Local tour
looping for TPC pros
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The National City Bank Amateur Tour may have lost an exemption for its top
player to participate in the John Deere Classic -- and that debate will be left
in the bag for another day.
But the 2005 PGA Tour event was still well represented inside the ropes as
three of the better players on the Quad-Cities' top amateur golfer circuit
switched roles this week and became caddies.
Steve Schwabe, who played in Monday's JDC
4-spotter as the NCBAm Tour's top point-getter
through four events, was carrying for Pinnacle Country Club pro Paul Del Vecchio, an Iowa PGA Section qualifier. Dave Holmes looped
for former Moliner Ben Weir. Jim Mowen
a former JDC board member, now realtor and congressional candidate, carried for
2000 JDC champ Michael Clark II, whom he was hosting this week.
All three local amateurs were enjoying their time inside the ropes, even
though they were carrying the clubs and not swinging them.
For two of them, it was a return to their youth. Both Schwabe
and Mowen were caddies when the tournament was still
at Oakwood Country Club. Schwabe said he caddied for
Butch Beaird for 8-10 years or so after getting
hooked up with him on a fluke when he and his family were members there.
"I remember then the players were older than we were," joked Schwabe.
"Back then, you looked up to these guys, they were older guys and you
saw them on TV," said the 43-year-old Mowen.
"Now, you get out there, playing with Hunter (23-year-old Mahan, who is
tied for second after holding the 18-hole lead) and I was laughing that I could
be his father. It's a different perspective than it was 25 years ago."
They found out it can be a tough tote at the 7,000-plus-yard TPC at Deere
Run.
"The front 9 is a bear to walk and easier to play," said Holmes.
"It's vice-versa on the back 9, easier to walk
and harder to play."
It wasn't always easy for Schwabe, who has had
three operations on each knee and said he drained about four ounces of fluid
from his left knee Thursday night and iced them each night.
" Every morning, they don't feel quite as
fresh as the day before started," he said, "but they feel better than
the night before."
All three had fun bagging and came away with a lot to help their own games.
They all said they picked up something from their time in the practice area or on
the course. The lessons ranged from tempo, to putting, to swing thoughts, to
practice routines.
Mowen said it was nice to see the tournament from
that angle and really nice to get to watch Hunter Mahan shoot his way up the leaderboard with an 11-under 131
total.
"It was fun, especially being on the board for nine years," he
said. "It was fun to see it from another perspective as well."
As for Schwabe and Holmes, their pros didn't make
the cut, but you got the idea that they wouldn't mind having to "work"
a couple of extra days this week.