How many people here have ever played with a touring professional? Any high-end names? And of you who did or are doing so, How did/are you get/ting on?
Genuinely curious.
Shero

Didn't actually play with, but, at a practice round of the 1991 PGA at Crooked Stick in Indy. Russ Cochran overheard me talking to someone else in the gallery about videoing his swing because I play left handed. He turned to me and asked me to hit his TM driver he was carrying. He handed me a ball and tee and the driver and let me hit one. Great feeling. Nervous though. As a sidelite, at the 1992 Western Open, (the year after Cochran won it) I was at the putting green when he came to practice before his Sunday round. I said very politely to him "Good Luck, Mr Cochran." He looked over and said right back. "Crooked Stick, right!?" An even bigger thrill!

i have never played with a tour pro on a course but at the practice range during "le trophée des nations" in reunion island where i was raphael jacquelin's caddie (number one golfer in france now) and it was great.the guy gave me some tips and it lasted 5 days and i really enjoyed this. i remember he played very long and i wanted to play a practice round after the end of the tournament but he had to visit the island so it wasn't possible. then one year later i came in england for the british open to see tiger and jhon daly ( my favorite players) and he was there so i could discuss a little with him and he was happy to see me even if i was the most!!!
that's all

played a couple holes with brad adamonis today. hes on the nationwide tour and all i can say is wow!

I played with Robert Garrigus, then Nationwide, now PGA Tour about 3 years ago. I was a walk-up at Meadows Del Mar near San Diego and the shop put me out with him. They didn't say he was a pro. On the first tee, I asked him did he play much and what sort of handicap he had!!

First hole, 355 yards, slightly downhill, he hits driver to about 25 yards short, and then gave a long driving exhibition for the rest of the round. Par-5, 595 yards, no wind, not much run, driver, 3-iron. Nice guy and willing to chat about anything.

I also played with a teenage Darren Clarke when we were in the same club. He was playing off +3 or +4 then. Big strong aggressive player back then too.

I've played with a few tour pros. Mostly those with Oklahoma ties. Verplank, Willie Wood, Andrew Magee, and a bevy of smaller tour guys (Nationwide, Nike, Adams). Most of these guys are friends, and we've just gotten together to play. I'd tell you the best way to hook up with them is through charity events, or join a club where they play regularly. They really don't play a lot of useless golf during the year.

As a Junior in High school, I played in the Wednesday Pro-Am of the 2003 NationWide Tour Monterey Peninsula Classic at Bayonet GC. The pro in my group was Hunter Haas (no relation to Bill or Jay). He was a cool guy. I was hella nervous my first 9 holes. After the first few holes he asked me, "Why are you so nervous?". I said to him, "I'm in high school and playing with a professional golfer! What isn't there to be nervous about?!". He and his caddy got a good laugh, haha.
Our pro-am score was horrible, i think we shot like 72, and the winning score was like 59 or something, haha. I'd do it again in a heart beat though.

Here's our group photo.

Looking back, I never really did like this photo... stupid photographer
I look like "The Awkward Fat Kid".


-Derk™

I used to play with Doug Delziel alot who was pretty successful on the Senior Tour about 15 years ago. Also played with Olin Browne and Steve Hart who has been on/off the PGA and Nationwide Tours. Also Cari Wood from the LPGA. I still don't know why she isn't more successful. She's got game.

Man, Hunter was definitely at the top of his game while at OU. His professional career got off to a fast start with some really great tournaments, but since then, he's cooled off. Still young and a lot of time to pull it altogether, but he's definitely got the talent to have a really solid career on the Tour.

Played a practice round with a Nationwide player and his swingcoach three years ago. I actually hit my only hole in one during that round. So double the fun.

I had the great opportunity to play in several Champions Tour Pro Ams. What a great bunch of people!!!!!!! Some of those I played with: Lee Trevino, Billy Casper, Don January, Simon Hobday, Frank Beard, Miller Barber.

Don January was the most fun to play with. Leee Trevino surprisingly was the worst. You could tell he didn't want to be there.

The first time was scary. A couple hundred people around the tee box and they announced my name. I was literally shaking on the tee worried about making a fool of myself. I'd played the course many times. First hole was a par 5. I had decided to hit 3 wood off the tee just to get it in play. When I took my stance I could see my legs and hands shaking. I topped the drive. After 2 more 3 woods I was in a green side bunker. This on a hole I normally had a chance of reaching in 2. I blasted out of the bunker and it went in the hole for birdie. Billy Casper walked up to me and said, "I've been playing golf for 40 years and I'd have never thought of playing the hole that way". After that I was fine. In following pro am's I was nervous but nothing like the first one.

Played tourny golf in FLA for a few years and was fortunate to meet and get to know a few of the guys down there.

Briny Baird
Brett Wetterich
Kevin Johnson

Played a few rounds with those guys

Qualified for the 2001 Genuity at Doral and played my practice round with Shaun Micheel, (who hits it so good by the way), and then played with Jeff Hart (scrapper) and Brent Schwarzrock (who flat out bombs it).

