golf powers including the United States, Great
Britain and Ireland, South Africa, Australia and
all the European countries competing against
each other along with neophytes like Russia and
Estonia who had only a few golf courses in their
entire country. In addition to Lewis and Andrea
there were another thirty or forty college players
in the field representing their respective nations.
Long days had passed since my embarrassing
trek to the US Embassy, and now the night before
the final round, a thousand images of the week’s
adventure filled my mind. Distracted, I made a
terrible mistake. I forgot the constant reminders
and the advice of my embassy doctor friend.
With no thought as to the potential
consequences I ignored the bottled water in my
hotel bathroom, and reverting back to regular
habit brushed my teeth using tap water from the
sink’s faucet.
I was a little woozy the next day when
Sergio teed off. By the time he finished nine I was
completely exhausted and sapped of any strength.
Walking was nearly impossible. Had I been in
water I would have drowned. I found shade near
the ninth green in a spot where my body could be
found but would not interfere with play, and did
something I had never done on a golf course. I
literally fell fast asleep lying on the ground.
It was nearly dusk when I awoke. Feeling
only slightly stronger but now with a pounding
headache and thoroughly dehydrated, I made my
way to the clubhouse where closing ceremonies and
a final celebration were about to begin. Australia
had captured the Eisenhower Trophy over Sweden
with Spain finishing third. The USA team, which
included Connecticut’s Jerry Courville, Jr. were
a disappointing ninth, while India behind Shivin
Kwatra’s even-par 288 were thrilled to finish 12th
in the world.
I found my Italians engorging themselves
on pasta and birra, and waved off their attempts
www.csgalinks.org
to push a plate and a mug in front of me. Andrea
asked me why I looked awful, and I explained that
I had probably never felt worse.
Not as lavish as the opening ceremony,
the send off was more of a big party. A band
played. People danced. Dignitaries and federation
captains made the rounds. There were players and
officials from a number of countries who I had
met that I wanted to say a final hello and goodbye,
but standing and walking was still a challenge.
So I sat quietly as the Italians shouted at
each other over the music. I had no intention of
moving until I felt a tap on my shoulder.
Margie Moran was looking down at me
smiling. “Would you like to dance?” she asked.
Of all the times to be sick as a dog!
But what kind of coach would I have been
to the student-athlete sitting next to me if I had
not summoned my last ounce of inner strength?
Other than 90% wedge shots, all we had talked
about recently was “overcoming adversity.” I
needed to set a good example for Andrea, and
what better way than to drag myself off my
deathbed to dance with Margie Moran!
We ended up dancing a second dance. Ten
minutes of Heaven and Hell. Had the band not
stopped for a break I might have stayed out there
until I collapsed.
When I plopped back into my seat Andrea
leaned toward me, and with a devilish grin he said,
“I thought you weren’t feeling well?”
It was the final bit of coaching I would do
that week. I raised an eyebrow and offered what
I hoped he would take as wise counsel, “Andrea,
let this be a lesson to you. There are times in life where
opportunities arise and all manner of misery and trouble
must be set aside. When Miss Universe asks you to dance
you simply say yes, and get out of your chair as fast as you
can!”
***
CSGA Links // September, 2017 | 9