On the Green

PLPL

Mentor Memories

by Helen Ross

James Swafford made a beeline for his father, Hudson, who had just come from behind to win The American

Express that Sunday afternoon in the California desert earlier this year.

The adorable 3-year-old, wearing crisp white shorts and a long-sleeved striped T-shirt, ran as fast as those little legs would carry him to jump into his dad’s arms. He stayed close during the post-game festivities, and it was hard to figure out who was happier.

“So special to win my 2nd @theamexgolf but nothing like having my son James watch me win in person for the first time,” Swafford tweeted. “Think I’ve found my good luck charm!”

Only later would we realize the real symmetry of the moment.

Swafford got emotional during the post-round interview when he revealed that his dad David, the man who had introduced him to the game both loved so much, had died a little over a month earlier. He would have turned 84 on Thursday when the first round of the American Express Championship was played.

“He taught me everything I know,” Swafford said. “How to be a dad, how to be a friend, how to be a champion, and how to play golf.”

David Swafford was the one who put a set of plastic clubs in Swafford’s hands when he was a year younger than his grandson is now. By the end of the day, the toddler had hit those clubs so many times that the heads snapped off, and his dad knew they were onto something.

“So, he ended up … cutting down little clubs and just letting me whack golf balls around in the yard and started taking me to our golf course and giving me all the pointers that he had and would read about or watch,” said Swafford who loved the times as a young boy that he got to play with his dad’s friends.

“He kind of molded me and just kind of gave me all of his words of wisdom and taught me up until about 13, 14 and then turned it over to somebody else. But literally gave me every opportunity in the world to succeed and I mean, I can never thank him enough.”

But the 34-year-old did manage to show his appreciation in a pretty terrific way in 2017 after he won his first PGA Tour event there in the same desert where he notched his third title earlier this year. Swafford still remembers the FaceTime calls with his family after that breakthrough win and the sheer elation of the day.

Perhaps the best reward came later, though, when the Georgia grad was able to take his dad to play Augusta National before he played in his first Masters Tournament.

“It was such a memorable day, just an incredible experience that I’ll always cherish,” Swafford said. “To give back to somebody that provided for me and paved the way

for what I love to do and what I get to show my son (and) what I get to do and how dad just kind of inspired me, it’s truly incredible.”

Swafford said he knew his father was with him on Sunday at LaQuinta. He matched the low round of the day with a 64 that included an eagle at the 16th hole that all but lifted him to victory, breaking a tie at the top of the leaderboard with Francesco Molinari and Brian Harman.

“I definitely thought about him, but in a good way, because he was getting to see me hit good shots in person and it’s been a long time,” Swafford said. “So, I had a couple moments where I looked up and knew that he was following and knew that he was there.

“I could just hear his voice saying, just be confident in what you’re doing, you’re playing great, and he goes, just play to win.”

Those of us who love the game likely had someone like David Swafford in our lives to nurture and encourage us.

I was lucky enough to have two— my dad who endured all my errant shots when he first took me out to play when I was in college, and my mom who could hardly hit it out of her shadow but was a popular scramble partner because she was such a great putter. After they retired, they both served as president of the golf associations at their club and played in regular nine-hole and 18-hole couples’ groups.

For others, it might have been the pro at your club. Or, maybe a family friend. Whoever it was, though, we should be grateful like Swafford is that someone nudged us to start playing.

So what if we’ll never win a PGA Tour or LPGA Tour event? Shoot, we might not even win the $10 Nassau in our foursome this week. But this great game lasts a lifetime, and we’re all better for getting outside and playing it and having fun. PL

Helen Ross is a freelance golf writer who spent 20 years working for the PGA Tour and 18 more at the Greensboro News & Record. A UNC-Chapel Hill graduate, she has won multiple awards from the Golf Writers Association of America.

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