In 2000, Wyn Morton (known by everyone as “Morty”) had his first glimpse of what it would be like to volunteer at a PGA TOUR tournament. His neighbor had just finished volunteering at a tournament and told Morty his story on the experience.
“The best part that he told me was that his duty was to stand on the 18th tee box as a marshal,” said Morty.
Morty thought about how incredible it would be to do what his neighbor did, but he did not think he had the connections to be able to join in on the opportunity. Then, he took it upon himself to sign up as a volunteer at his first tournament at TPC Boston in 2009.
When he received the email to volunteer, he became both eager to start, but humbled while reminding himself to have low expectations for his first time. He knew he had to keep the crowds quiet and from moving while a player was taking a shot, but his first experience ultimately exceeded any expectations.
“I just found it incredible to be inside the ropes with the TOUR professionals just a few feet from you. My duties grew to becoming a walking marshal. At the FedExCup Playoffs, I was able to be with the top 125 players who needed extra help handling the crowds. Becoming a walking marshal was a dream come true,” said Morty.
For Morty, it was about being a part of an entire entity and a four-day competition that really helped him feel that he was a part of something bigger than himself. Over the years, he realized how crucial it was to have each and every one of the more than 2,000 volunteers out on-site at the tournament. Everyone plays an incredibly significant role.
“We always get feedback from the officials and representatives that they absolutely love the job we are doing to help run the tournament,” said Morty.
Through his tenure as a volunteer, there have been so many people who have had the privilege to meet him and hear his stories.
“I normally use him as one of the group leaders because I can trust him with the bigger named golfers. Morty is very good at teaching the rookies how we do things and he is someone I don’t have to worry about,” said chairman David from THE NORTHERN TRUST.
Over the past 10 years, Morty has volunteered at the Presidents Cup, the Travelers Championship, four U.S. Open events and several other TOUR tournaments, 16 in all. Once his son, Brian, became old enough to volunteer, Morty brought him to THE NORTHERN TRUST to take advantage of the opportunity. Brian enjoyed the experience so much that he ended up marshaling alongside Morty at the Travelers Championship last year.
Morty’s dedication to volunteer goes far beyond just showing up for his shift.
“TPC Boston is about 70 miles from my hometown and since we have a marshal meeting in the morning for crew assignment, I leave at 4:30 A.M. for my morning drive. For me, it’s helping my fellow marshals that keeps me coming back, and more, like the friendships I’ve developed with everyone who I get to see every year,” said Morty.
Many fans continuously questioned Morty on what his job as a marshal was. He noticed that those who have not been to a tournament before didn’t really give attention to the marshals or knew what their role entailed. What he did know was that each of those volunteers had an important job to do and he wanted to share his perspective on it with the world.
“I had a handwritten journal for 30 years, but I thought more people needed to know about our job. Five years ago, I heard about blogging and decided I wanted to share my stories with anyone who wanted to read them. I began taking memories from my personal journal and writing them into the online journal. After that, the blog just started to grow from there,” said Morty.
Over the years, Morty has written stories from his favorite memories to his best experiences. Some of those memories include standing next to Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson autographing after his round, to standing next to Sergio Garcia and commentator Roger Maltbie on the course.
What an average fan might think of a marshal is that they only quiet crowds, but Morty has an entirely different perspective, one that may alter one’s thoughts of volunteering.
We thank Morty endlessly for his dedication and all of our other volunteers who have stories to tell.
More About Walking Marshals
The position of a walking marshal is important both inside and outside the ropes. Inside the ropes, they can assist the tee, landing area and green marshals with their duties. Outside the ropes, they can control the additional gallery noise that accompanies certain groups. Walking marshals go ahead of the player to fill-in the next area to allow for greater coverage and help ensure galleries do not break rope lines behind the final group of each day. Spectators must remain behind the rope until the final group has completed play.
To learn more about Morty and his journey of being a walking marshal for the PGA TOUR, read his blog here.
To learn more about Morty and his journey of being a walking marshal for the PGA TOUR, read his blog here.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions in the blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company, such as the PGA TOUR.
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