Golf's Greatest Amateurs Catch The Spirit

By Art Stricklin

              TRINITY, Texas – Golf’s bi-annual amateur golf Olympics, The Spirit International Golf Championship, began under perfect  weather Friday. Blue skies, light wind and high spirits, fueled by a Texas millionaires’ love for the amateur game and a Hall of Fame wing of notable past players.

              This weekend’s tournament is the 11th edition of the amateur showcase which began in 2001 and brings together two men and two women for two-person teams from 20 countries from around the world.

              All to tiny Trinity, Texas and the Whispering Pines Golf Club, the Chet Williams design annually ranked as the No. 1 course in Texas for a full week of fun, food, lodging, high level competition and prizes all funded by Texas oil millionaire Corby Robertson.

              “I believe that amateur golf is one of the highest forms of the game and I want to do what I can to help grow it and endorse it and help players around the world catch the Spirit,” Robertson said.

              Robertson and the Spirit Golf Association along with sponsors they personally recruit handles all worldwide travel expenses for each team and their coaches and officials, plus three meals a day, lodging at his adjacent Camp Olympia, parties and games each night, gifts and prizes for all.

              “It’s Corby’s legacy to the game he loves,” said Whispering Pines Director of Golf Chris Rowe. “It’s all free (for them).”

              The past players who have completed in the Spirit over the last two decades could likely fill its own wing of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Included are men’s major golf championships, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Danny Willett, Jason Day, Martin Kaymer, Francisco Molinari and Charl Schwartzel.

              Also includes has been World Golf Hall of Fame member Lorena Ochoa, along with LPGA superstars Lexi Thompson, Brooke Henderson, Rose Zhang and Leona Maguire

              There are dozens of professional golf wins from past Spirit alumni including Will Zalatoris, Viktor Hovland, Si Woo Kim and many others.

              “We’ve had some people we knew would be pretty good at the next level, but maybe not win a major championship,” said Rowe. “You look on TV during a tournament or a golf major and you say, he was here and he was here and she was here. It’s pretty incredible.”

              Incredible indeed to this year’s American captain Nathan Smith who played here as part of the winning American team in 2011, teamed with future PGA Tour player Kelly Kraft and is now back to captain the US squad.

              “It’s really cool to have played in this event, to know what it means to everyone here, then to come back as a captain. I just know that Corby has a passion for the amateur game and wants to see it be a success.”

              Next fall, Smith will be the US captain of the amateur Walker Cup team at Cypress Point Golf Links, but it will be no different than this week in the Southeast Texas international amateur showcase.

              “This is really special.”

              This year’s American team includes high school sophomore Asterisk Talley, 15, the youngest American female team member ever joining  LPGA stars Thompson and Henderson as the only American high school player selected to the girls team.

              Asterisk means “Little Star” in Greek and she is poised for a big impact on the weekend as she became the first player in golf history to play in three USGA championships in a single year with 11 holes in ones to her credit

              Also included are 6-8 University of Texas star Tommy Morrison and Jasmine Koo, the second ranked female amateur in the world.

              This year’s field includes 20 different countries ranging from Australia, New Zealand and South Korea to Norway, Sweden, England and Columbia, among others all of which have participated in at least two Spirit tournaments .

              “Seeing all of those amateur teams from around the world coming together, bunking together, eating together, playing together, I’m convinced that is all the countries of the world did that every now and then the world would be in a much better spot,” Rowe added.

              Thursday night was Chinese food night at the Spirit, there were basketball courts, pool tables, ping pong , a magician and an inspirational speech from Robertson.

              He was once ask how much he had spent over two decades of the amateur golf Olympics hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions. His response was telling for the most special and unique of amateur golf weeks.

              “I don’t really know, I’ve never counted it up. But this a gift to golf, a chance to prompt the game we love and maybe change a life forever.”

              In short, priceless for the thousands at Whispering Pines who have caught the Spirit in the past, present and future.