behaving like a sail on a sailboat when a gust blows
through. Being surrounded by twenty-five to thirty
thousand golf fans can be a bit unnerving as well.
And though the standard weighs less than 10 pounds,
it’s a job that requires physical endurance. A tourna-
ment volunteer’s day begins before sunrise as they
arrive early to receive their player assignments and
organize their gear. Once play begins, they must wait
patiently until their group is ready to take the course.
From the time their players tee off until they complete
the final hole can be four to five hours of walking
in the warm early spring sun, updating their boards
quickly between holes. “It’s an amazing experience
being inside the ropes with idols of mine who have
At the end of a day’s round, the players customarily
thank the standard bearers, pose for photographs and
autograph a special golf ball or two for them. IJGA
students say that almost every player is quite friendly
and courteous up and down the course, though their
mood can intensify when the situation calls for it.
For their part they drink it all in and hope to some day
be the one signing autographs for aspiring young
golfers lucky enough to be where they are now. How
neat would it be to remember volunteering and
playing that course as a junior and then coming back
as a pro?
More IJGA student-athlete thoughts on their
experience as standard bearer:
“I love being a
standard bearer
since you are able
to walk and talk to
the pros and see
how the pros play.
You learn a lot from
just watching.”
– Merlin Dohm
put the work in and made it to the top. It shows that
anything is possible with a bit of work,” said IJGA
student-athlete Ronan Cowhey. “Now, hopefully, I can
learn bits and pieces from different pros and put it all
together to create my own path to the PGA Tour in
the near future.”
But a little bit of discomfort can yield a lifetime of
memories and great opportunities for learning.
Getting to walk with some of the PGA’s best as well
as those on the rise is an exciting experience for junior
golfers, but it also serves as a living classroom on the
workings of high-level competition and how players
deal with its many facets. “Being a standard bearer
is a unique experience, something you don’t get to
do often if at all. It’s awesome being that close to the
world’s best,” said IJGA student-athlete Leo Hernan-
dez. “You can learn so much just by watching them.”
“My experience as
a standard bearer
was amazing. The
opportunity to be
insides the ropes
with some of the
best golfers in the
world is a great
learning experience. My favorite part is to be
able to listen to the pros, hear how they com-
municate with their caddies along with how
they handle themselves.” – Chase Phillips
“My experience as a standard bearer was really
good. Everybody was really nice. The score-
keeper helped me. It was a beautiful day and I
learned a lot seeing the pros play. It’s so great
IJGA students have the opportunity to be
standard bearers. I will definitely do it again
next year.” – Fabienne van Kleef
“It was a really good experience seeing top
golfers play up close. I liked the golfers’ behav-
ior and that some stopped to sign autographs
during play to show appreciation. I felt they
were making it an experience for the fan as well
as playing their game.” – Haruka Shintani
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