The Metropolitan | Vol. 7 | No. 2

Volume 7; No. 2

March/April

The Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association

Back In The Saddle

Norwood Hills excited for PGA Champions

In Memorium

Interns join MAGA staff Shaki ng ha a thin nds g the pa of st?

- Pandemic alters USGA 2020 championship schedule -

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April-Mayl 2020

INSIDE

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Rules/Numbers Curt’s Corner In Memorium Bogeyman is back USGA relief fund

9. MAGA hires interns 10. Norwood on target 12. Normandie re-opens 14. Supe’s On 16. “Quarantine Calls”

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April-May 2020

By The Numbers

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Hard to believe, and Scott Langley’s recent Web.com Tour win notwithstanding, 21 years had passed between PGA Tour wins for a St. Louis-area player when Adam Long captured the Desert Classic in January, 2019. St. Louis resident Trevor Dodds had rang the bell in winning the 1998 Greater Greensboro Classic. It didn’t ring again until Long, a Francis Howell grad, birdied the 72nd holr.

The Erratic Ball

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This summer, Aug. 6-8 at Meadowbrook Country Club, will feature the 30th playing of the Metropolitan Amateur Championship. Brad Carpenter captured the 2019 edition at Aberdeen Golf Course with a record 54-hole score of 206. Don Bliss won the first Metropolitan Amateur at Country Club at the Legends in 1991 with a score of 218.

After hitting a drive from the tee box, a player believes his or her ball behaved erratically while in flight. Before playing the next shot, the player states the ball is cracked and plays another ball. Is the player entitled to do so?

1. Yes. The player is the sole judge as to whether the original ball is cracked. But he or she may not use the original ball at a following hole.

2. Yes, and he or she is allowed to use the original ball at a following hole.

3. No. The player may only put another ball into play for the original ball if it can be clearly seen the original ball is cut or cracked, and that the damage happened during the hole being played.

4. No. The player is not allowed to put another ball into play because, frankly, cracked balls matter. The player is allowed to use a sewing kit or a soddering gun to mend the cracked ball, then seek medical attention for the ball after the hole.

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The number of top-5 finishes by Skip Berkmeyer in the Metropolitan Amateur championships. Berkmeyer, who captured the title in 2009, has four other runner-up finishes.

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The number of USGA championships Jim Holtgrieve has played in.

Holtgrieve won the inaugural U.S Mid-Amateur in 1981, made it to the semifinals of the 1983 British Amateur, tied for 57th at the 1978 U.S. Open and tied for 41st at the 1982 Masters. Holtgrieve played on three winning Walker Cup teams and captained Walker Cup teams in 2011 and 2013.

Answer Rules 15-1 and 15-2 explain the player must complete play of the hole with the ball with which he began the hole, unless he is proceeding under a Rule that permits him to substitute a ball. The player may change balls between the play of two holes as well.

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The world record for the fewest holesin-one, shared by St. Louis golf writer Dan O’Neill. “The Bogeyman” started his ace-less streak in 197, when he hit his first golf shot and failed to sink it. He has played numerous rounds of bad golf since without a single ace.

A player who substitutes another ball when not permitted to do so incurs the general penalty (loss of hole in match play or a two stroke penalty in stroke play) under the applicable rule.

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March - April 2020

MAGA STAFF

Curt’s Corner

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Curt Rohe - Executive Director

Curt Rohe - curt@metga.org 2020 P.J. Boatwright Interns

METROPOLITAN CHAMPIONSHIPS Amateur Championship Match Play Championship Open Championship Women’s Amateur Championship Junior Amateur Championship Senior Amateur Championship Metropolitan Cup Matches Four-Ball Championship Mid-America Junior Cup

Hello friends, members and golfers…first and foremost, I hope this edition of The Metropolitan finds you safe and healthy!

USGA QUALIFYING ROUNDS

I have been tracking and seeing that people are playing golf!

As I write this column, over 55,000 rounds have been posted for handicap purposes by you, our Members, in our region since score posting began on March 1... pretty amazing in my opinion! This is without any scores posted at Illinois courses in April.

