Wyn Morton

Yesterday at 9:09 AM · 

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My thanks to the PGA TOUR in recognizing the efforts of tournament volunteers, in conjunction with the recent National Volunteers Week.

PGATOUR.COM | BY PGA TOUR

Dedicated TOUR volunteer documents last 10 years

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.

14Meredith Morton Drozd, Patricia Calta and 12 others

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• Meredith Morton Drozd

  
  

  This is just wonderful, Wyn (Morty)!!! Your little sis is VERY proud of you! 

  
  

  

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  Brian Morton

  
  

  This is awesome Dad! Well deserved 

  
  

  

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  David Fierman

  
  

  Nice article!! I knew it was in the works because they emailed me about you. Great Job!!!! And thanks...

  

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  Lauren Morton

  
  

  Amazing!! 

  

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  Anthony Landry

  
  

  I’m honored that I got to walk a few of those rounds with you, it was always a highlight of my year!

  

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    Wyn Morton

    
    

    Mine too Tony. Hope we get to do it again.

    

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    David Fierman

    
    

    
    

    Anthony Landry

    

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  June Stanton

  
  

  Terrific!!! So very proud of you, my son! 

  

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  Chris Rogers

  
  

  Very cool Morty! Congrats on hitting the bigtime! Agree with 
  

  Anthony Landry

   - it's always fun working with this group of marshals. Let's hope we can get our steps in again at TPC in August! 

  

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  Jim Tower

  
  

  Good to see you getting recognition Morty. Always enjoy working with you. Hope we have a chance to do it again.

  

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  Patricia Calta

  
  

  Wonderful! Congrats!

  

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  Shirley Bednarek

  
  

  So proud of my big brother. Well deserved recognition!!

  

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  •  · 17h
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  Jim Penn

  
  

  Two US Opens. One Deutsche Bank

  

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    Edited

Top 10 PGA TOUR players who will never win a major

We're all trying to invent constructive activities to keep us relatively sane in these seemingly insane times we live in.  I thought, maybe I'd make a list of top 10 players who, (in my opinion), will never win a major tournament in professional golf.  I then expanded this idea to conduct an unofficial poll amongst some of my friends, and the variety of names they all came up with is pretty enlightening.  The rules are pretty simple to get on the list, it has to be a "known" PGA Tour member, currently playing, (sorry Scott Hoch). It also has to be someone we'd all recognize, (sorry John Chin). Also,  limited to 10 names but loosely ranked in terms of best to worst.  I was also sort of looking for a consensus in answering the question, "who is the best current player who will never win a major?"  So, here's my list:

1. Matt Kuchar
As much as I love Matt and think he's a terrific guy, I'm always just a bit disappointed in his lack of killer instinct when it comes to closing the deal on a Sunday when he's within striking distance of the lead.  He's too nice, kind of like the Jimmy Stewart of professional golf.  I know you're going to say he wasn't too nice to his Mexican caddy a few years ago, but Matt has definitely paid the penalty in the court of public opinion.  I'd just love to see him slip on a green jacket or hoist the Claret jug but  I don't see it happening.

2. Lee Westwood
If you see Lee in the top 5 on a leader board in a major , do you innately say to yourself, Yep, he's going to be the one to win this.  Never, not going to happen.  Even though he's been playing better since going through some personal changes, looks more relaxed, sporting a beard even, Lee always finds a way to disappoint us.  

3. Ian Poulter
If you want to find a really good Instagram pick, follow Poulter. He's got fresh stuff almost every day, whether its his love of exotic cars, charity work, Christmas Elf high jinx, or just sounding off on the latest social trends.  Ever since I was assigned to marshal his group for a few FedEx Cup rounds and got to hear his rather salty take on life, I've loved the guy.  And, he's a really good player.  I just think he's got too many other distractions going on to push him over the top at a major.

4. Luke Donald
Former World Golf Ranking number one player (2011), never to have won a major.
Can't think of anything else to add to that.

5.Billy Horschel
Gritty, fiery, out-spoken, has enough game to get it done but for some reason, it hasn't happened.

6.Brandt Snedeker
Put Brandt in the same category as Matt Kuchar, with just a few less top 10 finishes. Really terrific guy, appreciates us volunteers and goes the extra mile to demonstrate that.  (Appearing at the Deutsche Bank volunteer party and giving a heartfelt thank you to us all was much appreciated).  Would love to see him get at least one major before his career is over.

7. Kevin Kisner
This pick is a gamble because Kisner is sooo good.

8. Charlie Hoffman
Charlie is the current holder of the Freddie Couples laid-back trophy, which unfortunately does not come equipped with a major title.

