A Golfer's Dream - Book Three The Real Education Begins    Written by TheCaddy

Disclaimer: This story is entirely fiction. It does not relate to any real 
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is purely coincidental and completely unintended. While actual places are
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conclusion that any part of this story is real, or ever happened.
The following story is a work of fiction containing graphic descriptions of
sexual acts between adults and minors. All of the sex depicted is consensual;
the author does not intend to promote incest or sexual relations with underage
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Chapter Twenty-Two – Stepping On Tiger’s Tail

Dave woke up at his usual six o’clock the next morning, after his morning 
routine, he tapped lightly on Alec’s door.  Alec opened it immediately and 
slipped out with his clubs.  Dave drove Sarah’s car to the golf course and he 
was happy he was only going a short distance.  Driving on the left side of the 
road felt very strange – he was constantly tempted to slip over to the right 
side.

When they arrived at the course there were only a few staff around and Dave 
politely asked a man about getting balls to practice.  In a very heavy Scottish 
accent, the man explained, “Sorry, laddie, but the course is closed for the Open 
Championship.”

Dave smiled and put out his hand, “I’m Dave MacDonald, and I am playing in the 
Open.  I have a practice round scheduled for today.”

The man looked surprised, “Sorry, Mr. MacDonald, I didn’t know you were one of 
the players – you look so young.  I’m Gary McGregor and I would be pleased to 
get you some balls.  The practice range is over there; I will bring balls for 
both of you.”

Dave looked in the direction the Scotsman was pointing then nodded, “Thank you, 
Gary; and please call me Dave.”

Gary nodded before walking into the clubhouse.  Dave and Alec strolled to the 
practice range and began loosening up.  While they were still limbering up, Gary 
returned with a large pail of balls and a strange looking pyramid shaped 
contraption.  Gary laid the pyramid shaped bucket on the practice tee with the 
pointed top sitting on the ground then he started filling it with balls.  Dave 
realized that he was creating a pyramid of balls.  He had seen them on the 
practice tee at the Canadian Open but had never really known how it was done.  
When the pyramid shaped holder was filled, Gary placed a cover on top.  The 
cover had ball indentations in rows that matched the top layer of balls in the 
pyramid bucket.  He then flipped it upside down and the top became the base to 
hold the bottom row of balls in place.  He removed the triangular shaped bucket 
leaving a perfect pyramid of balls.  Dave and Alec had both watched him intently 
then smiled at each other.

Gary repeated the process again leaving another perfect pyramid.  “Thanks, Gary.  
Is there someone here every morning around this time?  I plan on practicing 
every day until the tournament starts on Thursday.”

Gary nodded, “Yes, Dave, I will be here at six every morning.  I’ll have balls 
stacked up and waiting for you.”

Dave put his hand out again and shook Gary’s hand.  “Thanks, Gary.  Have a good 
day.”

Gary nodded before he walked back to the clubhouse.  Dave and Alec hit balls for 
two hours and Dave felt very confident in his swing.  He was hitting his irons 
very consistently and his driver felt great as usual.  They walked to the 
practice green and putted for another hour.  The green was very fast and Dave 
took a while to adjust to the speed.  When he and Alec left at ten o’clock, Dave 
was excited and ready to play the Old Course.

Sarah was waiting for Dave when he returned and she kissed him passionately 
before she said, “Thank you for last night.  You felt wonderful.  It was so nice 
to fall asleep in your big strong arms.”

He agreed, “You felt fabulous as well.  I didn’t wake you when I left this 
morning, did I?”

She shook her head.  “No, I slept well.  Shauna, Hilary, Bob, and I ate 
breakfast together this morning.  Hilary is a really nice person.  I didn’t 
actually know what to expect because of her popularity but she seems really down 
to earth.”

Dave agreed, “I found the same thing when I met her on the plane.  She is very 
mature for her age and she is very nice.  What are our plans for the rest of the 
morning?”

Sarah hugged him before she explained, “I thought we could go for a swim.  I 
know you love to have a relaxing swim most days.”

Dave kissed her.  “Thanks, that sounds perfect.  I’m a little juiced up about 
playing the Old Course so I think a swim would be great.”

