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SPORTS
Juniors experience Love of golf
Courtesy of The Greenbrier The Greenbrier Resort's Old White Course has been reworked for the PGA Tour FedEx Cup's Greenbrier Classic July 26 through Aug. 1.
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WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. -- Nathaniel Begley and Ryan Kissinger played a round of golf Tuesday they'll never forget.
Begley, a 2010 Oak Hill High School graduate, and Kissinger, a senior at Woodrow Wilson High School in Beckley, played in The Greenbrier Classic's First Tee Scramble on the Old White course at The Greenbrier Resort. The same course where 156 players will tee it up in the $6 million PGA Tour event that begins Thursday.
PGA Tour player Jonathan Byrd was Begley's scramble partner. Kissinger was paired with Davis Love III.
"This is probably the round of my life," Begley said. "It's a lifetime experience. The guys (Love, Byrd and caddies) joked around a lot."
Begley's enthusiasm was evident by the fact he had to interrupt a family vacation in Myrtle Beach to play. Bob Begley, Nathaniel's father, did the driving and got the two here in time. After the round, it was back to the beach.
"You get to see they're human," Kissinger said of the experience. "This is the ultimate round for me up to now. If you mess up, it's OK. Having Davis Love as a partner. How does it get any better?"
Love and Byrd played from the back tees on the renovated Old White course. The juniors got to move up two sets of tees and Begley and Kissinger took advantage of that break.
Each team had two birdies to tie at 2-under-par and force a chip-off on the par-4 fourth hole. The juniors chipped from the collection area to the right of the green. Begley came up 20-feet short and Kissinger sent his about 10-feet past. Begley made his putt and Kissinger missed to give Byrd-Begley the win.
On No. 4, Byrd's drive found the fairway while Begley bombed his in the left rough just short of the green. They opted to play Begley's ball and he followed with an approach to about five feet from the hole and then made the birdie putt to force the chip-off.
All during the round, the foursome had a large gallery, something the two juniors weren't used to seeing.
"That was pretty amazing," Begley said. "Nerves? How about the first hole, the second hole, the third hole, the fourth hole."
Kissinger said he settled down after his drive on No. 1.
"I thought it would be nerve-wracking," Kissinger said. "After the first drive, it was all about golf."
Byrd and Love said their junior partners made great showings in a tough setting.
"I trusted him," Byrd said of deciding to use Begley's drive on the fourth hole even though it was in the rough. "It was an easy pitch and he made a good shot. This was fun."
"It was great to be out there," Love said. "I was lucky growing up. They're pretty good and it's a great experience. This will get them ready and motivated for the season. They also get to see how good the tour players are."
First Tee players Brittani White from Beckley, and Kolton Cooper from Hardy, Va., played in a later group.
The West Virginia juniors are part of the First Tee of West Virginia and Cooper is a member of the First Tee of Roanoke Valley, Va. The First Tee program provides youth development and values enhancement through education and programs designed around golf. The scramble was part of Youth Day that included a junior clinic conducted by PGA Tour players.
"The PGA Tour is all about giving back," Byrd said. "They have many charities and we're glad to help. To do this and get to interact with the kids is great. We get to hang out and form a relationship."
As for winning, Byrd said, "We were trying. I never got to do this growing up. It's a positive day for the kids and I'm glad to be a part of it."