9. Pat Perez
If a major was held in Vegas, Perez might be a lock, otherwise, I'm always surprised to see him on page one of any leader board at a major.

10. Ryan Moore
Journeyman golfer, best finish in a major-T9 at the 2017 Masters and the 2006 PGA Championship. Nice guy.



Honorable Mention:

Kevin Na
Chez Reavie
J.B. Holmes
Charles Howell lll

Here are the lists my buddies came up with:

Mike                                                            Tom

1. Bryson Dechambeau                              1. Patrick Cantlay
2. Billy Horschel                                        2. Matt Kuchar
3. Pat Perez                                                 3. Ian Poulter
4. Lee Westwood                                        4. Russell Knox
5. Kevin Kisner                                          5. Keegan Bradley (Won PGA Championship, sorry Tom!)
6. Branden Grace                                       6. Charlie Hoffman
7. Matt Kuchar                                           7. Tyrrell Hatton
8. Chez Reavie                                           8. Luke List
9. Hideki Matsuyama                                 9. Paul Casey
10. Cameron Champ                                  10. Kevin Kisner

Tiger vs Phil 

People have occasionally asked me questions of a "Tiger vs Phil" nature, such as "who do I like better" or "what was it like to be marshaling for either one of those guys, what are they really like ?"  Volunteering as a walking marshal inside the ropes at PGA and USGA events, I have had the opportunity for some close encounters with both of these golf gods, having been assigned to Phil's group on eleven occasions and Tiger six times.  My answer is, Tiger by a mile.  This response often elicits a surprised or even shocked reaction.  They'll respond, "I was sure you were going to say Phil, he seems like such a nice guy". Tiger on the other hand is viewed by the casual golf fan as that guy who fell off the cliff of celebrity due to boorish behavior, a well deserved fall some often say. My perspective is different in that I have been able to observe them from pretty close proximity, not only for 18 holes of competitive championship golf, but afterwards as we marshals accompany them to the scoring trailer, interview area, and eventually to the autograph line.  There we get to stand patiently nearby while they sign everything in sight for as long as they can stand it, generally 20 minutes or so, (although the fans never feel its long enough).  

So why do I prefer to marshal Tiger over Phil?  Let's start with Phil.  Did you ever know a guy in high school who was one of those know-it-all types, and doesn't mind letting you know it, all the time?  When he was playing in the pro-am at the FedEx Cup at TPC Boston in Norton, MA a few years ago, he was partnered with four very high level business executives, as is the usual arrangement.  Unlike most other pro-am groups, where the chatter is mostly golf related, Phil is expounding on European currency rates of exchange, domestic tax policies, etc.  In other words, he's telling the experts their business versus the other way round.  

Phil is one of the few pro's out on tour who doesn't feel that marshals are even necessary, they just get in his way.  Every marshal who has ever been assigned to him has a "Phil story".  You'll be moving behind him along the ropes to quiet the crowd, who have closed in to get a really good view and he'll bark, "Quit moving, marshal!"  Phil has mastered the role of acting like a golf professional, emphasis on the word actor.  He's every fan's favorite because he hears every single shout-out from outside the ropes and acknowledges it with a thumbs-up.  He excels at the art of giving the fans what they paid to see, a performance.  He realizes that bottom-line, that's what this is all about.  I've  heard fans exclaim, "I've actually seen Phil Mickelson in person, now I can die happy!"  To see Phil work the autograph area is to watch a true professional, signing hats, pin-flags, programs, shirts, people, you name it.  I personally witnessed an outstanding moment after the Deutsche Bank Championship when Phil signed for a fellow in a wheelchair who'd been been struggling to get to the rope line, so that Phil could sign a hat with two other Hall-of-Fame signatures on it, Arnie and Jack.  It was a heartfelt moment.  

Suffice to say, I don't dislike Phil, but he's not one of us, he's up on the Mount Rushmore of golf and interacts with use mere mortals because that's what he's paid to do.  Provide a performance. 

Tiger on the other hand, is a real person.  I know, when I say this to people I get that same surprised and even shocked response.  They'll ask, "Isn't he sort of a prick up close?" On the contrary, he's actually just like one of the guys.  When you're standing near him alongside the other players and caddies at the short par 4 fourth hole at TPC Boston, where we're waiting for the groups ahead to move on, he's right in the mix, laughing, kidding, smiling, not standing off to the side in isolation until its his turn to step up to the tee box.  This is the real Tiger, when he can just be who he wants to be, one of the guys.  Unfortunately, the moment he tee's off and begins to stride down the fairway, he is hit with a verbal onslaught from the fans that is hard to comprehend unless you have witnessed it up close.  People standing 3 and 4 deep outside the ropes are shouting his name incessantly every step of the way until he gets to his ball, then its our job as the marshals walking along with him to get them to settle down, so he, and whoever he's playing with, can get off a shot in some semblance of silence and calm.  He can't possibly acknowledge the fans the way Phil does, or he'd never be able to do anything else.  That's why the blinders are on and the game face is there for the cameras to capture.  Every time I've been assigned to Tiger's group, I'm amazed at his powers of concentration.  I always feel somewhat sorry for the other player(s) assigned to his group as they are going to have to contend with this circus for 18 holes.  

