NORTH PALM BEACH – When Tommy Morrissey was handed his three balls for the driving portion of Saturday’s Drive, Chip and Putt subegional at Lost Tree Club in North Palm Beach, he had to do some juggling.
The 7 ½-year-old Palm Beach Gardens resident, you see, has just one arm – he is missing most of his right arm since birth. No problem. He tucked his driver under his right shoulder, grabbed the balls and headed to the range.
With a backswing that would make John Daly proud, Morrissey pounded three balls inside the flags, his longest measuring 122 yards.
“My legs were shaking a little bit,” Morrissey said.
That’s surprising considering Morrissey was so calm at this year’s Honda Classic, when he held a driving competition against the PGA Tour pros before the tournament. That’s what the allure of making it to Augusta National does to even the most seasoned golfers (Tommy has been playing the sport since he was 14 months old).
“Making it to Augusta is what it’s all about,” Morrissey said. “My legs would be shaking so bad.”
It mattered little that Morrissey will have to wait at least another year for a trip down Magnolia Lane after finishing 10th in the Boys 7-9 with 76 points. He received plenty of cheers every time he hit a shot Saturday.
“He’s defeating stereotypes,” said Marcia Morrissey, Tommy’s mom. “He’s got one arm and he’s competing against kids with two arms, usually beating them. He’s inspiring so many people.”
It takes power, combined with deft touch, to advance in the DCP. But a lack of power, due to the devastation of Hurricane Irma last September, forced 9-year-old Krishny Elwin and her family to leave their home in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
They relocated to Orlando, where Krishny’s game has flourished with better facilities and schools. But she can’t help but think of her friends left behind.
“It was hard because I lived there and I was born there,” she said. “To see all the people hurt and lose their homes, it was really sad.”
On the immaculate Lost Tree grounds that serves as the home course for six-time Masters champion Jack Nicklaus, Krishny said she was hoping to make it to Augusta because her story “would help all Puerto Ricans.” She earned an alternate spot in the regional qualifier at TPC Sawgrass with her third-place finish in the Girls 10-11, and earned a trophy for winning the chipping competition.
Asked what golf means to her, Krishny smiled and said, “The whole world.”
Golf has been a big part of Tim Rosaforte’s world. The longtime insider at Golf Channel was at Saturday’s subregional in another capacity – to cheer on his 11-year-old nephew, Grayson Chandler.
Grayson was nursing an injury and almost had to withdraw. Rosaforte reminded Grayson of how his idol, Rickie Fowler,
fought through pain to play in the recent PGA Championship.
“It was a lot of fun competing, trying to get to the next stage,” said Grayson, who had 77 points and just missed his final putt from 30 feet. “My uncle always supports me in golf, and it helps me so much to get better.”
Rosaforte has covered golf for more than 30 years, from Nicklaus’ golden years to Tiger Woods’ dominance. He knows about perspective.
“Grayson is like the son I never had,” said Rosaforte, who has two daughters, Genna and Molly, who also works in the golf business. “Drive, Chip and Putt is great because it got Grayson into the game. He now plays team golf at Jonathan’s Landing under Neil Lockie and he has learned the game.
“To see him perform today when he wasn’t feeling great, he showed heart, he showed guts. Sometimes that’s more important than advancing to regionals.”
Madison Temple, a PGA Reach Fellow who helps runs the DCP for the South Florida PGA Section, is encouraged by how much the competition has energized area junior players.
“It’s a great first step,” she said. “Being a national program and knowing the end point is Augusta National, where the Masters is, it’s really cool for the kids to have that logo everywhere. A lot of these kids are now going on to tournament golf.”
Many of the girls dream of making it to the LPGA Tour, as Michelle McGann did, winning seven times. McGann (pictured on the left at the top of the page) also stopped by Lost Tree on Saturday to check out golf’s future.
One thing was clear: the game is in good hands.
Saturday’s field of 150 was whittled to 16 regional finalists (and alternates) who will move on to September’s final qualifier at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.
