Today, the Davis Love Foundation, announced that the Southeast Georgia Health System will be the official healthcare partner of the Foundation and The McGladrey Classic, an Official PGA TOUR Event held at Sea Island Golf Club October 15 – 21, 2012.  The professional medical and nursing staff will be onsite during the tournament to provide any necessary medical services for players and spectators.

“Southeast Georgia Health System is a critical partner to The McGladrey Classic,” said tournament host and chairman Davis Love III.  “In addition to providing medical expertise, they also are the presenting sponsor of the Gary Allan Concert and McGladrey Classic Youth Day.  This is the second year that our area health system has served Golden Isles residents and guests through these programs.  We are thrilled that they continue to partner with us.”

All youth, ages 17 and under, receive free admission to Youth Day, Wednesday, October 17th.  Youth Day activities include a variety of golf and non-golf activities.

“Southeast Georgia Health System is proud to be selected as the official healthcare partner for this prestigious event and the Davis Love Foundation,” said Gary R. Colberg, FACHE, President and CEO of Southeast Georgia Health System. “The McGladrey Classic is a world-class tournament that attracts visitors to our beautiful Golden Isles. We are happy to be able to serve as a presenting sponsor for an event that is having such a positive impact on our community.”

“We had a scenario come up where we needed to pull a Hole Captain from on course to assist with our Special Teams Marshals. We approached Mark about changing assignments based on seeing his outstanding performance on course earlier in the week. His initial concern was the volunteers he had worked with on Hole #12 and that he didn’t want to disappoint them! He agreed to the move and did a great job performing at a location he was unfamiliar with. This was a trying situation under difficult circumstances and Mark did us a favor by accepting the new assignment at the last moment and doing a great job.”

Ironically, Mark Sertich loved working with Special Teams so much in 2011 that he has signed up to Captain that area of our Marshal Committee again for 2012! Make sure to join in with Mark on the fun.

Read along and learn a little more about Mark and why he enjoys Volunteering.

Tournament Staff: What made you decide to volunteer for The McGladrey Classic?
Mark Sertich: I volunteered for the PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club and the experience was so much fun, that I knew I wanted to volunteer for the McGladrey Classic in the fall. The two tournaments have many similarities as far as responsibilities for the volunteer, with the big difference the McGladrey has over the PGA is the friendly atmosphere throughout the tournament, from the players, volunteers, vendors, to the fans.

Tournament Staff: What is your “day” job?
Mark Sertich: I am a retired educator of 32 years, finishing my career in Eatonton, Georgia, as principal of Putnam County High School, in 2011.

Tournament Staff: Do you play golf? Regularly?
Mark Sertich: I play every day of the work week at 12:30 with a group of 20-25 other men, with an occasional round on Saturday or Sunday. I love golf! My favorite channel on TV is the Golf Channel (Food Network a close 2nd ), watching all the tours as well as reading golf magazines and books. My latest book was the “Big Miss” by Hank Haney.

Tournament Staff: What does volunteering mean to you?
Mark Sertich: Volunteering for me is having the opportunity to help people. Directly, providing the fans an enjoyable experience in watching the greatest players in the world compete on a world class venue. Indirectly, the proceeds from the McGladrey Classic provide financial support for a variety of groups in our local communities. What better way to give back to the community and have fun doing it!

Tournament Staff: Favorite moment at The McGladrey Classic so far?
Mark Sertich: My wife and I attended the Darius Rucker concert and it definitely was one of the highlights of the tournament. I also appreciate the skill and imagination the tour players demonstrate on the golf course, hitting shots and making it look effortless.

Tournament Staff: Any unusual hobbies or interest?
Mark Sertich: I enjoy cooking and feeding people. My preference is bread and pasta’s, but I also enjoy BBQ. I have a smoker that I pull behind my truck and enjoy cooking chicken, ribs, butts, and brisket at tailgates, especially Georgia/Florida in Jacksonville.

Tournament Staff: Thank you for taking the time to talk with us and for your commitment to The McGladrey Classic & Davis Love Foundation!
Mark Sertich: What a surprise this has been! Ya’ll have really caught me off guard with this recognition, because I really felt like we were a team working together to make the tournament a success, and not just one individual. What an honor!

