I AM NOT A TAR HEELS fan. In fact, I’m mostly neutral in the North Carolina-Duke rivalry. But the following anecdote from Associated Press golf writer Doug Ferguson struck me as an uplifting way to cap a turbulent year in golf:
One of the most poignant moments of 2009 came on the Monterey Peninsula for Phil Mickelson’s caddie, only it wasn’t a tournament.
Jim “Bones” Mackay helped arrange a golf trip for close friend Bob Carson, father of Eve Carson, the North Carolina student body president who was shot to death in 2008. They wanted him to get away for a week and spend time with friends on a golf course.
As Carson later noted, it was a trip of incomparable camaraderie, a time for sharing burdens, some larger than others, and a chance for a friend to be lifted up. Mackay said the first round of golf was at Cypress Point on a peaceful morning of stunning beauty. What took his breath away, however, was when he walked into the pro shop.
By coincidence, the staff that day was dressed in a shade of Carolina blue.
Happy New Year and all the best from ARMCHAIR GOLF.
−The Armchair Golfer
(Image: schnaars/Flickr)
Hey, some things are WAY bigger than college rivalries. As an NC State guy, I appreciate what Bones did for Mr. Carson. The robbery and murder of his daughter was beyond tragic, it was senseless and cruel beyond imagination. To do this day, her loss (as well as Duke student Abhijit Mahato) reverberate here in the Triangle. The trial of the accused murderers of these two fine young people starts shortly after the new year.
Were I in Bones' shoes and had the chance to offer Mr. Carson the same thing, I would done it without so much as a single thought as to Tar Heels, Blue Devils or Wolfpack.
Agreed, Charles. Thanks for the comment.