US Open (Local and Sectional) US Senior Open US Amateur US Mid-Amateur US Girls’ Junior Amateur US Women’s Mid-Amateur US Junior Amateur US Senior Amateur US Senior Women’s Amateur US Women’s Open US Amateur Four-Ball US Women’s Amateur Four-Ball

ADVISORY COMMITTEE Scott Thomas, Chairman Dustin Ashby Tom Barry Skip Berkmeyer Chris Kovach Ryan Eckelcamp Tom Portner Curt Rohe

2020 P.J. BOATWRIGHT INTERNS Chase Phillps Jacob Skudlarczyk Hcase Holland

These are some unprecedented times we are living in; however, golf seems to be the one guiding light for many.

While Missouri courses have been opened during the Stay at Home procedures, Illinois courses have been shut down.

However, better days are on the horizon with Illinois courses being able to open on May 1 under the strict CDC guidelines.

This is great news for our Illinois Member Clubs!

MAGA championships and the Amateur Series events have been postponed through May. Please check the website for up-to-date changes in the event schedules as we move these events to new dates later in the season.

I say this all the time, but we are so grateful for our Member Clubs in hosting these events; however, even more so as they have all been gracious in working with us to find alternative dates to see our 2020 schedule through.

I would like to welcome a new edition to The Metropolitan, Dan O’Neill as our Managing Editor. Many of you may know Dan from his time as the golf writer for the St. Louis PostDispatch. His newspaper column, “The Bogeyman,” had a large following in the golf community, and he continues to write golf for a number of national outlets.

We are excited to work with him as we hope to continue bringing you The Metropolitan throughout the season.

Finally, these are difficult times for all of us. Please be safe as we work through this to get back to conducting championships.

THE METROPOLITAN EDITOR Dan O’Neill

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March - April 2020

In Memorium Robert A. Shogren, March 20, 2020 As a rules official, he was authoritative, demanding and unyielding. As a steward of the game and a loving husband to his wife Susan, he was an irreplaceable piece of the St. Louis golf landscape.

Bob Shogren passed away on on Friday, March 20 at age 84, just weeks after receiving the MAGA’s Meritorious Service Award for his long-standing contributions to the game. Shogren succumbed after an extended battle with cancer.

“Shogie” grew up in Wisconsin and enjoyed two successful careers each spanning three decades. After graduating from Macalester College (St. Paul, MN) with a degree in Journalism, he moved to St. Louis in 1962 to join Maritz as a Creative Director. He retired from Maritz in 1991 and spent the next 28 years officiating amateur and professional golf events. He also was a member of Bellerive County Club for 42 years.

When presenting the meritorious service award, MAGA Founder Tom O’Toole reflected on Shogren’s extensive resume, “Bob Shogren was, frankly, one of the world’s leading authorities on the Rules of Golf!”

Shogren is survived by his stepdaughter Mindy, her husband Jeremy, granddaughter Rose and stepson Aaron; along with his brother Bill, his wife Jean and their family. And with his ever present walkie-talkie in hand, he left an indellible mark on championship golf in St. Louis.

Charles A. Shaw, April 12, 2020 The Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association lost an irreplaceable presence with the passing of the Honorable Charles A. Shaw on April 12. Senior Judge of the United State District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Shaw had been battling health issues for some time. He was 75.

Shaw was an original member of MAGA’s Board of Directors and a fierce advocate for diversity and inclusion in the game.

Shaw grew up in The Ville neighborhood in St. Louis and graduated from Sumner High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree from what was then known as Harris-Stowe State College in 1966, then a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Shaw was nominated in 1993 by then-President Bill Clinton for a federal judgeship and confirmed with the support of both of Missouri’s Republican senators, John C. Danforth and Christopher S. Bond.

In between, whether it was playing or watching, Shaw was enamored with the game of golf.

He is survived by his wife of more than 50 years, Kathleen I. “Kay” Shaw, and a son, Dr. Bryan I. Shaw. Condolences from the MAGA and the entire golf community go out to his family.