Nonprofits have a new way to raise dollars through a program associated with The McGladrey Classic announced by the Davis Love Foundation today.  The program, Birdies Fore Love presented by Nalley Buick-GMC, is a fun way to engage donors and creates a new, low-cost option of giving.  Participating charities will invite supporters to make a pledge for every birdie made at The McGladrey Classic during the four official competitive rounds, Thursday, October 18 through Sunday, October 21.

In 2011, there were 1,321 birdies.  A pledge of .01 per birdie would yield a $13.21 donation to the participating charity securing the pledge.   A donor has the option of making a one-time, minimum $10 donation in lieu of a pledge per birdie.

“During the first two years of The McGladrey Classic, the Davis Love Foundation raised almost a half million dollars for charities,” said Scott Reid, Tournament Director.  “Like other PGA TOUR events, we are committed to raising significant dollars for charities.  Our Birdies Fore Love program is a way to continue to expand the reach of The McGladrey Classic and Davis Love Foundation.”

In addition to supporting area charities, Birdies Fore Love will reward one person for guessing the exact number of birdies.  The 2012 grand prize is a 2012 Buick Verano provided by Nalley Brunswick Automobiles.

“We are proud to support Birdies Fore Love.  It’s a wonderful cause and a wonderful organization,” said Britt Gilmore, co-owner of Nalley Automotive.  “I believe The McGladrey Classic provides a significant economic benefit to the Golden Isles.  We are excited to be involved for the third straight year.”

Birdies Fore Love participating charities will be announced in May.

The McGladrey Classic is an official event of the PGA TOUR hosted by the Davis Love Foundation at Sea Island Golf Club, October 15 – 21, 2012.  Tickets to The McGladrey Classic are on sale now.  For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.mcgladreyclassic.com.

The mission of Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority is to “Promote economic prosperity for Brunswick and the Golden Isles by assisting expansion of existing industries and securing new diversified industries to locate here creating job opportunities and capital investments.”

The McGladrey Classic has become a perfect fit for achieving the goals of the Development Authority. Executive Director, Nathan Sparks, says that “as a sponsor for the past two years, we have found the tournament to provide an excellent venue for building relationships with key prospects.  The camaraderie we have enjoyed with our guests during tournament week has already led one company to relocate their operations to our community.  As we continue our support of The McGladrey Classic, we are convinced that the overall experience will continue to result in positive business outcomes like this one.”

During the first two years of The McGladrey Classic, the Development Authority has held a “Golden Opportunity Tour” to showcase the Golden Isles to key prospects, site location consultants  and other decision makers involved in the economic development process. The Golden Opportunity Tour is focused on community familiarization, to give attendees  a chance to network with area leaders and learn about their experiences and workforce in our community. It has been an ideal venue to bring clients in and entice the business leaders during an enjoyable weekend in the Golden Isles.

The Authority  plans  on hosting the same ‘Tour’ to a new group of clients and prospects during the 2012 McGladrey Classic, but are happy to say that many new projects will be closed by October! This means they will have an opportunity to invite a completely new group of decision makers  to this year’s event. Exposing them to our rich history, culture and unique lifestyle amenities that are so characteristic of our area. We are happy to hear that business is looking up in the Golden Isles!

Tickets to The McGladrey Classic, including the Gary Allan concert, go on sale Tuesday,
April 17 and can be purchased online at www.mcgladreyclassic.com.

Allan burst onto the country radio scene with “Her Man” which peaked at lucky #7 on the chart.  It was the first of nearly a dozen top tens and four #1 hits that would follow.  Since
the release of “Her Man”, Allan has sold more than 7 million albums and released five platinum and gold albums in a row including two that debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart and #2 on the Billboard 200.

Some of Allan’s most popular hits have included Watching Airplanes, Best I Ever Had, Tough Little Boys, Nothing On But The Radio and Life Ain’t Always Beautiful.

Allan goes back on the road this month and prior to coming to The McGladrey Classic, he will play at events from North Carolina to Canada to Alaska. This is his first performance in Georgia’s Golden Isles.

“We are excited to build on the energy of the 2011 concert.  This is a way to continue to provide our community and visitors with an incredible weeklong experience,” said Tournament Director Scott Reid.  “This special concert will help us reach our goal of raising a significant amount of money for Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia and other area children and family charities.”

“We extend our sincere thanks to Southeast Georgia Health System for continuing their sponsorship of our concert event,” said Reid.

By Davis Love III
U.S. Ryder Cup Captain

I’ve been keeping very busy lately, but not much of that has been with my golf game aside from some short game practice.

