Rollins recalls the Masters, Leonard listens to his wife, and more

text size

Caddy for a Cure

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- Spectators near the 16th hole at the Masters Tournament had an unusual guest in their presence on Saturday.

Justin Leonard likes the off-course activities at Harbour Town. (Cannon/WireImage)

After he missed the cut on Friday, PGA TOUR winner John Rollins stuck around to take in the action at Augusta National Golf Club. A couple of pals in town to watch Rollins convinced him to join them for a few egg salad sandwiches behind the 16th green.

"I somehow got talked to going out on Saturday...I had a good time, actually," Rollins admitted. "I thought about kind of heckling the guys a little bit, maybe yell out and see if they'd see me. I kept quiet. I figured I'd keep my ticket privileges alive."

Rollins shot 77 last Thursday and 73 on Friday to miss the cut there, but rebounded quickly by firing a 67 in the opening round of the Verizon Heritage on Thursday.

His Masters appearance wasn't without some promising shots, however. He did birdie No. 16 in the first round and made par there on Friday. Guess that made him some kind of expert when watching from the stands, right?

Wrong.

"The highlight on Saturday was [probably when] Justin Rose hit it right of the green in the bunker and the pin was back right and he made it," Rollins said. "I was predicting the ball to be all the way down to the bottom and [for him to have] no chance. He made me obviously look like a fool to everybody and he holes it out."

Rollins, a two-time PGA TOUR winner, doesn't frequent galleries often. In fact, he hasn't been a spectator since turning pro. It was a weird experience, he said, and one he probably won't repeat. Like most players, he typically heads home on Friday night or Saturday morning after missing the cut.

Plus he'd obviously rather be inside the ropes on Saturday.

"I'm hopefully not going to make a habit of watching golf on the weekend."

ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR WIFE: If it hadn't been for his wife Amanda, Justin Leonard would have skipped the Verizon Heritage in 2002.

She came in 2001 and really liked the laidback tournament on Hilton Head Island. Justin didn't hate it, but missing the cut in 2001 and 2000 didn't make him love it, either.

"I just I hadn't played well here," Leonard said. "I don't want to know what [my record] was, but it seemed like if I missed the cut or if I made the cut, I was finishing in the 40s, 50s, 60s, and was just not real comfortable with the golf course."

But he listened to her for one more year and the rest, as they say, is history.

Leonard won at Harbour Town Golf Links in 2002 and has returned in all but one year since.

Back in 2002, the couple didn't have any children. Now they've added two daughters and a son to the family and enjoy the tournament for an entirely different reason. Bike rides, trips to the beach and several kid-approved activities make the Verizon Heritage one of the TOUR dads' favorite spots.

"This is such a family-oriented place that we rent a house, we cook in a lot. I think Hilton Head Island just lends itself more to that than anywhere else we go," Leonard said.

Leonard hasn't missed a cut since the Deutsche Bank Championship in September 2007 and notched his 11th PGA TOUR victory in October at the Valero Texas Open. He's off to a stellar start at the Verizon Heritage, firing a 5-under 66 to hold the first round lead.

THE PERFECT GIFT: Imagine catching for Josh Beckett prior to the start of a Boston Red Sox/New York Yankees series. Or rebounding warm-up baskets for LeBron James before a big game.

Keep dreaming, that's probably not going to happen in those leagues. The PGA TOUR, however, is another story.

At more than 15 events a year, anyone can bid for an opportunity to caddie for a TOUR player in a tournament pro-am. Over the past five years, Caddie for a Cure, Inc., has held these auctions and donates 100 percent of the proceeds to charity (Caddy for a Cure).

For the first time this week, they are doing something new by joining with the Wounded Warrior Project. An organization that raises awareness for severely injured service men and women, it also has ties to the PGA TOUR through THE PLAYERS Championship and the Birdies for Charity initiative.

On Wednesday, the two groups came together to follow and caddie for defending champion Boo Weekley.

Christian Collins, 14, came down from Macon, Ga., and is the reason Caddie for a Cure was begun in the first place. Collins suffers from Fanconi Anemia, a genetic disease and inherited anemia that leads to bone marrow failure. What he lacks in size and health, however, he makes up for in heart and an astounding knowledge about golf.

Andy Butterworth from the Wounded Warrior Project lost his right leg and has to wear a prosthetic device. That didn't stop him from walking the course behind Weekley and his auction-winning caddie-for-a-day.

Next time you are searching for the perfect gift for that golf fan in the family or a TOUR-crazy client, keep Caddie for a Cure's auction in mind.

Who wouldn't want to spend a day looping for some of the greatest golfers in the world?

QUOTES OF THE DAY: "Last week was like final exams and this week is like Spring Break." -- Justin Leonard, describing the Verizon Heritage held the week after the Masters Tournament

Jay Williamson made five straight birdies on Nos. 1 through 5. When he chatted with members of the media following his round, the good-natured Williamson, who is searching for his first TOUR victory after 18 years as a professional golfer, joked around.

"I already know what you guys were saying in here about me. I've already found out that you thought it was a typo. Scorer's error," Williamson said.