and teeing off second, and I'm gonna be a little nervous.' Ernie Els of South Africa sends his ball down the No. 3 fairway during the first round of the 2025 Kaulig Companies Championship at Firestone Country Club, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Akron, Ohio. And although Sanders will claim he's not superstitious, he used to never play with a ball that's marked number two. It's not something he's worried about recently, but did mention when he steps to the tee box Friday morning, he'll double check to avoid that number. Advertisement Then, he'll take his first swing of the tournament, and use the bits of knowledge he's gained watching the pros play to his advantage. And make his dream weekend of playing golf come true. 'I have all this stuff in my book,' Sanders said. 'It's just executing and having some confidence to take the next step.' This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Derek Sanders in first PGA Tour Champions Dick's Open after caddying
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Man accused of shooting AR-style rifle at deputies extradited to Washington after fleeing to Nevada
The man accused of firing an AR-style rifle at Thurston County deputies in May is back in Washington after he fled to Nevada, leading local and federal law enforcement on a days-long manhunt. Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders said on May 8, 27-year-old Damien Madison allegedly fired three rounds at deputies and a K9 during a chase that started in Grays Harbor County and ended in Thurston County. No one was injured in the shooting. Madison fled and was arrested about a week later near the Nevada-California border. The FBI Criminal Apprehension Team, with Air Support, used a Grappler device to stop Madison's vehicle, which had his mother inside. He made an initial appearance in a Nevada court and has since been extradited to Thurston County to face a judge here. Madison's preliminary appearance is scheduled for today in Superior Court to determine possible release conditions. He has been booked for: • Two counts of first-degree assault 1st with a deadly weapon • Drive-by shooting • First-degree unlawful possession of a firearm • First-degree malicious mischief
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
Engine ejected from car after single-vehicle crash near Tumwater, Sheriff Sanders says
The force of a single-vehicle collision near Tumwater Friday evening was apparently so strong that the engine became disconnected from the car, said Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders in a social media post. It wasn't immediately clear from the post what the car had crashed into. Thurston County deputies, Tumwater police and an East Olympia fire crew were dispatched to the collision on 93rd Avenue Southeast, which travels between Interstate 5 and Old Highway 99. '911 callers reported the vehicle was on fire, fully engulfed, and exploding,' Sanders said in his post. Sanders said a deputy was the first to arrive on scene and pulled the driver from what he described as a 'fiery wreck.' The driver was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license, Sanders said. 'The collision had enough force to eject the engine from the car,' he said.
Fox News
04-06-2025
- Fox News
Sheriff's department uncovers Nazi extremists' secret arsenal in quiet Washington suburb
CONTENT WARNING– This article contains material that some readers may find distressing. Reader discretion is advised. Two white supremacist extremists and their cache of guns and Nazi paraphernalia were discovered in a suburban Washington state home. Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders announced the coordinated operation along with the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), discovering "military-grade weaponry and armor" in the City of Lacey, near the state capital of Olympia. Sanders announced the discovery in a Facebook post and said that the CID asked his office for assistance Monday as an FBI special weapons and tactics team executed a search warrant "as a result of a violent robbery and theft of military weaponry/armor." Sanders' statement said two people were arrested and booked into Thurston County Jail for investigation of firearms-related offenses. Their names have not been released, pending federal charges, the department said. "Despite requests to set bail at only $5,000, Superior Court granted the Prosecutor's request and set bail at $500,000 each," Sanders said. The pair compiled a stash of short barrel rifles, an MG42 machine gun, grenade launchers, explosives, body armor, ammunition, and ballistic helmets, the department said. Multiple rifles were also staged at windows throughout the residence, the department said. Photos of the stockpile captured the 35 firearms distributed throughout the Washington state home. Along with the store of firearms, authorities discovered Nazi paraphernalia throughout the home. Photos captured a red Nazi flag emblazoned with a black swastika, pro-Nazism literature and artwork depicting Adolf Hitler. "The suspects identified in this case were actively involved in Nazi White Nationalist efforts," the sheriff said. Additional information is expected to be included in a federal criminal complaint to be unsealed Wednesday. The two people arrested were expected to make initial appearances at U.S. District Court in Tacoma on Wednesday afternoon. Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Attorney's Office-Western District of Washington and the Thurston County Sheriff's Department for comment.