Dave simply pulled on his bathing suit but, as Sarah tried to put on her bikini, 
he kept teasing her.  When she pulled on her bottoms, he walked behind her and 
rubbed his hands all over her ass and mound.  He whispered how gorgeous she 
looked in just the bottoms and then asked if they could pretend they were in 
France again and go topless.  She loved the special attention and melted into 
his arms.  When she finally pulled her top on he again began massaging her round 
breasts and teasingly begged her to let her marvelous breasts go free.  After 
ten minutes of kissing and cuddling, Sarah called both Shauna and Hilary to say 
she and Dave were going to the pool.

They had the pool to themselves when they arrived so Dave dove in and started 
swimming laps.  He swam for forty minutes before he stood up in the shallow end 
to see if anyone had joined him and Sarah.  When he stood up. Sarah smiled at 
him and walked to the pool steps located next to him.  Hilary had been sitting 
beside her talking and also stood up and followed her to the pool.  Dave had to 
force himself not to stare at Hilary’s trim curvaceous body.  He stared right at 
Sarah’s breasts instead and when she looked at him staring at her, he simply 
winked.  Sarah was very flattered that he only had eyes for her.  Sarah and 
Hilary climbed into the pool and pushed their way through the water to Dave.  
Sarah hugged him and asked, “Feel better?”

He smiled.  “I feel much more relaxed.”

Hilary asked, “How many years have you been swimming?  You swam steadily for 
over a half hour and that’s just since I got here.  No wonder your body is so 
well-sculpted.”

Dave blushed and Sarah rubbed his chest as she replied, “Dave has been swimming 
for years but he also works out with the weights when he is at school.  Last 
summer when Roxanne and I visited him on QAI we were both shocked at how much 
bigger he had gotten from the previous summer.  He told us that he worked out 
with the hockey team.  I’m surprised that he is even bigger this year but I know 
he continued his weight training at Wake Forest.”  She looked into his eyes, “I 
love to just rub my hands over his strong chest, and when he wraps his arms 
around me, I feel like no one could ever hurt me.  He’s my special knight in 
muscular armor.”

Dave was very embarrassed by all the talk about him and his body.  With a very 
red face he said, “I am her knight but my princess needs to cool down a little.”  
He lifted Sarah into his arms and threw her easily through the air and into the 
water about five feet away.  Sarah came up sputtering and pushing her hair out 
of her face.  She quickly splashed him and a short water fight ensued between 
the Dave and the pair of beautiful women.

They had been splashing and playing for ten minutes when Alec called from his 
seat, between Shauna and Bob, “Dave, we should go eat lunch before we head to 
the course.”

Dave nodded and quickly dunked each woman before he raced for the steps.  He 
just reached the first step when he felt two hands grab his suit and pull him 
backwards into the water.  When he resurfaced the two women were dashing up the 
stairs as Sarah said over her shoulder, “Didn’t your father ever teach you that 
it’s ladies before gentlemen?”

He laughed and chased up the stairs after them.  When they reached their towels, 
he hugged Sarah before he started to dry her off.  She then dried him as the 
other four watched them.  Bob shook his head before he said, “You two act as if 
you have been a couple for years.”

Dave chuckled then replied, “We feel we have been special friends forever.”  
Sarah simply nodded agreement.  Dave and Sarah promised to meet the other four 
in the restaurant after they showered.  They cuddled in the shower but didn’t 
have enough time to really enjoy themselves so they were content just to wash 
each other thoroughly.

After lunch, Dave, Alec, and Bob went to the golf course.  They met Mike Weir on 
the practice range.  Mike shook Alec’s hand and said he remembered him from the 
previous fall in Florida before Dave introduced Bob.  They warmed up briefly 
before going to the first tee.  Numerous spectators had paid to see the practice 
round and Bob found it strange to have people following him while he played.  
Dave was impressed with his solid play as Bob shot eighty-three from the long 
back-tees.  Dave compared Bob’s golf game to his father’s and decided Bob was 
about three strokes better than Roger.

