Michigan Golf Journal July 2018

PGA Tour Champions /ƚ ǁĂƐ ϮϬϬϲ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞƌĞ ǁĂƐ ĂŶ ŽīͲĚĂLJ DŽŶĚĂLJ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ Buick Open. Mayfair said he found a lump in his groin area and decided to go to a local hospital to get checked out. “Had some great doctors check me out in the hospital there, they called me back and said it was cancer and ƚŚĂƚ / ŶĞĞĚĞĚ ƚŽ ŐĞƚ ŚŽŵĞ and have it taken care of, and / ĚŝĚ͕͟ DĂLJĨĂŝƌ ƐĂŝĚ ĂďŽƵƚ withdrawing from the Buick Open and returning to Phoenix the very next day. “Because of those doctors (in Michigan) that probably saved my life, no ĚŽƵďƚ͘͟ /ƚ ǁĂƐ Ă ZLJĚĞƌ ƵƉ LJĞĂƌ ĂŶĚ Mayfair said he was about 13 th on the points list, trying to earn his way onto the U.S. team. ͞dŚĞŶ Ăůů ŽĨ Ă ƐƵĚĚĞŶ͕ / ŐŽƚ ƚŚĞ ŶĞǁƐ / ŚĂĚ ĐĂŶĐĞƌ on that Monday, my whole ůŝĨĞ ĐŚĂŶŐĞĚ ĂŶĚ / ǁĞŶƚ ĨƌŽŵ ƚƌLJŝŶŐ ƚŽ ŵĂŬĞ ƚŚĞ ZLJĚĞƌ ƵƉ to being able to stay alive ƚŽ ǁĂƚĐŚ ŵLJ ƐŽŶ ŐƌŽǁ ƵƉ͕͟ Mayfair said. “So, it was a ůŝĨĞͲĐŚĂŶŐŝŶŐ ǁĞĞŬ ĨŽƌ ŵĞ ŝŶ 'ƌĂŶĚ ůĂŶĐ͕ ƚŚĂƚ͛Ɛ ĨŽƌ ƐƵƌĞ͘͟ When looking back at his ‘98 ǁŝŶ͕ ŚŝƐ ĮŌŚ ĐĂƌĞĞƌ ǁŝŶ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ PGA Tour, Mayfair said: “Wow, PGA Tour Champions Warwick Hills Country Club Grand Blanc ^ĞƉƚ͘ ϭϰͲϭϲ www.theallychallenge.com ŝƚ͛Ɛ ďĞĞŶ ϮϬ LJĞĂƌƐ͘ / ƌĞŵĞŵďĞƌ how hot and humid it was that LJĞĂƌ͘ / ŚĂĚ Ă ĨƌŝĞŶĚ ĐĂĚĚLJŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ ŵĞ ƚŚĞŶ ǁŚŽ ŝƐ ƐƟůů caddying for me now on the Champions Tour and we just had one of those weeks where we kind of plugged along and got it going and played well on Sunday to win the ƚŽƵƌŶĂŵĞŶƚ͘ dŝŐĞƌ ĂŶĚ ^ĐŽƩ Verplank were right up on top ƚŚĞƌĞ͕ ƐŽ ŝƚ ǁĂƐ Ă ĨƵŶ ǁĞĞŬ͘͟ Mayfair said the PGA Tour Champions schedule has been ƉůĂLJŝŶŐ ŝŶ ŵĂŶLJ ůŽĐĂƟŽŶƐ ƚŚĞLJ used to play on the regular tour, making it almost like frequent reunions. ͞/ ƚŚŝŶŬ ŝƚ͛Ɛ ŶŝŶĞ ŐŽůĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞƐ this year our Champions Tour is going back to where ǁĞ ƉůĂLJĞĚ W' dŽƵƌ ĞǀĞŶƚƐ͕͟ DĂLJĨĂŝƌ ƐĂŝĚ͘ ͞ ŶLJƟŵĞ LJŽƵ ĚŽ that you’re anxious to get back and see it again, especially to Ă ƉůĂĐĞ ƚŚĂƚ LJŽƵ ǁŽŶ͘ / ŵĂĚĞ so many nice friends over the LJĞĂƌƐ / ĐŽŵƉĞƚĞĚ ƚŚĞƌĞ ĂŶĚ / haven’t been back in a while ƐŽ /͛ŵ ǀĞƌLJ ĂŶdžŝŽƵƐ ƚŽ ŐĞƚ ďĂĐŬ ƚŽ tĂƌǁŝĐŬ ,ŝůůƐ͘͟ Before turning pro Mayfair had an excellent amateur ĐĂƌĞĞƌ͕ ǁŝŶŶŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ϭϵϴϲ h͘^͘ Public Links and the 1987 U.S. Amateur, which brought him back to the Country Club of Detroit in 2004 for the Arnold Palmer Turning WŽŝŶƚ /ŶǀŝƚĂƟŽŶĂů ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ϱϬ th anniversary of Palmer’s U.S. Amateur win there. Mayfair said he really respects amateurs who remain ĂĐƟǀĞ ŝŶ ŐŽůĨ͕ ƐƉĞĐŝĮĐĂůůLJ ĐŝƟŶŐ Jay Siegel for working a career in insurance before joining the senior circuit. “Playing Tour golf isn’t for ĞǀĞƌLJďŽĚLJ͕͟ ŚĞ ƐĂŝĚ͘ ͞/ƚ ŶŽƚ only takes talent but it takes a certain breed being willing to travel that much, stay in hotels and be away from your family, and not everyone’s cut out for that. ͞/ ŚĂǀĞ ĂůǁĂLJƐ ĂĚŵŝƌĞĚ those who chose to stay with their business and their families but still played very ĐŽŵƉĞƚŝƚŝǀĞ ŐŽůĨ͘͟