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The Metropolitan

March - April 2020

The Bogeyman Dan O’Neill - Managing Editor

Pandemic casualty: the handshake Things will be different when things get back to normal, if you follow.. With society already trending in a sociallydetached direction, the new normal will be even more impersonal, advanced by the Covid-19 pandemic mitigation.

The residue will impact a number of behaviors, on numerous levels. But one thing seems certain, the handshake is about to become a thing of the past.

It will not go quitetly, mind you. In households where the handshake has been taught, nurtured and celebrated as character defining, the culture will continue to be encouraged. Understandable, nothing wrong with traditional values.

But my father had health issues as a child, which rendered his right arm and hand essentially inoperable. He was left handed by default. I am right handed, as is a large percentage of the world’s population. Point being, in my house, the handshake was about as emphasized as accordion licks and juggling tricks. I don’t remember ever shaking hands with my dad. So, either the moral reputation of the handshake is overstated, or I’m eligible for handicap parking.

Mind you, over the years there has been a disparate price to be paid for stunted handshake acumen. For instance, I once shook hands with Arnold Palmer, the biggest mismatch since Mike Tyson fought Michael Spinks. Palmer’s hands were capable of turning raw coal into diamonds - instantly. His handshake was essentially a hydraulic press.

Bottom line, it’s never been fair to the rest of us - the handshake-impaired - to have to “put ‘er there” in such circumstances. You take your life into your hands, literally. That said, the handshake has been a significant piece of golf etiquette, a staple of sportsmanship. No proper round of golf ends without caps removed and hands extended.

It suggests a couple of things, 1. no one is packing and 2. everyone is leaving on good terms. But that was then and this is now. We’re all coming out of this COVID-19 chapter in our lives a bit more germaphobic than we went in.

Human hands, even frequently washed ones, are basically toxic crockpots. The 6 degrees of where they’ve been and what they’ve touched during the course of a day is never-ending.

Clasping one, after 18 sweaty holes of golf, might be honorable, but henceforth it also will be considered risky. A firm handshake might say a lot to some people, but one thing it doesn’t say is “germ free.” So where do we go from here?

Fist bumps or the high-fives do not transmit germs as generously as the handshake, but only to a lesser degree.

What amount of transmission is acceptable, and what are the alternatives? The Carol Burnett ear pull, the Miley Cyrus twerk, ”The Sting” nose flick, the peace sign - Ringo Starr’s favorite, the bow - perfectly proper in Asia ... or maybe just just the simple tip of the cap? Whatever it is, it probably won’t be the handdshake. And from a handshakeimpaired perspective, I’m ok with that. The pressure’s off.

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US Open postponed, other events canceled Due to the continued uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic, the USGA announced several changes to its 2020 championship season schedule:

U.S. Open

The 120th U.S. Open, scheduled for June 18-21 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., has been postponed. The championship is rescheduled for Sept. 17-20 at Winged Foot.

The USGA also canceled local qualifying for the 2020 U.S. Open, along with qualifying for the 75th U.S. Women’s Open in its current form.

U.S. Women’s Open

The 75th U.S. Women’s Open Championship scheduled for June 4-7 at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas, has been postponed to Dec. 10-13. U.S. Women’s Open qualifying is expected to be held on rescheduled dates and potentially new locations.

U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Senior Women’s Open

Both the U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championships for 2020 have been cancelled. The 41st Senior Open will be played July 8-11, 2021 at Omaha (Neb.) Country Club. Information regharding the Senior Women’s Open it to be announced in the coming weeks.

Curtis Cup

The 2020 Curtis Cup Match scheduled for June 12-14, has been postponed. The biennial competition has been rescheduled for 2021 at Conwy Golf Club in Wales, the original host site.

Registration delayed for U.S. Amateur, etc.

Opening of entries for four USGA championships - the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Women’s Amateur, U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Girls’ Junior - have been delayed until April 27.

