Wives share the ups and downs on Champions Tour
The conversation ranged from Marriott points to Trader Joe’s everything bagel seasoning to life’s big wins and losses.
But at the end of the day, the ladies behind the men on the PGA Tour Champions have a lot in common.
It’s easy to see why.
Some have been following their husbands through their professional golfing careers for upward of 30 years.
“You are schlepping your stuff all over the place,” said Colleen Toledo with a chuckle as the bus pulled up to the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge. “And I never pack right ever. But we are so grateful. We get to see so many places that people don’t get to see in a lifetime. We are truly blessed … even when there are plane delays and travelling issues. You always remember the positives.
“They just get to go to the golf course. They don’t get to go out and to see what we get to see.”
From Boca Raton, Fla., to Tucson, Ariz., to Biloxi, Miss., the latest stop on the tour has them at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club, some for the entire week parked at hotels across the city.
While their significant others were busy teeing it up at the Shaw Charity Classic Pro-Am, Toledo (wife of Esteban Toledo), Sheri Pate (Steve Pate), Marci Blake (Jay Don Blake) and Ann Spittle (Rod Spittle) were treated to a day of rest and relaxation at the Kananaskis Nordic Spa.
After nearly an entire season on the road — and a handful of tournaments left to attend — it was well deserved.
“You kind of get into a groove because the tournament is set for the year,” Spittle said. “And if you have full-time privileges, you plan to play in every tournament and there are approximately 25 or 26 tournaments a year … Last week, there were six weeks in a row. But you just go with what you’re given.”
While Rod Spittle will retire after this year’s Shaw Charity Classic — which begins Friday and runs through Sunday — the grind was week in, week out based on his PGA Tour Champions status.
Meaning there are no days off for either golfer or wife.
“You pack things the same way every time you pack and I’ve never become a good packer,” Ann Spittle said.
“Some people are wizards at it … you have to pack for every kind of weather. It could rain the whole tournament or it could be 104 degrees. It becomes a routine just like anyone does preparing for their jobs.”
Marci Blake, for one, has an important gig — serving as caddie for her husband. “We’re together 24/7,” she said with a chuckle. “We are always together.”
But don’t expect fireworks or disagreements over club selection.
“That’s what’s easy about being his caddie,” Blake said. “I know he’s going to hit certain shots, but I keep quiet and he does his thing. Once in a while, he’ll be in between two clubs and all I say is, ‘Go with your gut.’ He does all of his own yardage — he does all his own reading of his putts. He always has. Even when he was on the regular (PGA) Tour.
“He’s so laid back and so easy.” To be a wife watching your husband compete in a pay-for-performance tournament, however, is a different story. There are varying degrees of nerves running through the ladies’ veins.
“It makes me sick every single time,” Spittle said.
“It’s never easy to watch your husband. You can’t do anything about (his performance). You know he can hit the perfect shot every time, but it doesn’t happen. You know when he hits a bad shot, he wants to crawl into the bushes. But he can’t. He has to go into the bushes and hit his shot and keep going. I get nervous.”
Colleen Toledo has been on the PGA Tour Champions for six years and spent nine years on the PGA Tour prior to that. And it hasn’t gotten any easier to be a spectator.
“I still get so nervous,” said Toledo. “Especially if you’re in the lead coming into Sunday ’s round.”
Whether they’ve made the cut or missed it, whether they’re in contention on the final Sunday or not, the sport can be wildly unpredictable.
“You just never know with golf,” Blake said. “It could be the most incredible day, and the next day, it could be the worst day ever. But it’s not like they’re trying to play bad. But you just never know. You see them make a putt and it just barely misses the cup, and you think ‘How? Why?’
“So I always try to keep it really positive.”
Because they know there’s enough going on for the golfers.
“They have practised,” Spittle said. “They have tried different clubs. They have tried different shoes. They have drank some strange beverage in the morning to make them have more energy. You know they’re doing anything they can.”
And it’s even more nerve-racking because they ’re there on their own dime.
“You pay for everything yourself,” Blake said. “We pay for everything — your accommodations, your travel, your food ... You are responsible for everything.
“Travelling is hard, but we’re truly grateful and lucky to be here.”
It’s never easy to watch your husband. You can’t do anything about (his performance). You know he can hit the perfect shot every time, but it doesn’t happen.