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Here’s one way to prep for a round: whack away at a field of pigs. Gather your clubs and meet the hogs at T.G.I. Friday’s at the Eugene Golf Club. The USGA partnership isn’t for members. It’s for the curious.
“We felt the need for something that would give people a good sense of what this experience entails without requiring a membership,” said Alan Romberg, communications director for USGA East Region. “Given Friday’s theme, this gave us an opportunity to be part of a fun, interactive event.”
And what better way to do that than to invite America’s leading pros?
“This was an opportunity we could not pass up,” said former Open Champion Stewart Cink, who is currently ranked No. 14 in the world. “I have been a golf fan since I was a kid, growing up, so I really looked forward to this. This is a great way to promote the USGA.”
The USGA and Eugene Golf Club decided to invite non-members to try their hand at the sport. They have even extended an invitation to the clubhouse manager. Perhaps, if it flies well, one day, she will invite football players, baseball players, stock market traders, whomever. This is supposed to be fun.
Of course, the pigs were more interested in making their big break than swinging at golf balls. In a crowd of roughly 30 people (mostly women), women’s great-grandpa, Sandy Leavitt, not only failed to break a pig, he never even made contact. Still, he can keep the cut.
Luckily, the tournament’s doormat of a guy had plenty of experience. If every other participant seemed a bit intimidated, there was Freddie Runner, who had dragged an extra 5-8 pounds of lumber across the course.