The consensus among most of us marshals is we'd much prefer to be assigned to Tiger than to Phil.  It took me three years of volunteering at the Deutsche Bank Championship before I'd risen high enough in the ranks to get assigned to his group.  You know you've earned you stripes then.  But know this, a Tiger pairing is like none other.  The majority of the spectators on the grounds that day are there to see him in person. They'll walk along with him, a crowd of several thousand, just to position themselves along the ropes for that one brief moment when he walks past within 10 feet, or best of all, happens to hit one outside the ropes enabling you to scramble to the ball and wait for him and his caddie to arrive, as well as our group of 6 to 8 marshals to form an alley so he can hit back into play.  This is the hardest marshaling job in existence but one which I love above all else.  Being inside the ropes with Tiger is like no other experience in golf.  

Tiger vs Phil?…I'll take Tiger.

Wyn Morton Rick, I've written an updated Tiger vs. Phil piece for my blog diaryofapgamarshal.blogspot.com 
Let me know what you think.

DIARYOFAPGAMARSHAL.BLOGSPOT.COM

Diary of a PGA marshal

Diary of a PGA marshal

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  Rick Reilly i think you make some good points. Phil considers himself an expert on all things, all the time. But his brain is fascinating and he actually does do his research. And Tiger is much more human, I'm told, around the caddies and his buddies. He's just awful with press and fans.

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Road Trip to St. Andrews      October 2019

(What follows isn't an account of marshaling a major tournament, but it was just as exciting to be with my entire family for more than a week in Scotland, including a chance to play golf at St. Andrews.)

Jill, Brian, Mary, Lauren, and me

About two years ago in 2017, my son Brian and his wife Lauren, proposed a family trip to Scotland.  Both of them have traveled a surprising amount for a couple barely 30 years old, but for us it would be a huge trip.  We couldn't get it scheduled for 2018 but everything lined up for October 2019, a trip that might even include playing the Old Course in St. Andrews, if we got lucky.  The amazing Lauren made all the arrangements, beginning with multiple email exchanges with the staff at the Old Course, who were extremely gracious and encouraging in their communications.  Unlike most other courses, in order to play the Old Course, you have 3 options: One is to book a very expensive trip through a travel broker who will guarantee a teetime.  This is the only way to make your arrangements in advance, but you're paying thousands for the package, which would include at least 3 other days of golf.  Sounds great but above our budget.  Secondly, you can take a real gamble and just show up at the starter's window the day you are hoping to play, and get in line as early as 3am, put your name on the list and then wait, maybe all day, maybe hopelessly. It's no way to budget an entire day on your vacation. The third way is to use what is called the "ballot system", submitting your request for a teetime via email to standrews.com, 48 hours ahead, and hopefully getting a spot.

Now its not as grim a prospect as it may sound for planning to play golf in St. Andrews.  The above only applies to getting onto the Old Course.  We were able to make a teetime for the Jubilee Course, one of six other courses (Jubilee, Castle, New Course, Eden, Strathtyrum, & Balgove), all part of the St. Andrews Links complex, "The Home of Golf" as their brochure proclaims.  Since we were scheduling our trip for the tail-end of the golf season, the gentleman from St. Andrews wrote that he was cautiously optimistic we would be successful using the ballot system.

This wasn't just a golfing vacation, the five us had an outstanding time touring the west coast of Scotland including the Oban whisky distillery, the Harry Potter train in Glencoe, Ben Nevis-the highest peak in the UK, Fort William and the spectacular Highlands, the town of St. Andrews, and finally the marvelous city of Edinburgh.  We ended up spending one night in St. Andrews, at The Saint, a lovely four-room hotel, a 10 minute walk from the Old Course.  That evening walking down cobblestone streets, with the R&A clubhouse coming into view, was like walking in a dream.

