Huron Expositor, 2009-09-02, Page 14Page 14 The Huron Expositor • September 2, 2009
Country Classic volunteerswin tickets to
2010 Masters Tournament at 'Augusta
Dan Schwab
Brian and Laura Crawford have
faithfully. watched The Masters Tour-
nament on TV every year and now
the Seaforth couple will get to see the
prestigious golfing event , live after
winning a ticket draw last week.
The Crawfords spent last week as
volunteers at the Seaforth Country
Classic, handing out balls to profes-
sional golfers practising their swing
on the driving range.
They purchased two $20 tickets, to
support the local tournament and also
because half of the ticket proceeds are
going to the Gateway Rural Research
Institute, which studies healthcare is-
sues' among rural populations.
Brian says as a volunteer, he was
normally at the driving range at 6:30
a.m. But one night last week, tourna-
ment organizer Maureen Agar phoned
him, asking if he could make it out to
Author o
like a �
usan Hundertmark
the range at 5 a.m. the next morning.
"I said, 'but it's still dark out," Brian
says. "She told me, `well, if you were
in Augusta, Georgia for the Masters,
they'd put headlights on the driving
range so they can see ... I never even
put two and two together.".
Being the diehard golf fan that he
is, Brian agreed, telling Agar that if
the pros wanted to get some practice
time in at the driving range that early
in the morning, he'd be there.
"Then she said, 'you don't really
have to come out to the range that
early. You won the tickets though,"
Brian says. "I said, `really?!' I was do-
ing back flips."
The Crawfords will receive accom-
modations for three nights in Augus-
ta, Georgia, with tickets to watch the
Masters for two days of the seven-day
tournament. They'll also be shuttled
from their hotel to the golf course and
have V.I.P. access to the hospitality
tent. Brian says the couple will also
receive money towards air fare or gas
prices for the 1,500 kilometre trip
south.
"It's a once in a lifetime thing," Bri-
an says.
The Crawfords first became in-
volved as volunteers on the Seaforth
Country Classic when it came to town
last summer.
Brian says he signed up immediate-
ly to be a part of the tournament.
"As .soon .as I knew about it, I said,
`I'm in,'" he says. "I think I was the
second person to sign up on the volun-
teer: sheet."
The Crawfords have been golfing at
the local course for the past 18 years.
Agar says about 1,500 tickets were
sold in the draw.
Since Gateway helped pay for some
of the prizes in the draw, Agar says
the Institute should clear approxi-
mately $10,000 from proceeds of the
ticket sales.
Dan Schwab photo
Brian and Laura Crawford won first prize
In the Seaforth Country Classic ticket
draw - a trip to the 2010 Masters Tour-
nament In Augusta, Ga.
f `How Great Golfers Think' says acting
two-year-old might improve your game
Acting like a two-year-old might not
be socially acceptable but Bob Skura,
author of How Great Golfers Think,
recommends it as a way to keep learn-
ing and improving as a golfer.
"If you want to be a good golfer, act
like a two-year-old - they learn bet-
ter than adults. Even if you're in old
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age, think of how much you can still
progress," he told about 20 people at
a golfing seminar Wednesday at the
Seaforth Country Classic Canadian
Tour tournament.
Skura, quoting learning expert Ma-
ria Montessori, said learning happens
in three. stages - absorption, connec-
tion and application.
He added that children spend the
most time in the first two stages,
something he's observed golfing great
Tiger Woods does as well.
"Tiger went to his father and his
golf pro and said, 'Teach me a shot'
and 'Teach me another shot' and
would go out and practice them and
connect what happens with the soil
and the wind and the trees around
him. In general, most people don't do
that," he said.
Skura said that instead of absorb-
ing all the information around them
and playing with golf techniques,
most adult golfers will move directly
to trying to figure out what works
best.
"A kid tries it all and says it was
neat. He doesn't worry about what
works best and at some point his
brain will draw on what works best
and use it," said Skura.
Skura, a Waterloo . Region golfer
who says he's made a total of $7.50
playing professional golf for one year,
said he began writ-
ing a book about
golf in an attempt
to learn more about
the sport.
He said he discov-
ered good golfing
has nothing to do
with body type, the
perfect swing or
coordination. But,
while writing his
book, he went to the
high achievers in
golf and the sports
psychologists to try
and figure out what
goes on in the brain
of a good golfer.
"In golf, as in
any discipline, you
have to combine
the me�tal with the
physica er you pla-
teau out," he.says.
He says a section of his book is
about flow or "getting into the zone"
by using the principles of focus, goal -
setting, feedback, unselfconsiousness
and discipline.
Using focus, for example, a golfer
would always have the hole in his or
her mind's eye while using unselfcon-
siousness, a golfer would try to step
outside him or herself and watch
Author Bob Skura
what's happening from a distance.
Skura said good golfers know how
to match their skills to the challeng-
es they take on. Using Tiger Woods
again as an example, he said Woods
would get a taste of competition on
the next level but would always win
events at his own level before taking
on greater challenges.
See GOLF, Page 15