Alec played a solid round as his game continued to improve.  He was satisfied 
with his round of eighty-one.  Mike Weir had played the Old Course before and 
shot two under par.  Dave was happy with his round of one under par, seventy-
one.  He was now very comfortable with the bump-and-run style of golf and only 
once found himself in the very nasty fairway bunkers which were more like small 
three-foot deep potholes with a generous amount of sand in the bottom.  Dave had 
quickly learned that to score well at the Old Course, these traps had to be 
avoided at all cost.  He and Alec both took good notes of where the traps were 
located and which ones would come into play based on potential wind conditions 
and tee placements.

Bob, Alec, and Mike all got along wonderfully and they really enjoyed the round 
together.  Dave and Mike talked like old friends and at one point Mike asked 
Dave when he was going to turn pro.  Dave told him he wasn’t sure but he wanted 
to finish his college first.  Mike nodded and agreed that was a good idea but 
also suggested that if he continued to be competitive at the PGA level he should 
also consider finishing his education while he played on the tour.  Dave thanked 
him for the advice.  Mike then told Dave that if he ever needed an agent to just 
let him know as he was very happy with his agent and could also recommend 
several other top notch agents.  Dave again thanked him.

Sarah, Shauna, and Hilary were waiting for them when they finished.  After 
saying goodbye to Mike, the three men squeezed into the Mercedes with the three 
women for the quick trip back to the hotel.  They went to supper as soon as they 
returned and after a large meal they went to Dave and Sarah’s room to talk.  Bob 
had been very excited all evening and, when he left to call his wife, he thanked 
Dave for the memorable day.  Dave stood and shook his hand as he replied, “It 
was a pleasure to play with you, Bob.  If I am ever looking for a game in 
Houston I will call you or if you are ever in my area, wherever that might be at 
the time, please call and we will play again.  You’re a great golfer and it was 
a very fun day.”

Bob smiled and thanked him again before he left the room.  As soon as the door 
closed, Hilary stood up and moved into Dave’s arms.  She hugged him close and he 
unexpectedly felt her round breasts push into his stomach.  She spoke very 
softly, “Thanks, Dave.  You have no idea how much my father enjoyed today.  He 
has always been proud of his golfing ability and to play with you and Mike Weir 
was a dream-come-true.  He tossed and turned all night last night worried that 
he would embarrass himself.  But he told me after supper tonight that the three 
of you made him feel so comfortable that his nervousness disappeared 
immediately.  I will never forget the smile on his face as he was walking down 
the final hole with you today.  Thank you so much.”

“You father is a very nice man.  He is very much like my own father and that is 
how I treat him.  I enjoyed today as much as he did.”

Hilary then said she better get to her room as well, she had to contact her 
agent to confirm her bookings for the following week when she returned to the 
States.  She said goodnight to Shauna, Sarah, and Alec before she thanked Dave 
again and left.

Shauna and Alec stayed and talked for another hour before returning to their 
room.  After they left, Dave and Sarah cuddled in bed before they fell asleep.

Practice went well on Monday morning and Gary McGregor was true to his word – 
there was a neat pile of balls waiting for Dave.  Alec knew he couldn’t practice 
with Dave after Sunday but he went with him and they worked together as a team 
to prepare for the tournament.

After practicing for four hours, they spent the balance of the day with Sarah, 
Shauna, Hilary, and Bob.  They went to numerous tourist sites including the St 
Andrews Castle and St Andrews Cathedral.  After a good dinner in the old town of 
St Andrews they finished the evening with a stroll along the Fife Coastal Path.

When Dave arrived back at the hotel he was tired but very happy he had gotten to 
see the spectacular old country of St Andrews.  He was still amazed how the 
buildings and artifacts dated back to the thirteenth and fourteenth century – 
hundreds of years older than most structures in North America.  He also enjoyed 
spending time with Sarah and she remained cuddled to his side most of the day.

They made tender love again that evening before Dave fell asleep tired but 
happy.  He continued to ask himself what it might be like to live in Sarah’s 
life but the answer was always the same – they were just too different for a 
long term relationship to last.  He fell asleep with his precious princess in 
his arms.

