John MacDonald, executive director of the First Tee of Philadelphia, said the two players "had our kids on the edge of their seats," and added that "the encouragement provided to all the students was very real and well received by them."
MacDonald said one of his students asked him on the ride back to the First Tee's home at Walnut Lane Golf Course if he could ever do the things Rose or O'Hair could do.
"I told him, 'Yes, in a lot of ways. Both young men you just had your picture taken with are wonderful fathers. Both care about other people. Both are well-respected by their peers, and both have worked very hard in their chosen field to be the best they can be,' " he said.
Rose, only two days removed from his final-round collapse at the Travelers Championship, said the session reminded him of clinics he used to attend as a child in England. One was conducted by Mark McNulty, who now is a neighbor of Rose's in Lake Nona, Fla.
"At this age, you're so keen to learn. You want to soak up all the knowledge you can," Rose said. "You've got a long summer ahead of you. You can go out and play 36 holes a day. It kept me out of a lot of trouble as a kid. I think it's wonderful. And I think what you learn from golf is so applicable to life, too."
A (really) full day of golf. GAP has organized a new "Dawn to Dusk" golf marathon, for the benefit of the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust, July 26 at Huntingdon Valley Country Club.
Thus far, 16 member clubs have identified a player and captain to represent their facility during the marathon. One player from each club will play as many holes as possible between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sponsors can support the effort by pledging a dollar amount per hole or a flat contribution.