Four-Ball Championships cancelled

The 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship and the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship have been cancelled.

Special COVID-19 Rules and Handicap Guidance

The USGA has made special provisions to the Rules of Golf and Rules of Handicapping to allow golfers to still enjoy the game and post scores during the pandemic. More information can be found at: https://www.usga.org/content/ usga/home-page/articles/2020/04/2020-championship-postponement-and-cancelation-faqs.html 8

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March - April 2020

MAGA adds Boatwright interns for 2020 The USGA PJ Boatwright Internship Grant program through the USGA. This grant allows AGAs the opportunity to hire young men and women and give them experience ​in golf administration. MAGA’s staff of Curt Rohe and Maggie Smith are Boatwright “alums”. Rohe was a Boatwright Intern with MAGA in 1998-99 and Smith spent six months with the Mississippi Golf Association in 2016. MAGA is excited to announce the hiring of 3 Boatwright interns for 2020.

Chase Phillips

Chase comes aboard as our 4-month intern. He is a native of Southwestern Missouri.

He will be graduating from the University of Missouri this August with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management. He is currently the Assistant Sports Director with KCOU Radio at Mizzou. As a part of the 4-month internship, Chase will have the opportunity to travel to the USGA Headquarters for the PJ Boatwright Orientation.

Jacob Skudlarczyk

Jacob joins the MAGA staff as one of our 3-month Boatwright Interns. Jacob hails all the way from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. He is currently a junior at Saint Louis University, where he is studying Data Analytics and Enterprise Systems. Jacob is currently the Vice President of the Saint Louis University Men’s Club Golf Team.

Chase Holland

Chase will be joining our staff as one of our 3-month Boatwright Interns. Chase is a native of Caseyville, Illinois. He is currently a junior at Butler University, where he studies Sports Media and Business Law. Chase has experience working with the Gateway Grizzlies as a Marketing Intern and with Far Oaks Golf Club as a Cart & Course Assistant.

Welcome to the MAGA 9

The Metropolitan

March - April 2020

PGA Champions return still o

By Dan O’Neill The Covid-19 pandemic has been devastating for the local golf scene, no question.

But it’s not all doom and gloom.

Spirits remains high at Norwood Hills Country Club, where the return of professional championship golf is still on the horizon. Norwood Hills is set to present The PGA Tour Champions Ascension Charity

Classic on Sept. 28-Oct. 4, and as of late April, no changes had been made to the original date.

“As of right now, everything is still a go,” said Norwood Hills tournament director Steve Finn.

“The staff is working remotely, of course, and all the proper precautions are being observed.

But as it looks now, as close as we are to the Ryder Cup Matches, I think we’ll be OK. “Obviously, what’s going on now is very difficult for everyone. But

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looking ahead, as we come out of it, we’re super excited.”

As the pandemic crisis raged on, nothing was guaranteed. A number of major golf events have become casualties, including the U.S. Senior Open and the Senior PGA Championship, both canceled for 2020. But Norwood Hills’ position on the schedule - the week after the Ryder Cup (Sept. 25-27) - suggests it will be unaffected.

The Classic will feature players from the PGA Tour Champions, and could even include some of the new 50-year olds, such as Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk and Ernie Els. The partnership between the Champions and Ascension is a four-year arrangement, which is reassuring in the present environment, particularly for the charities that benefit. For St. Louis fans, the deal represents

The Metropolitan

March - April 2020

on target for Norwood Hills the first annual PGA Tour stop since Boone Valley hosted a Champions event (1996-2001).

For Norwood, it is yet another notch in an impressive championship belt. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, Norwood hosted the 1948 PGA Championship won by Ben Hogan, the PGA Tour’s Greater St. Louis Golf Classic from 1972-73 and more recently conducted the 2013 U.S. Senior Amateur.

“We know what the St. Louis golf community can do when it comes to supporting events,” Finn added. “And we know the support will be there. It’s going to be terrific.”

Meanwhile, the pandemic restrictions have frustrated golf facilities throughout the county.