During the week of the Transitions Championship, I was out snowboarding in Sun Valley, Idaho. Believe it or not, I had a nasty fall going down one of the bunny slopes with my niece. It’s crazy. I don’t fall down while I’m heli-boarding, but I fall down on the bunny slope! Anyway, I fell on my side and I thought I might have hurt something, but I wasn’t sure.

Fast forward a week later to Bay Hill. There was some discomfort in my side, but I tried to play through it. Then, in the third round, I really dug one out from a fairway bunker and that finished it off. The doctors thought I had torn or broken something, and told me I needed to withdraw. That’s what I did.

Now they’re saying it’s a cracked rib and really all I can do is rest it. I tried to play a little bit with my son, Dru, this past Sunday, but I’m not ready yet. All I can do is work on putting. I’ll definitely be ready to go for the Players Championship in a month, but I’m actually shooting for the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte the week before that.

I wanted to try to give it a shot in Hilton Head this week since that tournament has been so good to me through the years, but I just can’t.

All I can do is rest. I can’t tape it or do much for it, just rest. It’s not a bad thing for me to not be hitting balls or doing anything else to wear myself down. I’ll be well rested for the summer. I’m catching up on Ryder Cup stuff, business stuff and kids stuff. One of the first things I did when I was out, was go to a meeting in Brunswick for a First Tee project with McGladrey. They put me right to work for stuff around the tournament.

Everything happens for a reason. This has allowed me to watch Dru play, work on the bags for the Ryder Cup, gifts for the Ryder Cup with my wife, Robin; I’ve talked a little bit to Kerry Haigh at the PGA of America about which format I’d like to play first on Friday and Saturday; I’ve caught up on details and emails. Shoot, right now I’m working in the paddle board shop!

Like I said, this break — though forced due to injury — has actually been a good thing for me. I’ve been able to catch up with a lot of things.

The toughest part has been the rest from physical activity. I had a friend call me when he found out I’d be missing some tournaments. He said, “So, do you want to go on a surfing trip?”

I told him, “Umm… no. I can’t. I’m hurt.”

I can’t play golf, I can’t surf and I can’t snowboard or paddle board right now. I can go turkey hunting, so I’ve had some friends down here to go do that and it’s been fun. The more I think about it, this injury is a little bit like my ankle injury a few years ago. I can focus on getting stuff done instead of trying to find another crazy hobby.

Back to golf. For Tiger, it was good to win at Bay Hill. He’s not driving it his best, but he proved to himself that he can still close it out and make the putts he needs to on a Sunday. I think that was important for his head. It was also important so people would quit asking him when he’d finally win again. Now if he starts winning every other week, people can get back to asking: “Why don’t you win every week?!”

That’s just how it goes for Tiger, but it was good to see him win. It’s good for the fans, it’s good for the game and it’s great in a Ryder Cup year. People ask me, will he make the team? Come on. It’s obvious he’s going to play his way on the team. I’m not worried about that. He’s not all the way there yet — we saw that at the Masters — but he’s close.

Speaking of the Masters, I was pretty excited to see Fred Couples with a share of the lead after two rounds. We talked before the week started and I told him to make sure he saved his energy for the weekend, because it always seems like he’s right there on the weekend. He got off to that great start and then, just like Phil Mickelson, he caught a couple of bad breaks. I think when Fred shows up at Augusta National, he just gets pumped up. That’s one of his favorite places and you can always bet on him to be on that leaderboard at some point.

Congratulations to Bubba Watson. That was just awesome. A couple of my friends have won majors and I’ve texted or called afterward to tell them the same thing I texted Bubba after he won Sunday: just keep being yourself. I encourage him — just as I’ve encouraged Lucas Glover — just keep doing what you’re doing. Do what got you there. You don’t need to try and be Tiger Woods now that you’ve won a major. Your game was good enough to win the Masters. I think Bubba gets that as much as anyone. He can do his own thing and he doesn’t have to try and be superhuman now.

It’s funny, I heard Bubba in an interview on Golf Channel this morning. He said something like, “Even if I don’t make the Ryder Cup team on points, I think my Masters win should be enough to get a pick.”

I laughed. Well yeah, Bubba! If he doesn’t make it on the team with points, we’ll certainly remember the great shots he played down the stretch at Augusta National.

