AN INVITATION TO THE MASTERS

Not just any golfer can drive down Magnolia Lane in mid-April and stride past the flowering azaleas at Augusta National Golf Club to tee off in the Masters. It’s the rarest, if not most coveted invitation in golf. Two key requirements players must have to be invited include a high world ranking or having won a significant golf tournament.

When 26-year-old J.T. Poston claimed the Wyndham Championship last July in Greensboro, N.C., he immediately knew he’d also won an invitation to the 2020 Masters this April in Augusta, Ga.  He then issued his invitation to Pa Doc, his beloved grandfather and first teacher, to caddy for him in the Par-3 Tournament held the Wednesday before play officially starts. That would have been yesterday.

Last Christmas, Pa Doc’s other grandchildren gave him a gift of 20 private lessons with a personal trainer to strengthen the 86-year-old’s legs for his upcoming loop. Two months ago, he filled out a form indicating his size for the signature white coveralls that all Masters caddies wear. And for the past few months, despite ongoing chemo treatments for various medical issues, Doc Cunningham never once conceded or imagined he wouldn’t be at Augusta by J.T.’s side this week. 

Charles “Doc” Cunningham, aka Pa Doc, has been at the young golfer’s side all his life. When he was four, Doc gave J.T. his first club — an old persimmon Hogan 5-wood that Doc had sawed down to fit the little guy. Doc recalls, “He was a good athlete, dividing his time between golf and baseball, pitching and playing shortstop for some traveling teams. But when he turned 11, he told me he didn’t want baseball anymore — just golf and maybe basketball in the winter.”

So Pa Doc introduced J.T. to  John McNeely, head pro and noted teacher at two clubs where Doc was a member — Grandfather Golf & Country Club in Linville, N.C. and the Floridian Golf Club in Palm City, Fla. McNeely’s early instruction was simple: “J.T., if you’re going to be on the front page, make a complete turn, finish your swing and end up on your left foot.”

On summer afternoons J.T. and Pa Doc often practiced at the range at Grandfather.  Doc says, “He loved to chip and putt.” On April 16, 2006, 14-year-old J.T. shot 76 (from the same tees as Doc) at the Floridian and beat his grandfather for the first time. “We still have the card,” says Doc, who’s won 13 club championships, played in two U.S. Senior Amateurs, two British Senior Amateurs and one Canadian Senior Amateur. 

While competing for Hickory High School in Hickory, N.C., J.T.  shot a NCHSAA golf tournament record 63. During the summers, Pa Doc and his wife Katie “hauled J.T. all over the country for junior tournaments, from Pinehurst to New Jersey to Massachusetts.” His parents were busy with their two other sons and, Katie added, “Often Doc would caddy for him because parents are not allowed to, but grandparents can. We felt so privileged to do this.” 

After graduating from Western Carolina University, J.T. played his way onto the mini-tour, the web.Com Tour and in 2017 earned his PGA Tour card. Shortly after making the big tour, he was paired with Stewart Cink in a tournament. J.T. had a less than stellar showing. Later that afternoon Cink’s caddy told Doc, “He had a bad day but I never saw a young man behave so well. He has a great attitude and he will win someday.” 

And he did, last July, completing 72 holes at the Wyndham Championship without a bogey, a record held by Lee Trevino since 1974. Pa Doc and Katie were standing next to the 18th green when their grandson’s winning putt dropped in the hole for his first PGA Tour victory. 

This is the week that wasn’t for golfers. I miss “Live from the Masters” interviews, that familiar music, and watching my favorite players survive Amen Corner. But here’s the good news: the Masters tournament has been rescheduled for November 9-15. I have a hunch that Pa Doc is counting the days until he can carry J..T.’s bag in the Par-3. You go, Doc!

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Personal Aside:

Mr. Wonderful and I are close pals of Doc and Katie Cunningham and have played numerous rounds of golf with them over the years. One of my favorite memories is a Sunday afternoon couples event at Harbour Ridge Yacht and Country Club in Palm City, Fla. 

Doc birdied a par-3, giving him a 2 for the hole.  “That should help the team,” he said with a smile. 

At that time I had a very high handicap that gave me two strokes on every hole. So when I miraculously sank my putt for a birdie on that same hole, my score was 0. “Now that really helps the team,” Doc said….with a smile.