Finn, acknowledges things have been tough for Norwood Hills, as well. But he also knows, “It could be worse.”

Like nearly all private clubs in the St. Louis area, Norwood Hills has restricted play to membersonly, limited carts to one rider, and implemented other spreadprevention measures. And while some facilities - like the Norman K. Probs tein courses at Forest Park - have been closed entirely, many public courses have remained open to individual foursomes and single tee times.

That said, the tournament and outing business have been virtual non-starters, denying facilities

a significant portion of their revenues. Then again, all of the aforementioned references apply to the Missouri side of the region. For Illinois golf, it’s been considerably worse.

Effective March 21, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a state-wide order restricting movement and closing businesses considered non-essential. While some readers might argue the notion, golf fell under the non-essential umbrella.

Thus, courses in Illinois shuttered for more than a month. “The impact is tremendous,” said Shawn Barnes, PGA general manager and director of golf at Gateway National Golf Links in Madison, Ill. “There’s no golf, no players, no anything. It’s a worst-case scenario. Well, I guess I shouldn’t

say worst case. The golf course is absolutely perfect. We just don’t have any players.”

Barnes and his Illinois cohorts got a reprieve in late April, as Gov. Prtizker eased restrictions.

Courses were to re-open beginning May 1, “under strict safety guidelines provided by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and when ensuring that social distancing is followed,” Barnes and others speculated some facilites, previously operating on thin margins, might not be able to re-open..

“I haven’t talked to a lot of people, and I don’t know what finances are at other places,” Barnes said, qualifying his thoughts. “But it wouldn’t surprise me if a number of them don’t make it though this.”

PGA Tour Chanpions star Bernhard Langer entered 2020 with 41 Champions career wins, second only to Hale Irwin’s 45.

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Historic Normandie Golf Course is back MAGA, Beyond Housing join to re-open facility as philanthropic platform The Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association (MAGA) and its foundation, the Metropolitan Golf Foundation, along with Beyond Housing have announced a joint venture in which the two organizations will re-open the Normandie Golf Course.

The course will be leased from the University of Missouri System (UMSL) for the remainder of the 2020 golf season for a nominal lease fee with an option to purchase by the end of the year.

With this joint venture, the MAGA Foundation and Beyond Housing will continue the efforts that began almost four St. Louis Public Radio photo years ago, focused on utilizing the Normandie facility as a philanthropic platform for the continued advancement of the 24:1 Initiative. The program is a communitydevelopment effort involving the area located in 24 municipalities that make up the Normandy school district.

For the best rates and to reserve tee times go online to www.normandiegolf.com. If you would like to inquire about golf outings and tournaments call (314) 862-4884. Beyond Housing, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and the 24:1 Initiative is a nationally recognized community development effort, created to address the fundamental chalenges within the municipalities in the Normandy scool district in North St. Louis County. For more information, visit https:// www.beyondhousting.org/ The Metropolitan Golf Association, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, was formed by the MAGA to promote junior golf in St. Louis and Southern Illinois by providing golf-related services to area youth. Additionally, MAGA is the Allied Golf Association in the Metropolitan St. Louis and beyond and Central/Southern Illinois region. For more information, visit www.metga.org. The joint venture has retained Walters Golf Management to continue management of the facility.

Built in 1901, Normandie is purported to be the oldest public course still in operation in its original location, west of the Mississippi River. The original layout was designed by Robert Foulis, a disciple of Old Tom Morris of St. Andrews, Scotland fame, the course features unique routing and a vintage style. At one time, the course was a frequent stop for St. Louis Cardinals players like Stan Musial, and vistiing ballplayers like Babe Ruth. It also was popular with visiting celebrities, like comedian Bob Hope and actor Mickey Rooney. The course has been home to the Normandie Amateur, a popular 36-hole stroke play championship, scheduled for its 34th playing on Sept. 11-12.

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The Cure!