He practiced again the next morning and spoke to Gary for several minutes as he 
was loosening up.  More pros joined him on the practice range as the morning 
passed; Dave thought Tiger had glared at him as he arrived to hit balls.  Dave 
shrugged it off as he focused on his own game.  He thought he was ready for 
whatever Tiger threw at him.  Vijay Singh practiced most of the morning with 
Dave and they talked casually about the weather, the golf course and about 
Scotland.  Alec was still surprised how easily Dave was accepted by the other 
pros but as he thought about it, he realized that by winning the Canadian Open 
Dave had proven he belonged.

The practice round was with Justin Rose, a very good English golfer and Lee 
Westwood, another strong English golfer.  The crowds for the practice round were 
huge and Dave was surprised that the crowds were almost as large as the 
tournament rounds at the Canadian Open.  Dave wondered how big the crowds would 
get when the tournament actually started.  He was happy with his two under par 
seventy.  Rose shot an even par seventy-two while Westwood shot sixty-nine.

Dave went for a swim when he returned to the hotel.  He was very relaxed when he 
sat down for dinner with his friends.  They spent another quiet evening in the 
Dave’s room.

The one thing that Dave couldn’t find was a coffee shop to start his day.  He 
wanted to continue the routine that helped him get focused for important 
tournaments.  He decided to ask Gary the next morning.

The next morning as Gary was preparing the practice tee, Dave asked, “Gary, can 
you recommend a good coffee shop where I could start each morning of the 
tournament.  I actually drink hot chocolate, not coffee, but I like to find a 
nice quiet place to get focused.”

Gary chuckled, “There aren’t many shops like that – and none open that early who 
serve hot chocolate.  But I do know where you could get a warm cup every 
morning.  Where are you staying?”

Dave replied, “I’m staying at the St Andrews Bay Hotel.”

Gary chuckled, “That be perfect, my young Laddie.  You are only a half mile from 
the best hot chocolate in all of Scotland.  What time do you tee off today?”

“Eleven o’clock.”

Gary nodded.  “Perfect, I can show you when you finish.  I am done work just 
thirty minutes before you should finish.  Find me when you complete your round.”

Dave thanked him and promised to find him.  Vijay Singh showed up about a half 
hour after Dave started hitting balls and they talked occasionally as they 
practiced.  Alec also watched John Daly hit balls for a while.  A huge crowd of 
fans watched Daly intently as well.  Daly took some mammoth swings at the ball 
and hit some huge drives – the fans went crazy with excitement.  Alec noticed 
that when John hit a big drive that it was only about ten yards farther than 
Dave’s good drives and that Daly wasn’t nearly as consistent as Dave who had 
remarkable control of his driver.  Alec suddenly realized what he had always 
suspected – Dave definitely did belong at this level of golf.  In fact, he could 
drive the ball longer than most of the tour players and his accuracy was far 
more consistent.  Alec shook his head in disbelief – his best friend was one of 
the best golfers in the entire world.

Dave noticed Alec looking at him strangely and asked, “What?  Is something 
wrong?”

Alec shook his head, “No, nothing is wrong.  I was just thinking that we are 
going to have a great tournament.”

Dave smiled, “We’ll see.  The best in the world are here – I’m just looking 
forward to the experience.”

Alec smiled then asked, “What do you think of Tiger?”

Dave laughed, “You know what I think of Tiger.  He is going about his business 
and I’m doing the same.  I’m trying to focus on my swing – not on him or anyone 
else.”

Dave eventually moved to the practice putting green and he was surprised to see 
it was even faster than it had been the previous day.  He putted for an hour 
before he heard his name called to the tee.  He was playing with Shigeki 
Maruyama from Japan and David Toms from the USA.  Dave played a solid consistent 
round and was very happy with sixty-nine.  Maruyama only spoke limited English 
but he was a nice guy.  Dave spoke to David Toms most of the practice round.

When the round was finished, Sarah and Shauna were waiting for them.  When Dave 
explained that he was going with Gary, Sarah looked at him curiously but didn’t 
say anything.  She pulled out of the parking lot as Dave went to find Gary.  
When he found him, Gary asked how his round was.  Dave explained that he shot 
sixty-nine and he was getting comfortable with the course.

