An Invernessian in America: "You'll never hear me complaining about my job."
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There are many “great weeks” in the year, but in my job, this week tops the list for me. Yes, we have The Masters next month and The Open Championship in St Andrews in July, and in golf these weeks are special (St Andrews will be incredible and I hope to be there!) but yesterday saw the first round of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, and it’s tough to beat.
The Players is my hometown event in Ponte Vedra Beach, a mere 10 minutes drive from my house. It’s affectionately known as the “unofficial fifth major” in golf and year after year attracts the most elite field of players – it’s the PGA Tour’s marquee event.
If you know golf, or spent time playing those Tiger Woods video games, you’ll know TPC Sawgrass; it’s one of the most famous golf courses in the world. The 17th hole is a tiny island green, where thousands of spectators watch each and every pro step up to the tee and take on the water.
This year in particular, the stakes are high. The total purse for the tournament is $20 million, with the winner walking away with $3.6 million. Can you imagine?! It’s an insane amount.
I often think about how it might possibly feel to open up your bank account and see that kind of figure, just sitting there! But before any tinge of envy can kick in, I remember how much has to be paid in tax… Yikes.
The tournament started yesterday and wraps up on Sunday, but I call it my favourite week because I got to work on-site from Monday. The media members that work on the PGA Tour are almost like a little travelling circus – you see the same people all over the country (sometimes the world) and get to have a little catch up on life, share stories and ideas. That’s one of the best parts – especially in this Covid era where travel was restricted for so long.
In fact, I got to catch up with one of my old Inverness buddies this week!
Ewan Murray, who went to Millburn Academy and was friends with my best friend’s sister, is a golf journalist in the UK and I get to see him a few times a year at some of the best golf venues – what could be better? Hearing someone else with that accent really is the best.
Before Covid, I was travelling a lot with my job, and to be honest I really enjoy being at home a lot more, not living out of a suitcase and being able to stick to my daily routine. But I do miss the buzz of working at golf tournaments so regularly – creating content packages, interviewing golfers and interacting with the fans.
So I soak it all in this week, combining the job I love with the people who make the industry so fantastic and some quality time with family and friends. Of course, I make time to support my brother Russell, and walk the course with my parents and husband. That’s just another part of the reason why you’ll never hear me complain about my job.