- Available Now Finding it difficult to live with the lonely isolation of the pandemic? Try re-living some of the greatest moments in St. Louis sports history with former PostDispatch sportswriter Dan O’Neill and his captiving new books. Both are filled with spectacular pictures, colorful anecdotes and dynamic stories, highlighting the magical decade of the 1980s Cardnals, and the enchanting history of the Blues - culminating with last year’s stunning Stanley Cup championship.

Both editions are available at area book stores or through online book purchasing websites. You won’t have to worry about social distancing, you’ll be to “Go crazy!” and lift Lord Stanley’s Cup in the comfort of your own home.

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The Metropolitan

March - April 2020

When it come nothing routin

Supe’s On Chris Finnerty - Bogey Club

One of my favorite days of the year is Masters Sunday. I fire up the grill, ice down some Budweiser, and plop down in front of the TV for the afternoon. My pick this year was Tony Finau. I was hoping he learned from last year and took a lesson from Tiger on how to handle the back nine at Augusta on Masters Sunday. He may end up winning one but unfortunately it wasn’t going to be this spring.

I hope that everyone reading this is doing okay, as well as their families. The past month and a half has changed the way that we live, and may change the way we live for the foreseeable future and beyond. This pandemic has affected many aspects of our lives and it is going to take time to get back to “normal”, whatever “normal” may end up becoming. As with everything else, playing golf, as well as how we operate and maintain golf courses, has changed

dramatically. There are many things that golf courses and clubs are doing to adapt to current regulations.

Some have pulled flags and are using risers to keep the ball from going in the cup. Some have painted a cup-sized circle on the greens and put stakes in the center of the circle. Some have left the flagsticks in and covered the hole so the ball cannot drop into the cup. There may be no rakes, ballwashers, or drinking fountains or anything that can be touched by numerous people.

Some places are allowing carts with single riders and sanitizing after each use, while a lot of places have banned the use of carts for the time being. (I have to mention that it is refreshing to see all the people walking. Good for the health of the golfer and the turfgrass!) Tournaments and outings have been postponed.

Pro shops and food and beverage operations have adjusted by doing curbside service only. Some courses are closed all together.

You may think that all of this would put a damper on rounds, but as those of you who have been playing have noticed, it has had the opposite effect. Every superintendent that I have spoken with has talked of full tee sheets. Courses that usually aren’t that busy have become crowded. People may even be trying golf for the first time or rediscovering the game. The game of golf is alive and well and may even come out of this with more interest in the game. This is a positive in a time when we need some positive things.

That being said, I think we, as a golfing community, need to make sure that the positivity remains and we

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es to course maintenance ne about “new normal” can accomplish this by making sure we are following all of the guidelines set forth by our respective venues. With a lot of things closed, including public parks, there has been a bit of backlash as to why we can still play golf.

It is important that when we are at our facilities, we practice the social distancing and that we are cognizant of regulations, i.e. don’t touch the flag stick if there is one, stay separated on the tee boxes and greens, etc. We all need to do our part.

Superintendents and grounds crews have also had to make many adjustments to make sure that we can continue to give our golfers the best possible conditions. We are using split crews to minimize the amount of people that are working at one time.

We are making sure that our crews are maintaining safe distance from each other and not congregating in the shop for lunches or after work. Staff is being sent home if the weather is poor to keep people from being in close proximity inside buildings.

Facilities and equipment are being sanitized numerous times a day. These are the minor adjustments.

The major adjustments now and moving forward may consist of a smaller staff and reduced budgets. These major adjustments may affect conditions at your facility. Please be aware of this before passing judgment on course conditions as there are likely underlying

The Bogey Club

factors due to the pandemic.

The Mississippi Valley Golf Course Superintendents Association was set to celebrate our 75th anniversary this year. We have had to postpone all of our planned events for the time being. Hopefully we will be able to get together at some point this year to celebrate 75 years of maintaining area golf courses. If not, we may have to celebrate our 76th Anniversary. Just another adjustment.

At this time, Augusta National is planning on holding the Masters in November. Like everything else, it will not be normal. The azaleas won’t be in bloom and the players may be wearing light jackets. Regardless, I will fire up the grill, ice down some Budweiser, and plop down on the couch on Sunday afternoon to root for T. Finau. Who knows? Maybe I will change my pick by then.

