August 21, 2007
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A Dad’s Roar from Tulsa
Two weekends ago, there was the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) championship tournament, held at the Southern Hills Country Club in sweltering Tulsa, Oklahoma. Unless you have been living under a rock for the past couple of years, you probably know of Tiger Woods. Well, true to his #1 ranking, he won the tournament.
Reading the ESPN article brought back some interesting memories: My early days growing up a couple miles away from the course. And the times I spent with Dad, particularly in relation to golf (which during his “early” dad years, was a favorite pastime). Our family was there in Tulsa when Southern Hills hosted the U.S Open in 1977. I should ask Mom if they had a chance to see the great golfers from back in the day!
When we moved to California, early Sunday mornings were Dad’s reprieve from work. Once I was old enough to handle Mom’s “retired” golf clubs, I went with Dad on those mornings to the local 9-hole, where we hit our 2 buckets worth on the driving range. For the longest time, I asked Dad when I could play the course. I think he told me to correct my slicing problem first!
Eventually, I did play one time against Dad. And while I don’t recall much from that day, I did remember one tee shot where I hit closer to the hole than Dad. In fact, I almost aced it. My one “Tiger Woods” moment. It is easy to recollect, since Dad got bug-eyed and jaw-dropped once my ball took flight. And if you knew my Dad, he typically displayed a stoic demeanor. So that meant a lot to me.
Mr. Woods just recently became a father. And, like I indirectly mentioned in the last blog, there are a lot of young children running around my environment (with their fathers not too far behind). With all this in mind, I wonder how I would be if I became a dad. Would I be loving enough to my kid(s)? Could I handle the awesome responsibility? Will I continue, as my sister would say, to be a “grumpy gus“? And no sooner than I finish writing my entry, I read a blog from an old friend (and now parent), who shares his reflections.
