Most kids, when they turn 16, dream of getting a new car or something else special for their birthday. Cave Spring sophomore Drew Board got a gift he will never forget, playing alongside Champions Tour professional Jay Don Blake at Pebble Beach during Labor Day Weekend, as part of the Home Care & Hospice First Tee Open.
Board, who turned 16 on the last day of the event, said in an understatement perhaps, “this was a pretty good birthday present. I was very fortunate to have this work out like that.”
The Home Care & Hospice First Tee Open at Pebble Beach is an official Champions Tour tournament that pairs 78 junior golfers with 78 professionals. The tournament takes place on the Pebble Beach Golf Links and Del Monte Golf Course and was televised nationally on Golf Channel during the Labor Day Weekend.
Asked how he was selected, Board said, “there were several nominees from our [Roanoke] chapter plus nominees from the other chapters across the United States, about 250 in all. It’s a pretty intense selection process you had to go through. I had to write some essays, give short answers and go through a series of interviews.”
“I can’t even describe the feeling when I found out I was one of the 78 selected,” said Board. “It felt almost like a dream, I couldn’t believe it.”
Board, the No. 2 ranked player on the Cave Spring golf team, played alongside Champions Tour professional Jay Don Blake during the weekend event. As a team the pair finished seven-under.
“It was incredible playing with him [Blake],” said an enthusiastic Board. “He couldn’t have been a nicer guy, he absolutely blew me away as to how nice he was and talking to me throughout the entire round. He was an absolutely wonderful guy.”
He also got tips from his partner: “They helped out. He definitely knows his stuff.”
Board described the greens at Pebble Beach, where legends like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jack Nicklaus, etc. have played before, as “smooth, really fast with a lot tricky breaks in them. They were really nice – some of the best I’ve played.”
Not only did his three-day trip to Pebble Beach include lots of golf, Board also attended several dinners, including a Legends and Leader soiree at which Tom Watson spoke.
Asked who is favorite golfer is on the professional circuit, Board said, “now, it’s probably Jay Don, because I was blown away by what kind of person he is. He’s absolutely a fantastic guy.”
The tournament’s sponsor, Home Care and Hospice, also has a special place in Board’s heart. “A family friend of ours died of cancer a couple of years ago. After she passed away, her family tried to start a fund for Home Care and Hospice in our area,” said Board.
As for his future, “I would love to play collegiate golf [but] if that doesn’t work out, I really want to be a doctor – probably an eye doctor of some kind.” Right now Drew Board’s own eye is on a little white ball and who knows where it will ultimately land.
By David Grimes [email protected]
