Perks aside, new members came to play at The Greenbrier
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WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. – When Doug Ghim and his roommate Maverick McNealy were on the airport shuttle heading to The Greenbrier late last week for new member orientation, they couldn’t help but take stock of their situation.
“We joked that I think the best part of the week would be at registration and you could check the box that's a PGA TOUR professional instead of ‘other’ and getting our credential and all that,” Ghim said with a grin.
On Thursday, Ghim and McNealy took the next step, along with a host of other new members, who made their presence known at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier at the Old White TPC.
One was the leader, 24-year-old Robby Shelton, who played at Alabama and shot a career-low 62. Another was Scott Harrington, the 38-year-old finally getting his chance to realize his dream, who was tied with four others, including defending champion Kevin Na, for second after 64s.
Ghim, who graduated from Texas in 2018, was in a group of 10 players who shot 65s that included his former Longhorn teammate Scottie Scheffler. McNealey was in a big group two strokes behind his Las Vegas roommate while the uber-heralded rookie, Viktor Hovland, shot 68 after a bogey on the last hole.
Ghim, who needed a 10-footer that he followed with an uppercut on the final hole of the Korn Ferry Championship to solidify his TOUR card, said the week has been gratifying and humbling at the same time.
“I honestly thought I'd be more nervous,” he said. “… I wasn't really sure what I would be feeling. I'm one of the few that was lucky enough play in a handful of a PGA TOUR events and actually play well in them.
“But when you play as a sponsor exemption, you're kind of playing with nothing to lose really because you're not a member of the TOUR. Like only good things matter. And like if you played bad, it doesn't really matter. You just go back to the Korn Ferry Tour. So, I thought maybe I'd be a little bit more nervous because of that fact.
“But as soon as I hit my first tee shot, I kind of felt right at home. … I'm just having a blast. It's everything I would've thought it would be. And to play well as I did on the first round was even better. And I just felt like a validating round for anything. And I'm just really, really excited to get this whole season going.”
Ghim marveled at the perks – his choice of balls to hit on the practice range, courtesy cars, the massive grandstands, dry cleaning, even real eggs in the breakfast buffet. “All those little things add up,” he said, smiling. But the biggest thing is the chance to prove himself against the best in the world.
“To be a member of the TOUR and know that this is my home now and I'm fighting for the privilege to stay out here and, and hopefully become one of the best is a really cool feeling.” Ghim said. “I don't feel like an outsider anymore and I feel like I belong here, and rounds like today, especially, kind of cement my place here and I'm really excited about the opportunity.”
Shelton, who finished fourth in the Korn Ferry Tour priority rankings, was playing in his first TOUR event since tying for 67th at the 2017 RBC Canadian Open. He hit his first shot as a TOUR member at 8:45 a.m. Thursday in the company of two other rookies, Tyler McCumber and Kristoffer Ventura.
“I'm fired up. Last night it was tough to sleep,” said Shelton, who said he was in bed by 9 p.m. “I've been waiting for this moment all season. After winning two times on the Korn Ferry I knew it was coming, and just been super excited. It's finally here. Just celebrate it for the next three days.”
Like Ghim and many others, Shelton was afforded sponsor exemptions on TOUR. He said he learned a lot in those experiences.
“Just trying to tell myself that it's just golf,” he said. “I think my sponsor exemptions and stuff, I thought I had to change my game and try to play with the big boys. Now, I mean, I just know it's golf. Been through the Mackenzie Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour, so I know what my game has.
“And if I can just get to that a lot sooner, that's the goal.”
Harrington, on the other hand, took a longer road. He took the 2018 season off to help care for his wife, who was battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma for the second time. With her cancer in remission, he returned to the Korn Ferry Tour this year and earned his card with a second-place finish at the WinCo Portland Open.
“I always did think I was going to get here,” said Harrington, who played at Northwestern where he was a teammate of former world No. 1 Luke Donald. “My age didn't really deter me. I felt like I was only progressing. The progressions were small every year, but I was never taking a step back. …
“Even though I'm 38 years old, I feel like I'm every bit as capable of winning out here as any 22-year-old. Yeah, age is just a number. I feel like as long as you keep your length up and your health and mentally you're sound, I know there are great things out there for me.”