Michigan Golf Journal October 2018

Life on the PGA Tour ĂŵďĂƐƐĂĚŽƌ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ďůƵĞͲĐŽůůĂƌ town he cherishes, even though he now lives in the Chicago suburbs with his wife, Jane, the daughter of the late great Hockey Hall of Fame member, Stan Mikita, and their two sons. Gneiser was born in WƌŽǀŝĚĞŶĐĞ͕ ZŚŽĚĞ /ƐůĂŶĚ͕ ďƵƚ the family moved to the Detroit suburb of Dearborn when he was a year old. Gneiser then ƐƉĞŶƚ ŚŝƐ ĞŶƟƌĞ LJŽƵƚŚ ŝŶ ^ƚ͘ Clair Shores, on the city’s east side, and his love for Detroit ƐƉŽƌƚƐ ĐĂŵĞ ŶĂƚƵƌĂůůLJ͘ /ƚ ǁĂƐ Ă ĨĂƚŚĞƌͲƐŽŶ ƚŚŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ^ĐŽƩ ĂŶĚ his dad, David. “My dad used to go to Tiger ŐĂŵĞƐ͕͟ ^ĐŽƩ ƐĂŝĚ͘ ͞,Ğ ǁĂƐ always my baseball coach, my ŚŽĐŬĞLJ ĐŽĂĐŚ͕ ŵLJ ŐŽůĨ ƉĂƌƚŶĞƌ͘ We’d go to all the hockey ŐĂŵĞƐ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ŽůĚ KůLJŵƉŝĂ͘͟ Gneiser loved watching ĞƚƌŽŝƚ ŝĐŽŶƐ ů <ĂůŝŶĞ ĂŶĚ Gordie Howe. Those memories ŶĞǀĞƌ ĞŶĚ͘ /Ŷ ĨĂĐƚ͕ ƚŚĞLJ ŐƌŽǁ stronger and more sustainable as the years go on. They certainly have for Gneiser. 'ŶĞŝƐĞƌ͕ ϱϯ͕ ŝƐ ƚŚƌĞĞ ĚĞĐĂĚĞƐ into his caddie carrier which began innocently enough. ,Ğ ĂƩĞŶĚĞĚ ŝƐŚŽƉ 'ĂůůĂŐŚĞƌ High on the east side and Central Michigan University, where he studied commercial ƌĞĐƌĞĂƟŽŶͬŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ͘ An avid golfer, he worked at various resorts and met ƉĞŽƉůĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŐŽůĨ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ͘ Ŷ ĂĐƋƵĂŝŶƚĂŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů golfer, Ed Humenik, was about to try the tour. ͞/ ǁŽƌŬĞĚ ĨŽƌ Ě Ăƚ dƌĂǀŝƐ Pointe and Mt. Pleasant Country Club,” Gneiser said. “Every now and then he’d say, ͚/͛ŵ ŐŽŝŶŐ ƚŽ ƉůĂLJ ƚŚĞ DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ KƉĞŶ ĚŽ LJŽƵ ǁĂŶƚ ƚŽ ĐĂĚĚŝĞ ĨŽƌ ŵĞ͍͛ tĞ ĚŝĚ ƉƌĞƩLJ ǁĞůů͕ ĞŶĚĞĚ ƵƉ ǁŝŶŶŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ KƉĞŶ ;ŝŶ ϭϵϴϴͿ͘ ͞ZŝŐŚƚ ŽƵƚ ŽĨ ĐŽůůĞŐĞ / ƐƚĂƌƚĞĚ working at Sugar Loaf Resort. DLJ ĮƌƐƚ ũŽď ǁĂƐ ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ director. Within a month or two, Ě ĐĂůůĞĚ ĂŶĚ ĂƐŬĞĚ ŝĨ / ǁĂŶƚĞĚ to go out and caddie for him. ,ĞƌĞ / Ăŵ͕ ŐŽƚ ƚŚŝƐ ŐƌĞĂƚ ũŽď / ůŽǀĞ͘ / ĐĂůůĞĚ ŵLJ ĚĂĚ͘ ,Ğ ƐĂŝĚ͕ ͚/Ĩ you don’t want to caddie for Ed, /͛ůů ŐŽ ĚŽ ŝƚ͛͘ dŚĂƚ ƉƌĞƩLJ ŵƵĐŚ ŵĂĚĞ ƵƉ ŵLJ ŵŝŶĚ͘͟ 'ŶĞŝƐĞƌ ĂŶĚ ,ƵŵĞŶŝŬ ůĞŌ ŝŶ two weeks for a satellite event ŝŶ EĞǁƉŽƌƚ ĞĂĐŚ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ǁĂLJ ƚŽ ŚŝƐ ĮƌƐƚ W' dKhZ ĞǀĞŶƚ Ăƚ Pebble Beach. ͞/ ǁĂƐ ŽŶůLJ ŐŽŝŶŐ ƚŽ ĚŽ ŝƚ ĨŽƌ one year,” Gneiser said. “But / ŐŽƚ Ă ƚĂƐƚĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĐĂĚĚŝĞ ůŝĨĞ ŽƵƚ ƚŚĞƌĞ͘ /ƚ ŬŝŶĚ ŽĨ ďŝƚ ŵĞ͘͟ Humenik led the PGA Tour in driving distance but lost his card and Andy North called 'ŶĞŝƐĞƌ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ũŽď ŽīĞƌ͘ What sold Gneiser was EŽƌƚŚ͛Ɛ ƉůĂLJŝŶŐ ƐĐŚĞĚƵůĞ͘ “One tournament that ƌĞĂůůLJ ŵĂĚĞ ƵƉ ŵLJ ŵŝŶĚ ǁĂƐ ƵŐƵƐƚĂ͕͟ 'ŶĞŝƐĞƌ ƐĂŝĚ͘ ͞/ ĂƐŬĞĚ