I really view this stuff differently now. I’m watching players more than I’m watching the standings. Even with Tiger. I know he didn’t play as well as he wanted to, but because they showed him so much on TV, I was interested in seeing him and other players. What do they do when they’re playing well? What do they do when they’re not playing well? I saw a lot of passion and excitement in Bubba down the stretch. I was intrigued. In a match, I want to know their quirks and personalities. I want to see how they react when things aren’t going their way. I’ve always been the competitor watching a guy play. But now I want to read them better. When Tiger’s not playing well, I’m not going to stress if he drops or kicks a club — that’s him letting it out and moving on.

I need to get to know Bubba’s game better. Same goes for Keegan Bradley. I loved watching Keegan down the stretch at Riviera even though he didn’t win. That’s when I run to my TV. My son and I ran home from the course Sunday to get in front of the TV to watch Bubba. If there wasn’t a U.S. player involved at the end of the Masters — and I wasn’t the Ryder Cup captain — Dru and I probably would have stayed on the course. But this time, I wanted to watch Bubba finish. What I saw was not just that he won, but it was also a wealth of information about how he handled himself in a tense situation.

You know, I mentioned Phil earlier too. That flop-shot he hit in the third round behind the green on No. 15 with that 64-degree wedge was unbelievable. My son and I ran right out to the practice green after he hit that shot to try it out. I told Phil one time that I used to agree with about 50 percent of his theories. Now it’s about 75 percent. He’s an interesting thinker, but a lot of what he says works. You can second-guess Phil all you want, but when you think about it, if it weren’t for Tiger, Phil would be the guy with all those majors.

And as far as his influence on the younger players? Phil’s outstanding. I know he’s had a lot of input with Fred these last two Presidents Cups. He’s turned into a great team leader before and during the Ryder Cup as well. Phil is a great ambassador on Tour for the young guys. He’s willing to coach or mentor. He loves talking about golf and he doesn’t keep secrets. I know the young guys appreciate it and — for that matter — so do the old guys.

Finally, I’m going to have four assistant captains on the Ryder Cup team. I think I’m going to have to announce two of them pretty soon — probably in May. There are a couple of guys who know already that they are going to be assistants and then there are a couple of guys that are on notice. I’m hoping that a couple of them play well enough to be on the team. Then, of course, there’s a bunch of guys that will be on the team that will help me out. I’m getting opinions from guys on things little and big regarding decisions I’m trying to make — everything from which way we’d go with potential pairings to which color their pants will be.

All of it is a lot of fun.

Returning volunteers started registering for positions on March 1^st but today, April 9,
is the first day for new volunteers to register.   Similar to the first two years of the tournament, it is estimated that approximately 1,200 volunteers will be needed in about 20 different departments.

Some of the biggest areas of need include Marshals, Laser Operators, Player Transportation and Standard Bearers. While golf knowledge helps in some volunteer areas, there are plenty of areas where people who do not know too much about the sport can contribute. There is truly a volunteer spot for anyone! Volunteer opportunities are available indoors and outdoors. The tournament staff will work with you to select the best opportunity for you.

Those interested will purchase an $80 Volunteer Package which includes one round of golf at Sea Island Golf Club, two Good Any Day tickets (good Thursday – Sunday), a POLO Golf Shirt and Outerwear piece, a ball cap or ladies visor and a commemorative pin.  A meal voucher is provided for each shift worked.

If you are interested in volunteering visit, mcgladreyclassic.com or contact Courtney Stiles at 912.634.3266.

Support your local charity through your ticket purchase to this year’s McGladrey
Classic! The 2012 charitable participants include:

Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia

CASA Glynn Inc.

Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation

Glynn Community Crisis Center, Inc – Amity House

Habitat for Humanity

Okefenokee Area Council (Boy Scouts)

Safe Harbor Children’s Center

Special Olympics Coastal Georgia

STAR Foundation

The Gathering Place

Read more information about Tix4Kids.

As I sit at my desk contemplating how to put my experiences growing up on the PGA TOUR into one short blog I begin to realize, I am one lucky girl! The opportunity to travel the country with my family was incredibly rewarding. There is no denying that my childhood is something many would wish for, however, I have to say that it wasn’t always as glamorous as it may seem.

The pros and cons of life on the TOUR never completely outweighed one another. I can remember being less than thrilled multiple times at the idea of missing out on birthday parties and sleepovers with friends for a last minute trip to Tulsa. The grumblings of my pre-teen self usually subsided as soon as I got to the tournament and found out which of my friend’s fathers were playing that week. It was procedure for me to quiz my dad on the tournament field each week, praying to hear names like Ben Crenshaw, Brad Faxon, Steve Pate and Loren Roberts; to be sure my closest friends were going to be around at childcare that week. While I may have been hesitant to leave home, I was always sad to leave my “TOUR family” at the end of a tournament.

