It was so nice to qualify for the Honda Classic. Everything seemed to be falling into place. I had accomplished my goal of qualifying after playing a really good round of golf. Plus, I had a free place to stay for the week and a new best friend. Greg, from Coral Springs, was kind enough to put me up in his spare bedroom. We hit it off great from the very first time we met, and he made sure that I had everything I needed.

That Monday night we went to Danny’s sports bar to celebrate my accomplishment. It seemed like everyone in there knew Greg. He introduced me as the Monday qualifier for the Honda Classic. It didn’t take long before everyone labeled me the next Honda Classic champion. They all had an underdog to pull for now. It was great! We all had a big time pretending. After all, what could it hurt to dream?

The next day, I began my preparation for the tournament. I arrived at the T.P.C. at Eagle Trace (the tournament course) some time around mid-morning. After registering for the tournament and checking in with the locker room attendants, I headed to the range for a little practice. While on the range, I was approached by one of the old tour caddies. His name was Buford T. Davis, Jr. He was a colorful character to say the least. He fit right into the way things were going that week.

Even though he was a veteran tour caddie, I was hesitant to hire him because of his inability to hold down a job. He was known as a real life clown. Little did I know at that time Buford would become the perfect partner on the golf course.

While on the putting green I spoke with Joe Moses, the Maxfli golf ball representative. He convinced me to give his new ball a try. After lunch we headed for the first tee. While on the front side I noticed the weather changing. The wind started to blow and the rain began. I completed 9 holes but decided not to try and weather the storm. I was swinging really well and the new golf ball seemed to work fine in the wind.

I hated the fact that I did not have an opportunity to play the back nine that day. Since the Pro-Am was on Wednesday and I was not scheduled to play in it, I would have to start the tournament not having played half of the golf course. I didn’t make a big deal out of it because I was just having too much fun. Life was good. I was inside the ropes again on the PGA Tour.

Greg and I headed back to Danny’s that night after dinner. It was a great place to go for fun. The talk continued about me winning the tournament, and I just went with it. I had the opportunity to meet quite a few of the tournament volunteers at Danny’s. Many of the volunteers would go to Danny’s after they had completed their duties at the golf course. Everyone seemed to be happy it was finally tournament week.

Since I was not eligible to play in the Wednesday Pro-Am, I decided to familiarize myself with the practice facility. I worked on every aspect of my game. The wind was blowing pretty hard, so I didn’t spend the entire day hitting balls. It is easy to form bad swing habits when you are fighting the wind. I felt my time would be better spent working on my short game. I worked for hours on my chipping, sand play, and putting that day. I had a wonderful day of practice, now it was time for some well deserved rest and relaxation. A good dinner followed by a little television and couch time seemed like a perfect way to spend the night before a big tournament.

Tournament day had finally come and the weather was clearly the big story. Thank goodness I had an early tee time before the wind reached its full velocity. I had a good pairing that morning playing with Jeff Lewis (another Monday qualifier) and long hitting rookie Davis Love. My swing was good, and I hit the ball well, but my short game was unbelievable. It seemed like every time I missed a green in regulation, I was able to get the ball up and in the hole to save my par.

My score of 66 that day was two shots better than the next best score. When it was all said and done I had my first lead in a PGA Tour event. It was a great feeling, but I could not allow myself to get too excited since there were three more days of competition. A good night sleep would certainly be a challenge. Thankfully I had Greg to help me relax. His sense of humor kept me in stitches. I think I fell asleep that night with a big smile on my face.

Friday was a day full of uncertainties. The weather was overcast and windy. My ball striking was shaky at best. Again, my short game held me up. I was able to fight my way around the golf course and post a respectable score of 71, which was good enough to maintain a one shot lead. Wow, two days in a row I held the lead in a PGA Tour event. This was almost too much to handle.

The third round of The 1986 Honda Classic would go down as one of the most difficult days to play competitive golf in American history.

Keep it down the middle and stay out of the hazards.