My first time

Golf Digest, Jan, 2004 by Fred Funk, John Murphy, Frank Wood

Remember your first time? Whether it was breaking 100, 90 or 80 or some other golf feat, fax us at 203-761-5148 or send an e-mail to editor@ golfdigest.com and tell us about it This month we hear from PGA Tour player Fred Funk and two readers.

Mistaken identity

A few years back at a tournament I saw Olin Browne's new set of golf clubs. I liked them so much, I had Callaway make an identical set for me.

Three weeks later, by coincidence, Olin and I got paired together in the tour event at Walt Disney World. I had a friend of mine caddieing for me instead of my regular caddie. When we reached the tee box of this par 3, Olin and his caddie were busy getting the hole's yardage; but I already knew the play was a 6-iron. That's when I reached for a club. My caddie wasn't paying attention, and, little did I know, I reached for a club from Olin's bag!

Not only were our clubs identical, but I had a black bag and he had a black bag. While I'm hitting this shot, Olin looks down and starts to grab his 6-iron and realizes that it's not there. He then sees it in my hands, but by then it was too late. I was already swinging.

I'm admiring my ball flight when Olin says to me, "Nice shot. Now do you mind giving me my [expletive] club back?" I was clueless. "What do you mean by that?" I then realized what had happened.

He was laughing about it, but I got a two-shot penalty. I did get to play that great shot, and it really didn't matter because I missed the cut. But hey, that was the only time I've played someone else's club during a PGA Tour event.

Fred Funk

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Just like Jack

I started caddieing and playing golf at age 10 and broke 90 when I was 14. I had a good swing and thought my game would continue to improve. Then the smells of perfume and gasoline led me to basically stop playing until after college.

I played for a few years until I got married, then the smells of diapers and minivans limited my play to just once or twice a year.

At age 36, as my kids' schedules let up, I started playing more. I traded in my circa 1958 blades and learned that technology improves things. I vowed to break 80 by the time I turned 40. I shot 80 a few times, but usually one bad swing led to three or four more strokes.

One day this past summer I realized I was seven over on the 15th tee on our par-70 course. I could make two bogeys and still break 80. From there, I sloppily bogeyed 15, 16 and 17. I would have to birdie 18, a par 5, to get to 79.

I got on the green in regulation, about 18 feet from the hole. I told my playing partners that somewhere I'd read that Jack Nicklaus always aimed 18 feet from the flag because 18-footers were easy to hole, then got a laugh when I added, "But I'm no Jack Nicklaus." Then I did my best Nicklaus impression and rolled in a nice curling breaker. I was very pleased to birdie the last hole to break 80. And, by the way, I turned 40 a month later.

John Murphy

Overland Park, Kan.

Flights of fancy

My hometown of Costa Mesa, Calif., holds a city championship every year. Even though my Handicap Index is 22.5, I had been playing well and decided to enter last year's event in the third flight, which is for players with handicaps between 13 and 18. I ended up shooting net scores of 77 and 75 and finishing 10th in a flight of 21 players. I couldn't have been more satisfied.

After the tournament was over, I was looking at the leader board when a young man walked up and shouted to his friend, "If you want a laugh, look at these scores. What a bunch of hackers who wasted their money!"

Being a 62-year-old diabetic who has survived kidney disease, three strokes and heart-bypass surgery, I never thought I was wasting my money. In reality, golf helps keep me going, physically and mentally. I can't wait to get to the next tee.

Frank Wood

Costa Mesa, Calif.