Steve White, left, will be competing in the U.S. Senior Open with his brother, Andy, serving as his caddie
The game of golf has provided Steve and Andy White with many memorable experiences throughout their lifetimes. The brothers have accumulated an impressive list of iconic golf courses they have played that most golfers only dream about.
But despite their envious golfing résumés, this week has taken on a special tone neither will soon forget. Steve will be one of 19 amateurs participating in the 44th U.S. Senior Open hosted at Newport Country Club in Rhode Island, and he will have his younger brother at his side serving as his caddie.
All of a sudden, they have found themselves rubbing shoulders with many of the sport’s legendary figures. The encounters with former major winners and greats of the game they have admired from afar has been overwhelming to process.
“It’s kind of surreal because the locker room and the players hospitality are pretty tight quarters,” Steve White said. “There's not a lot of room to spread out, so you're bumping into guys like David Toms and Darren Clarke. Those guys are a little older than I am, so I've been watching their careers for a long time.”
Steve White earned his invitation to Newport by winning a 3-for-2 playoff at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs three weeks ago, the site of next year’s U.S. Senior Open. This is his 11th USGA national competition, but his first since the 2008 U.S. Mid-Amateur.
“I actually played well the Mid-Am in ’08, and should have won my Round of 16 match that would have made me exempt the next year,” Steve White said. “I left there thinking that I would probably play many more Mid-Ams, but I have always come up short. That’s what makes this week even more special as I don’t take this for granted.”
The White brothers grew up in Dalton, playing out of Dalton Golf and Country Club before Steve headed to Clemson to play golf collegiately in 1990. He later returned home after college to work at The Farm for a year before eventually relocating in 2001 to Jackson, Wyo.
Andy is an accomplished golfer in his own right, finding occasions to team with his older brother of four years in various four-ball events at places such as Baltusrol, Muirfield Village and Oak Hill. But he understands he’s got a job to do this week.
“We've played so much golf together that he trusts me,” said Andy White, who lives on Signal Mountain. “I'm here to not get in his way and make sure he has a good time. I know enough about the game where I'm making my notes and shooting distances. He’s one of the best putters I've ever known, so I'm only going to step in and give my two cents if he asks for it.”
After securing his berth into the tournament, Steve White’s first call was to his brother to ask him to be on his bag in Newport.
“Just being here is a thrill for me, and to have Andy here with me is awesome,” Steve White said. “He's a really good player and knows my game well, so whether I play great or poorly doesn't matter. It's just really cool to be here with him and have the opportunity to experience it together.”
The brothers won’t be alone in celebrating their exciting week as upwards of 30 friends and family members will also be in attendance.
“We may not have anyone paying attention to us, but we’ll have a mini-gallery following us around no matter how we play,” Andy White said.
Steve White, 52, opens play at 12:30 EDT on Thursday paired with Jeff Williams and David von Hoffman. He is approaching the tournament with hopeful expectations.
“I've been hitting the ball pretty well and my game is in decent shape,” Steve White said earlier this week. “I learned today (in a practice round) these longer par fours into a breeze are going to be more like par fives for me, which is fine. If I can putt it well, I think I'll have a chance to hang in there and make the cut to play over the weekend.”
White isn’t the only player with local connections to make the field where Berhard Langer is defending champion. Amateur Jay Potter, who lives in Tullahoma but competes in many of the local Chattanooga District Golf Association events, earned a spot as runner-up to Eric Axley in the qualifier at Oak Ridge Country Club. One stroke behind Potter was former Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz, who was second alternate.
The Whites aren’t the only brother combo who will be making a showing here. Mike Combs of Roswell, Ga., who recently won the senior division of the John T. Lupton Memorial at The Honors Course, won his qualifier in Atlanta. As was the case when he captured the Lupton, his twin brother, Jeff, will be serving as his caddie.
Also qualifying from the Atlanta event is former Lupton winner Bob Royak of Alpharetta, the 2019 U.S. Senior Amateur champion.
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Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com
(Photo contributed)
Steve White, left, competed in a practice round with veteran PGA Tour professionals, left to right, David Toms, Doug Barron and Ken Duke