I could go on for pages about all the aspects of life on the road – the good, the bad and the ugly. Instead, to save you from being bored to death I will give you the top 5 best and worst aspects of growing up on TOUR.

Most Exciting Moments on TOUR

1. Chartered plane rides to Maui – This one was so fun for the kids because our parents would sit up front while we would have free to play in the back of the plane.  And, oh yeah, Hootie and the Blowfish flew over with us a couple of times!
2. Day-trips – The PGA TOR provides awesome day-trips for the player’s kids; I think my favorite was going to Six Flags in Chicago.
3. Player Family dining – They always had games and toys for the kids and an endless supply of PB&Js.
4. Missing school – This was probably my favorite aspect; every kid likes a reason to skip school right?!
5. Shopping with my mom – Obviously the PGA TOUR makes some stops in great shopping areas.  My mom got me started at a young age sniffing out the best shopping all over the country.

Least Exciting Moments on TOUR
1. Travel – To this day I still hate flying and hate airports.  It takes a pretty special trip for me to get excited about a day of travel (see #1 above).
2. Catching up at school – It always took about 2 days of staying after school and countless hours of homework in hotel rooms.
3. Missing Mom and Dad – There were always weeks when school or horses kept me home while the family traveled. I hated having to say goodbye to Mom and Dad and I hated even more knowing that I was missing out on fun with tournament friends.
4. Childcare – I always hated a day of sitting in childcare with no planned trip, especially when my friends didn’t go that day. The cuisine left a bit to be desired as well, I can remember telling my teachers I was allergic to apple juice to get something different!  The McGladrey Classic has the perfect childcare setup.  I wish Sea Island had been a TOUR stop when I was growing up.
5. Bad rounds and missed cuts – While my parents were always great at not showing their disappointment with a round, we always knew when Dad was bothered by his game. Not to mention, missing a cut meant having to say bye to friends and fly home early. ]]> http://www.mcgladreyclassic.com/blog/2012/04/08/what-its-like-when-your-dads-on-tour/feed/ 2 http://www.mcgladreyclassic.com/news/2012/03/26/5374/ http://www.mcgladreyclassic.com/news/2012/03/26/5374/#comments Mon, 26 Mar 2012 19:28:45 +0000 admin http://www.mcgladreyclassic.com/?p=5374 Continue reading →]]> Recently we spoke with Mark Davis, a 2011 Laser Operator Volunteer that was acknowledged by his Volunteer Chairman for his outstanding volunteerism during the 2011 tournament. Mark’s Chairman had this to say:

“Mark was always where we needed him to be and when he was finished, always asked if there was more he could do.  He shared a real enthusiasm for the game and tournament with everyone with whom he worked. Others could see the respect he had for his position inside the ropes, collecting important information about each shot in real time. We often caught him telling others about what we were doing and why it was important. We were happy to see Mark each morning during check in!”

Read along and learn a little more about Mark and why he enjoys Volunteering.

Tournament Staff: What made you decide to volunteer for The McGladrey Classic?
Mark Davis: A fellow golfer at Hampton told me they still needed volunteers. When I saw the Davis Love Foundation was involved and the charities that were helped it seemed like a fun way to help raise money.

Tournament Staff: Is our tournament your first volunteer experience at a professional golf event?
Mark Davis: This is the first professional golf tournament I have volunteered for.

Tournament Staff: Do you play golf? Regularly?
Mark Davis: I do play golf regularly even though I only started playing about four years ago on a regular basis.

Tournament Staff: What does volunteering mean to you?
Mark Davis: I believe God gave each of us talents and the ability to do many things. By volunteering our time and using the talents we were given we are fulfilling what I believe is expected of us. Because of volunteers there are a lot of elderly citizens and troubled youth that are served.

Tournament Staff: Favorite moment at The McGladrey Classic so far?
Mark Davis: My favorite moment was when I was asked to move and operate the swing speed equipment until someone showed up and Rickie Fowler teed off. His swing speed and ball speed were off the charts!!

Tournament Staff: Tell us one thing people may not know about you?
Mark Davis: I have been married to my beautiful wife (Carol) for forty one years and have two precious Granddaughters.