After missing the halfway cut in the Honda Classic World No. 1 Rory McIlroy will be seeking to walk away with first place among the professionals in Monday’s Seminole Golf Club ‘Pro-Member’ event.
McIlroy will star in an event on Monday featuring fellow Major winners Bubba Watson, Ernie Els, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Jason Dufner and possibly Jack Nicklaus.
As well, the likes of Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson are expected to tee up and possibly Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood, depending of course when they complete their Honda Classic final rounds.
However there will be no prize money, no world ranking points, no TV coverage, no spectators and certainly no golfing media.
Seminole GC – Strictly members only.
The pro-member event is behind held at the ultra-exclusive Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, and a just a short drive from the Honda Classic venue.
McIlroy will be playing alongside club president Jimmy Dunne, the co-founder of New York-based investment bank Sandler O’Neill & Partners LP.
McIlroy had singled out Dunne as the best non-pro golfer he enjoys playing alongside most in a recent Q & A with www.golfbytourmiss.com while he and Tiger Woods played a practice round last November at Seminole alongside Dunne.
Good friend and colleague, Tim Rosafort penned in 1993: “During the golden years of Seminole Golf Club, Ben Hogan spent 30 days there each year preparing for the Masters, an Irishman named Christopher Dunphy ran the club, Claude Harmon was the head professional, and the guests included President Eisenhower and the Duke of Windsor.
“As time passed, the club changed. The days ended when you could walk into the locker room and see JFK changing his spikes with Reverand Billy Graham, Bing Crosby whistling a song, or Gary Cooper waiting to take a lesson from Harmon. The jars of ginger snaps were still in the locker room and the ocean breezes were still blowing across the open fairways, but it wasn’t quite the same.
“A shade was pulled down over Seminole.
Seminole Golf Club, Juno Beach, Florida.
“The prestigious Latham Reed Invitational Pro-Am was canceled in 1961. Hogan stopped showing up. Crosby and Dunphy passed away. Tournaments and guest play dwindled. The atmosphere that had once made Seminole one of the world’s great golf clubs was vanishing.
“Club president Barry Van Gerbig realized this when he traveled to Pine Valley in 1991 to play in the Crump Cup. He was shocked by the number of top amateurs who asked him, “Hey Barry, what’s Seminole like, anyway?”
“He returned to his club vowing to make a change. If nothing else, he owed it to golf. Seminole was a landmark, a course that many consider to be Donald Ross’ greatest. “Let’s get back in the golf world and let’s do it right,” he said to the board.”
The event taking place tomorrow, and that has been played for many years now, continues to be Gerbig’s golfing legacy.
