MyTurn by JIM DUCIBELLA
Newsom ’ s Challenge :
Peaking at the Right Time
Herman Melville ’ s creation Captain Ahab infamously pursued Moby Dick — the monomaniacal seaman losing his leg , then his life , in a vain attempt to exact revenge on a giant white sperm whale .
Roger Newsom concedes that his great white whale is the United States Senior Amateur golf championship . However , unlike Ahab , he hasn ’ t surrendered his life in his quest to hoist the Frederick L . Dold Trophy .
Newsom , born in the shadow of Portsmouth ’ s Elizabeth Manor Country Club and now a Virginia Beach resident , has come oh-so-close . In five attempts , his worst finish was advancing to the quarterfinals .
In 2019 , he lost in the finals to Bob Royak , who made par at the 18th hole at Old Chatham Golf Club for a 1-up victory . The following year , Newson finished third ; last season , he was co-medalist at the Biltmore Forest in North Carolina .
“ I try to peak when the Senior Amateur comes around ,” he said . “ The last couple of years I ’ ve peaked close to that time .”
That ’ s much easier said than done for Newsom , due to highly unusual life circumstances .
He ’ s a much-in-demand ophthalmologist , specializing in areas some people can ’ t even pronounce : cataract-related issues , oculo-plastic and orbital reconstruction surgery and retinal diseases . Rated a “ People ’ s Top Choice ” doctor for his overwhelming number of 5-star rankings , Newsom performs about 25 surgeries a week .
Golf ? It not only plays second fiddle in Newsom ’ s life , most of the time it ’ s not even on the bandstand .
In 2024 , Newsom competed in the Lupton Memorial in Tennessee , the Coleman Invitational in Florida , the State Open of Virginia at Independence and the U . S . Senior Amateur . That ’ s it .
“ That ’ s my dilemma ,” he said . “ I ’ m at a point in my career where I ’ m busier than ever with surgeries . If people think that golf is more important to me than their eyes , they ’ re not going to come to me . I ’ ve tried to balance things out .”
He ’ ll almost certainly not achieve that balance in 2025 , but Newsom may play a bit more golf than his norm . His schedule includes the Fishers Island event sponsored by the Eugene O ’ Neill Theatre Center in May and the inaugural ( Vinny ) Giles Invitational at Kinloch . Then there ’ s the C . B . McDonald Invitational at The National Golf Links in New York , the U . S . Senior Am and maybe — maybe — the British Senior Amateur at Tadworth , Surry , England .
“ It ’ s fun to do ,” he said of his halter-skelter schedule . “ I ’ m very blessed to be able to do it .”
Pardon the pun , but Newsom has been operating this way since winning his first of two State Opens in 2008 at age 41 . It stands to reason that at that point , he could have downshifted his medical career a little and placed more emphasis on golf . It wasn ’ t a consideration .
“ The more you do ophthalmology , ( the more ) it becomes a profound responsibility ,” he explained . “ When I ’ m operating on someone ’ s eye , that must come first , no matter if I got invited to Augusta the
Roger Newsom has reached at least the quarterfinals in each of the five U . S . Senior Amateurs in which he has participated .
next day . I wouldn ’ t be a decent human being otherwise .
“ When you are with somebody who is legally blind and the next day , they can see ... Good surgeons don ’ t rest on their laurels ; they don ’ t look back , but when you take it all in you can say , ‘ Hey , I did some good in life .’ Golf has been a luxury that , you know , makes me happy .”
Just how happy he is has become a topic for debate at the Newsom household . His wife , Susan , the mother of their four children , sees the pain and the strain of her husband ’ s dual career . To her , something ’ s out of whack .
“ She can tell I ’ m on a mission ,” Roger said . “ She says ‘ Rog , you go to work under a pressure situation and then you come home , and the golf is not fun for you .’ Her impression is that golf isn ’ t fun for me like it used to be .” He begs to disagree , sort of . “ I ’ m happy ,” he said , “ but I ’ d be happier if I won the U . S . Senior Amateur .” That whale is still out there . Maybe this is the year he finally seizes the beast .
USGA
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