R & A    St. Andrews

The Saint Hotel

Our day started out by driving directly to the new Links Clubhouse which has wonderful views of the courses from the restaurant.  We had lunch and I must admit to being a bit nervous over my chicken bacon mayo sandwich.  We'd parked our bags in the locker room down below, it's just what you'd expect in terms of world class accommodations and feel.  I could just imagine the pros suiting up there as they prepare to play in The Open.  Our day of golf at the Jubilee Course was spectacular although it got off to a rainy start but the weather cleared by the 4th hole. Mary, Jill, and Lauren formed our gallery as we tee'd off, then they went for a walk around the lovely town.  I par'd the first hole and told Brian that made my entire trip to Scotland.  I was on fire, shooting 42 on the front 9 but hitting only 3 fairways and 2 GIR.  Brian shot 45.  We'd decided on match play and I was up by 3 on the 11th hole.  Brian then said the fateful words, "you haven't hit into a pot bunker all day!" Which I promptly did. My game immediately tanked while he proceeded to make a total of 9 pars, shooting 42 on the back, and won the match 2 + 1. Our gallery re-appeared on the 17th hole, the sun was shining, and we were in golf Heaven!  We ended the day with a pint at the famous Dunvegan pub hard by the R&A clubhouse.    

Brian & me at the Jubilee Course

The Dunvegan Pub

Earlier in the day Brian had received an email from St. Andrews, unfortunately stating that we had not been selected for the ballot to play on the Old Course the next day.  He resubmitted our request for the following day, with fingers crossed. We headed to our next stop, Edinburgh, looking forward to exploring this ancient yet cosmopolitan city.  During our walking tour, Brian received the email notification that we'd scored an 11am teetime on the Old Course for Friday.  He and I would be making a road trip back north while the ladies spent the day in Edinburgh.

It was about an hour ride back to St. Andrews but traffic was quite manageable and we arrived at 9:30, plenty of time for breakfast at the Links Clubhouse.  I felt that anticipatory excitement I always have right before marshaling at a big event, like a US Open, where the atmosphere of the place is nearly overwhelming.  Not really nervousness but we were about to play the Old Course!  Isn't that every golfers dream?   To say Brian was wound up tight would be an understatement, he could barely choke down half a scone.  The walk over toward the starters shack, where we would meet our caddies, with the R&A clubhouse right there at the first tee was unreal.

The lady clerk was so gracious, taking our 130 Scottish pounds green fee (about $160), and handing us a very nice valuables pouch complete with an amazingly detailed yardage book, tees, pencils, divot tool, and scorecard.  We were then approached by our two caddies, who between them had nearly 30 years of caddying experience.  I got John, whose personality was perfect for me, quiet, calm, not too chatty, yet personable.  Brian's guy, Steve was just right for him as well, right from central casting with a thick Scottish brogue.  He instantly bonded with Brian to become his playing partner/coach, which was just what he needed to get over the first tee jitters.  The starter, Richard, approached us as we made our way over to the first tee, greeting us much like you see them do at the start of the Open Championship.  He made our presence there seem extra special, despite the fact he'd probably done the same routine 10 thousand times.  He even took our picture.  We were then introduced to our two other playing partners, both former members of the course, so they didn't need caddies to show them the way.  These guys were hilarious, self-deprecating, with brogues so thick I could understand maybe one word in three, not the best golfers by any stretch, which was somehow quite reassuring and certainly less intimidating.  Brian proved to be the best golfer in our foursome by far although he had a rough start, hitting his drive into the Swilcan Burn.  I was really calm on the tee, it helped that there were very few spectators as it was drizzling and maybe 50 degrees. John told me where to aim, ("at that gorse bush off in the distance") and I was able to do exactly that. As we walked off the first tee Steve said "now you can all breathe again!"  I found having a caddy to be such a wonderful added dimension to this whole experience, not just as a guide to point out where in the world I should be aiming on this alien golf layout, but also to set an expectation for me on each shot which I then tried my best to fulfill.  The greens weren't too scary as I felt used to the speeds having played Jubilee, but having John read the subtle breaks and provide aiming points was terrific.  I played bogey golf through the first 12 holes but the rain only intensified and despite John's best effort to keep things dry, the final 6 holes were a mess.  Brian was one up on our match at the turn, then went on to win decisively at 5 up, with a total for the day of 5 pars and a birdie, including par on 17, the famous Road Hole.  As the day went on, we found ourselves saying over and over to each other, what a wonderful experience this was despite the conditions.  Steve took the traditional picture of us on the Swilcan bridge, on our way to finishing on 18, which Brian almost par'd.  He later said he had such a tremendous feeling of accomplishment, having conquered the Old Course.

7/17/19   U.S.Open volunteer notification

Always great to get the official notification from USGA, getting selected from thousands of applicants to volunteer at the 2020 Open.  My son Brian has also been selected, can't wait for him the share the experience!   


           Dear Wyn,  

           Congratulations! You have been assigned to volunteer on the 19th Hole Marshals committee
            for the 2020 U.S. Open Championship at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, NY.