Also on a side note...played the 18th hole at Doral in the practice round as a 5 ball, with Jeff Ogilvie, Geoff Ogilvy, Shaun Micheel, and another guy that I did not know and did not introduce himself.

All in all good guys, with alot of game.

DG

Fred Couples,
Bruce Crampton,
John Cook,
Gay Brewer,
Natalie Gulbis,
Andrew McGee,
Ricky Barnes,
Jim Thorpe,
Darren Clarke,
Gary McCord........to name a few.

Nice List HiFade....that is sweet.

My old golf coach in Southern California (Gordie Severson) is good friends with Gary McCord and he told me some stories about how pure/good of a player he actually is, and all of that stuff.....Not to mention he seems like a pretty cool guy to tee it up with.

I grew up with all 7 of the Haas kids. That's right, 7 and all were great junior golfers. Only Hunter took it on to the pro's and I'm not sure he had the most talent in the family. The best athlete was probably Hans who may have still been caddying for him the day you played with him. Not just a good golfer, but good at all sports. He did give up all the rest to concentrate on golf after middle school though. All 7 Haas kids had the initials HH. With 3 boys and 4 girls, they got a bit creative.

I played more rounds with the Haas family than I could ever count. In my adult years, I've been fortunate to play with many tour pro's at one time or another. All have been at my home course and I've never played in a pro-am. We have one that is basically a regular when he's in town and a few others who drift in and out.

Like someone else, we have a bevy of mini-tour guys. It's always funny to me to watch how seriously the mini-tour guys take the game anytime a tour pro is playing with us. The tour pro's could care less and will even say as much as they are there much more for the hanging out than the competition.

Tom Kite, John Mahaffey, Dottie Pepper.

All in pro-ams. Each was a lot of fun to play with. Very cordial and nice. Kite was very easy to talk to. Mahaffey is a great story teller, really funny. Always had a crush on Dottie...loved her fire on the course and her competitive spirit plus I thought she was pretty hot.

that's too bad. when i hear garbage like that, it makes me pretty upset. he gets to play golf. for money. a lot.

and he doesn't want to be there? retarded.

I don't know how many people know him but I have played many rounds with Art Wall Jr. He won the Masters in 1969 birdie'ing 5 of his last 6 holes. I met him at our Junior Tour Championship so to speak for the junior golf tour in my area. This happened when I was a sophmore in high school(2002). He kind of took me under his wing and gave me a Titleist 975D which was the newest driver at the time. And, he also helped me out a ton with putting and short game. He was the greatest putter i hvae ever seen. In all the rounds I played with him I don't think he ever missed a putt inside 20 feet. Simply Amazing. He was the nicest pro I have ever met as he took me, a kid who he never met before, under his wing to teach me many invaluable things when he never had to.

Carl Pettersson

Christian Ceaver during high school. He later went to Stanford and then to the Euro Tour for a long time now.

RGK5 on Chris's Account

I played with Bob Tway back in 1983. He shot 67, me 73. A fine guy.

2 years ago I played with 1968 Masters Champ Bob Goalby. I beat him by one, and I will never forget it. Of course, he is geting up there in age, but how many people can say they beat a Masters Champion on his home course.

When I was a senior in High School, a buddy and I were playing a new course in Springfield, Missouri called Millwood. We got up to the seventeenth tee (a par 3) and there was a bit of a log jam. There had been a twosome infront of us all day but never got close enough to see who it was. Obviously good players from what we saw, but had no idea that it was Payne Stewart and his dad. He wasn't wearing his Knickers. I almost S$#@ when I realized who it was. The best part is he asked us if we wanted to go ahead and play in with them. Talk about being nervous on a tee. Went bogey, par...he went birdie, birdie for a course record 64. Truly an experience I will never forget.

Hey there, this is my first post.......I have been a caddie for 13 years now.......worked here and there........have had the opportunity to play with many and caddie for even more.....friends on PGA, Nationwide, D1 and mini's........they hit the ball better than you can imagine and hit it horrible(they miss them too)....... but only once maybe twice around.......when this happens you see the hours of practice in there wedges......or the putter if they haven't lost that yet..........................when I say that I mean they make more than you can believe in 18 holes but it isn't enough to make it out there.
[b]In closing they are that good.......[/b].oh yeah and just like normal life you will find as many pricks as you find great people on the tour...............great guys to name a few D J Trahan...Zach Johnson..Lucas Glover......goes on

It is funny that you mention Lucas Glover....my brother in laws best friend is one of Lucas's best buddies......From what I hear from Webb is that Lucas is a totally cool guy....Was supposed to play with him this year in Southern Cal, but his teacher (one of the Harmon brothers, died the day we were supposed to play) So needless to say our round was canceled.

Needless to say I totally agree with you....

DG