They walked to the staff parking lot and got into a small British car.  Dave was 
surprised his large body fit reasonably comfortably into the front seat.  Gary 
took the same road Dave had taken from the hotel and just before they reached 
the hotel Gary pulled down a clay lane and up to an old stone house.  Dave 
looked at the obviously private house and then he looked curiously at Gary.  “Is 
this your home, Gary?”

Gary nodded, “Aye!”

“Why are we going here?”

Gary smiled then said, “You wanted the best hot chocolate in Scotland.  My wife 
makes the best and I know she would love to have you drop in for a cup.  She’s 
always up with me when I leave.”

Dave shook his head.  “I couldn’t intrude on her or you like that.”

Gary turned off the car after he stopped beside the house and looked at Dave.  
“You won’t be intruding, laddie.  Our children are all growed and we’d love to 
have the company.”

Dave slowly agreed as he climbed out of the small car and followed Gary to the 
door.  Gary opened the door and stepped inside before he yelled, “Annette, we 
have company.”  A large woman in her mid fifties strolled into the kitchen where 
Dave and Gary were now standing.  She looked at Gary questioningly before he 
explained, “This is the young Canadian laddie I was telling you about.  He’s 
staying at the Bay Hotel and was looking for somewhere to have an early morning 
cup of hot chocolate before he started his golf.  I told him you make the best 
hot chocolate in Scotland and that you would enjoy his company.”

She smiled and replied in a similar Scottish accent, “It would be nice to have 
you stop by each day.  I’m always on the go by five o’clock.”

Dave shook her hand as she walked up to him.  He thanked her.  “Thank you for 
the offer.  Are you sure I wouldn’t be putting you out?”

She shook her head, “Not at all, dear.  As I said, I’d love to have some 
company.”

He nodded before he added, “I don’t know how much company I will be.  I usually 
spend most of the time thinking about my upcoming golf game.”

She laughed, “Then it will be just like having Gary home.  He never stops 
thinking or talking about golf.”

Dave smiled and thanked her again before he said he had to leave.  He told them 
he had a late tee time the next day so probably wouldn’t be by until seven 
o’clock.  She told him she would have a cup waiting for him.  He walked out the 
door and strolled to the hotel – Gary had offered to drive him but Dave said he 
wanted to walk so he could time the trip.

When Dave returned to the hotel room Sarah asked where he had gone.  He 
explained about his morning routine and Gary’s offer.  She laughed, “I remember 
your routine – that’s how we met.  I am pleased you found somewhere to continue 
that routine but you aren’t allowed to replace me with another damsel in 
distress.”

Dave pulled her into his arms, “You are my only princess.”  He kissed her 
passionately as slipped his hands inside her blouse and unfastened her bra 
before he began lifting her blouse up.  He had just started sucking one of her 
pink nipples when they heard a knock at the door.  He shook his head and walked 
to it as she quickly re-hooked her bra and adjusted her top.

Dave opened the door and Hilary smiled at them and asked if they were ready for 
dinner.  She suddenly noticed that Sarah was adjusting herself and she 
apologized and said she would come back later.  Sarah told her to come in that 
they would be ready in a minute.  Sarah went into the bathroom to make sure she 
was all ready then the three of them walked toward the restaurant.  They tapped 
on Alec and Shauna’s door and were joined by the American couple.

Bob was waiting in the restaurant and they had an enjoyable meal.  The food in 
the hotel restaurant was very good even if it was a lot fancier than Dave liked.  
Alec had also adjusted to the fancy food.

After the meal they talked for a while then went for a swim in the pool.  Dave 
had noticed a number of other pros staying at the hotel and he talked briefly to 
the ones he had met previously.  In the pool he swam hard for forty-five minutes 
before Sarah and Hilary again joined him in the water.

The evening passed slowly as Dave tried not to think about the tournament but 
playing in his first ‘Major’ was hard to forget.  He was really looking forward 
to playing the next day, especially with Jack Nicklaus.  The Golden Bear was 
basically doing his farewell tour on the PGA and Dave was ecstatic to play with 
one of the greatest golfers of all time.  Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer had 
led the PGA to stardom in the sixties and seventies and now all golfers were 
benefiting from their hard efforts.  Dave suspected the tournament organizers 
intentionally put the oldest golfer in the tournament with the youngest.  What 
he didn’t know was that the tournament organizers actually felt they were 
pairing the old superstar with the new superstar.

