Every journalist wants to see their name up high as author of either a front page news item or the lead sports story on  the back of the newspaper.

However one of my first ‘scoops’ was not necessarily a story I wrote but in fact I found myself the subject of the story.

Allow me to rewind to March 1988.

I am working as the Chief Private Secretary to Ken Booth, M.P and the Treasurer of New South Wales in Australia.

I had spent four years working on the private staff of the Premier of New South Wales, the Hon. Neville Wran, M.P., Q.C. who sadly passed away just a few weeks ago.

It was Sunday afternoon and a day after the Labor Government I had worked eight years lost the State Election in a landslide.

Marriott TPC Sawgrass – First overseas golf reporting hotel.

I knew in returning to work on Monday it would be three days of packing-up, shredding documents and handing over the offices to the incumbent Liberal Government.

I ventured out to Riverside Oaks Golf Course to the west of Sydney to watch the staging of the final round of the  inaugural Australasian PGA Tour Players Championship.

In wandering about the ‘tented village’, I completed an entry form for a then Daily Mirror newspaper sponsored contest.

Mid-morning Monday the telephone rang:  “Mr. McGuire.  You’ve won first prize in our Players Championship promotion.  Your prize is two Business Class return tickets to the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass at Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.  You will be staying at the TPC Marriott Hotel.  Also you leave Wednesday.”

A newspaper photographer arrived at the Treasurer’s office to take a snap ahead of the story of my win appearing in the afternoon edition of the now former Sydney newspaper.

I immediately phoned my brother, Steve or ‘Mac’, as he’s affectionately been long known.

The stunning TPC Sawgrass clubhouse that has been built since 1988.

I said something like:  “Hey Mac?   What are you doing on Wednesday?”

Mac responded:  “Not much!”

I then replied:  “Do you want to come to Jacksonville, Florida with me, and we leave Wednesday lunchtime?”.

I gathered my thoughts, and knowing I am virtually out of a job come Wednesday, telephoned Australian Golf Digest speaking to their editor and since long-time friend, Danny Acret.

Danny faxed to me a ‘Letter of Introduction’ I could hand to PGA Tour media officials.

Steve and I boarded the flight to Los Angeles and then transferring eventually onto Jacksonville from where we found our way to the spacious TPC Sawgrass Marriott located on PGA Blvd and only a drive and chip from the Players Championship host venue.

Steve and I marveled at the spectacle that is the PGA Tour’s flagship event and seeing up front players such as the late  Payne Stewart along with Ben Crenshaw, Bernhard Langer, Fred Couples, Craig Stadler and a host of Australia’s top golfers including Greg Norman.

There was the bizarre situation that week of the phone in our room ringing constantly and with someone asking for Fuzzy Zoeller.  However aside from that Steve and I had a superb week.

Looking back it’s hard to imagine 26 years has passed so quickly.

Twenty six years ago American Mark McCumber won the 1988 Players Championship. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)

American Mark McCumber stormed to success that week leading for all but the second round to win by four shots.

It was my first overseas golf tournament before a year later heading in 1989 to my first Major Championship and now as a full representative of the media and that was the Open Championship at Royal Troon, and where I bumped into another now long-time good friend in Trevor Peake.

And while I have returned to TPC Sawgrass many times since 1988 it has been great this week to share the experience for a first time with Tour Miss and point out places where my brother and I enjoyed our week at the Players Championship.

But enough self-indulgence I still have 500 words to file to London’s Sunday Express.