Stay safe, stay positive, and enjoy the game.

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March - April 2020

Bucks stay shar

By Dan O’Neill

Chops, can’t live with em, can’t live without ‘em musician might tell you as much. But it’s not ju music world, it’s all worlds - cooking, painting, and, yes, broadcasting. You have to have chop

And to keep them, you must ply the trade. Use it, at least that’s how some craftsmen feel, incl Buck. Yes, he is a “Lucky Bastard,” if you will, rem successful in the broadcast biz. He’s been the l for many lead moments in Sports … the World Super Bowl, U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open.

Joe and Michelle Beisner-Buck in proper pandemic gear.

He’s at the pinnacle of the profession, a virtuos vocation. That said, if you know Buck, or you re aforementioned book, you realize the person least pressed with Joe Buck is … Joe Buck. He takes noth granted, makes no assumptions, plies the trade.

These are challenging bacterial times. A lot of people have lost jobs faith and lost reasons to smile. Buck wanted to help. And a conversa Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks gave birth to an idea, a way to avoid bro rust and give people some respite - “Quarantine Calls With Joe Buck

Early in the sheltering weeks, Buck invited Twitter followers (@Buck him short videos of everyday occurrences. If the video was chosen, h the sender to donate to the charity of their choosing and in return, h vides broadcast commentary to the video

The response was enormous. Through April, he made the call on som eos and generated more than 10 million views. Lots of smiles, lots o lots of smiles. Andsometimes, lots of gall. A porn site, IMLive offered voice of Fox golf $1 million to commentate some live cam shows. Th an easy call - “No thanks.”

“I wanted to limit it to videos of mundane, everyday life and make it

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rp with “Quarantine Calls”

m. Any ust the , writing ps.

e it or lose luding Joe markably lead voice d Series,

so of the ead his imhing for

s, llost ation with oadcast k.”

k) to send he asked he pro-

me 35 vidof chops, d the lead hat was

t personal

to whoever sends it in. I mean, I’ll take some of the credit, but really, the idea belongs to my boss.”

The credit may be shared, but the delivery is pure Buck. And he’ll be the first to tell you, he’s grown from the experience. His resume has expanded to include commentary on outdoor grilling, Joey Chestnut-style cookie eating, and dogs competing in spirited tug of war. There is even play by play of PGA Tour star Justin Thomas coiffing his hair.

“He is surveying the damage from the night before … the night’s sleep … trying to put every follicle in its place,” warbles Buck, as Thomas searches the mirror for an acceptable presentation. “He’s doing the Jordan Spieth pushdown … I do the Jordan Spieth pushdown, it’s the only way to try to make your hair look fuller and thicker.”

Finally, as he finds the look, Thomas concludes his video with an approving nod, and Buck brings it home: “There it is! Justin Thomas, an American treasure. Good luck. You’re young kid. Look into hair transplants. I did it … not sure they work.”

Sometimes there is more than one Buck in the booth. Depending on the content, Michelle Beisner-Buck, aka Joe’s s wife, mother of their twin 1-year old boys, former Denver Broncos cheerleader and ESPN NFL commentator, jumps in. For instance, Michelle handles the anchor chores for a video that features a woman - possibly sober - making an ill-fated tumbling run in the hallway of a Las Vegas hotel. Unfortunately, what happened in Vegas did not stay there.

Described by Michelle and Joe, the action captures the thrill of sports, the agony of defeat and the perils of over-imbibing - all at once. In the end, Michelle offers the toppled “athlete” a tongue-in-cheek safety tip, “Please don’t ever put your hands down on the floor again.”

No, it’s not Brooks Koepka sinking a putt to win the U.S. Open, or Patrick Mahomes to Tyreek Hill or any of those celebrated moments. It’s “Quarantine Calls With Joe Buck,” and in these discouraging, isolated times, it’s just what the doctor ordered.

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