Inside The Ropes: Wyndham Championship
Having an opportunity to walk inside the ropes at a PGA Tour event, for many, is a once in a lifetime experience. One of the great things about the Wyndham Championship is the Ambassador Program initiated by the Carolinas PGA of America Section that seeks the help of local PGA Professionals to walk with the amateur teams and assigned PGA Tour player during the Monday and Wednesday Pro-Am times. For the third time in the last five years, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to partake in the experience many dream of.
It’s an enjoyable experience to assist the amateurs reading PGA Tour caliber greens, getting yardages, pointing out where to and not to hit the ball, and even lending free advice on swing flaws and potential fixes right there while on the course. This tournament embodies the true mission of the PGA of America and our goal as PGA Professionals everyday: to grown the game.
With this year’s pairing, I had the pleasure of joining PGA Tour player, Scott Brown. A native of Georgia and completing his fourth full year on tour, Brown is looking to expand on his current position of 99th on the FedEx Cup list entering this week’s tournament. The top 125 on the FedEx Cup list after this week will qualify for the playoffs starting next week at The Barclays, and he’s looking to further improve on his 88th and 85th finish the past two seasons respectively. Brown, the 2013 winner of the Puerto Rico Open on tour, was generous enough to share his thoughts about life on the road as a tour pro, how he’s adapted to an equipment manufacturer change, and his goals moving forward.
What’s Tour Life Like On A Daily Basis?
Brown: “Oh man, usually a grind for me. I’m like one of those guys that’s a workaholic. I like to show up in the morning, maybe play a few holes, work on a few things on the range and my short game, and then go put them in use on the golf course and maybe come back and do a little more, if I need it.”
How Do You Prepare For The Course While Also Getting Your Body Ready For 4 Rounds?
Brown: “Well, I pretty much work out quite often so my physical part is how I prepare and condition myself for a long week. In a pro-am, I think it’s great as it is sometimes the last time you see the golf course before the tournament starts. A lot of guys don’t have the advantage of playing the pro-am, so their last practice round is Tuesday and the golf course can change a lot from Tuesday to Thursday. So really being able to see conditions and how the course is playing matters more than anything.
What’s Your Favorite Tournament?
Brown: “Outside of majors, if you throw those out, my favorite tournament has been Jack’s tournament at Muirfield (The Memorial Tournament). It just has that major feel, a big tournament that gets a lot of great players there.”
What’s Your Favorite Golf Course?
Brown: “That’s probably it (Muirfield Village). It’s such a great golf course.”
What’s Your Goal This Week Being Inside The Top 100?
Brown: “My goal pretty much every week is to try to win the golf tournament. I think when you’re trying to win things pretty much take care of itself. All of the other stuff that comes with it is what we’re all looking for to go as far as we can in the FedEx Cup, reach the Tour Championship, play in all the big events, like majors, and things like that. You know, it’s hard to get there unless you’re winning golf tournaments. I mean, playing good will only get you so far.”
What Do You Like To Do Off The Course?
Brown: “I’m doing some hunting, fishing, boating and water sports a little bit in the summertime. I like a lot of different things.”
How’s The Transition From Nike To Callaway?
Brown: “I think Callaway’s equipment is great. I’ve been pretty happy with the move. I’ve really been having success with it as of late so I’m looking forward to the future with them.”
What’s In The Bag?
Driver: Callaway XR Pro
Fairway: Callaway XR Pro (3 & 5)
Irons: Apex MB
Wedges: Callaway Mack Daddy 2 Slate
Golf Ball: Speed Regime 3
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Chris Wadwick
Chris Wadwick has been a Class “A” member of the PGA of America since 2011. He is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in Business Administration. He brings a deep understanding of the inner workings of the golf business, especially club fittings, product knowledge, and visual merchandising, working for Dick’s Sporting Goods for over 7 years and Occoneechee Golf Club for more than three years, prior to that. When he is not in the office, you can always find him at a nearby golf course, attending games at his alma mater, or spending time with his wife and four dogs.