Re: MGM RESORTS CHAMPIONSHIP MONDAY QUALIFIER

Oculus Spirit [78829]

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The Big Man, Chris Patten, hung up the spikes . . .

Apr 14, 2021, 9:30 AM

years ago.

This is the last I could find on him:

Where are they now: Chris Patton
June 16, 2005 at 2:03 AM EDT - Updated July 10 at 10:00 PM
(Spartanburg) June 15, 2005 - You would think Chris Patton would be hard to miss. His size makes him instantly recognizable to golf fans, but these days the course is no longer a second home. It's not even a get-away from the wife.
After 20 years of serious playing, he's all but given up on golf, "I just got tired of it. I mean I was forced out in a way, but I'm not overly disappointed that it happened that way."

His professional days are done. He only came out for US Open Qualifying just to satisfy a former sponsor who never knew that a burned out Patton had teed it up just five times this whole year, "I just couldn't play. I had to take some time off. And because I wasn't playing, I lost my sponsor and I had to go to work."

Work as in a job with an indoor office. Chris now sells insurance in the Upstate.
It's not what anyone envisioned 16-years-ago when he became golf's next big thing. In 1989, he won the US Amateur and later played in The Masters. He was a part-time staple on the PGA Tour.
He shared the same swing coach with Tiger Woods at one point while his career still seemed hopeful, "I've been to 32 countries around the world. I've had dinner and played with presidents and ambassadors. I've all done it because of playing a game. There's a lot of things you can't take away from me."

He can forget, even if others don't. There's still a bit of urban legend about Patton, the big man who briefly made it on a big stage, "If I go play, people expect a lot more of me than I'm capable of producing. I feel like a letdown in a way. But understand that I don't play no more."

He doesn't play like you and me, but still like a pro. Patton came out and still broke par at the qualifier and with no practice and no preparation.
He may not like golf, but golf, it seems, still likes him.
By Mark Quinn
Posted 8:01pm by BrettWitt

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a practice round at Augusta National on a Wednesday, so that I could also see the Par 3 Tournament. It was beyond great.

Then, the very next week, I went to the opening Thursday round of The Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links. Now, Harbour Town is a VERY nice golf course. But, seeing it so soon after seeing Augusta, Harbour Town literally looked like a pig sty. A VERY RICH pig sty, but a pig sty nonetheless. There were actual (gasp) bare spots around a couple of the greens. You know, grass actually growing normally.

That would NEVER be tolerated at Augusta National, not even for a minute. Those bare spots would have been plugged with plugs of lush grass from the nursery immediately, fore shore.

Now, as I said, Harbour Town is a nice course. My only real criticism is that Pete Dye was in his "everything must have a plank" phase when he designed it. It is definitely a shotmakers golf course. Hitting it miles off the tee will not help you on most of the holes. Hitting it STRAIGHT will.

Next week @ the RBC Heritage . . .

MGM RESORTS CHAMPIONSHIP MONDAY QUALIFIER