After leaving the pool, Bob went back to his room while the other five friends 
converged on Dave and Sarah’s sitting room.  They simply watched a movie and 
relaxed.  Dave asked Hilary, “Do you have any movie plans this year?”

“I have one film in Los Angeles starting the middle of August and I’m reviewing 
a script on another scheduled to start in November.  I have four concerts in 
July and numerous publicity stops.  What are your plans for the rest of the 
summer?”

Dave explained, “I’m really looking forward to spending three weeks at home.  
Then I have a week at the Canadian Amateur in Nova Scotia before returning to 
Wake Forest for my second year.  Are you going to college in the fall?”

“No, I have a lot of work to do but I may start the year after.  I want to go 
but it’s hard to work it into my schedule right now.”

Dave nodded agreement as he realized how hard it was going to be for him to 
finish his education if he decided to turn pro early.  Hilary asked Sarah about 
Oxford and she described her first year and the venerable old school.

Shortly after nine, Hilary, Shauna, and Alec left for their rooms and Dave and 
Sarah crawled into bed.  She asked, “Are you nervous about tomorrow?  You seem 
really quiet.”

“Actually, I’m very nervous – I’ve been nervous before but never like this.  I 
have imagined playing Tiger head-to-head hundreds of times but now it may 
actually happen.  I’m also very excited about playing with Jack tomorrow.  He 
was Dad’s idol along with Payne Stewart – now I’m playing with him.  Sometimes 
it feels like it’s all a dream.  Owe! Why did you pinch me?”

Sarah giggled.  “See, it’s not a dream, but I understand what you are saying.  I 
have dreams too and a few of them that don’t even include you.  I have often 
thought of marrying you but I know that is not realistic so I have been studying 
hard and dream of teaching school someday.”

He smiled at her then kissed her passionately.  He thought about making love to 
her but decided just to hold her in his arms and stare into her soft eyes.  She 
cuddled into his chest and he returned to thinking about the next day.  It took 
over an hour for him to finally fall asleep.

Dave woke shortly after six in the morning and took a shower.  He had decided to 
wear his WF team shirt the first day.  He wanted to look like an innocent 
college kid.

It was just seven when he tapped lightly on the door at the McGregor’s.  He 
heard approaching footsteps before the door opened and Annette smiled at him.  
“Right on time, have a seat at the table and I will bring your hot chocolate to 
you.”

Dave nodded before he strolled into the quaint country kitchen.  He noticed that 
it was even cleaner today and he wondered if Annette had growled at Gary for 
bringing a stranger home without a warning.  As he sat down she placed a mug of 
hot chocolate in front of him then left the room.  The hot chocolate was 
fabulous and as he sipped it, he concentrated on his upcoming round.  He pushed 
the thoughts of Tiger and Jack out of his head and focused on his swing and his 
game.  After twenty minutes Annette walked back into the room and asked, “Would 
you like another cup?”

“No, thank you.  How long has Gary worked at St Andrews?”

Annette sensed that Dave wanted to talk so she poured a cup of tea and sat down 
with him.  “He has worked there for forty-three years – since he was seventeen.  
He loves golf and he loves St Andrews.  He told me that you are one of the best 
golfers he has ever seen.  He said you work harder than any of the others and 
that your swing is incredibly smooth.”

Dave blushed before he replied, “We’ll see how incredible it is under pressure 
today.  I’m playing with Jack Nicklaus and I’m very nervous.”

Annette nodded.  “I know, Gary said that the crowds will be huge following the 
two of you and he says the fans are going to get a surprising treat when they 
see how well you hit the ball.  He said that most British golf fans barely know 
your name but that will change.  You will do fine, Dave.  Just be yourself and 
enjoy the experience of the Old Course.”

Dave laughed, “That is exactly what I have been telling myself.  This is a dream 
come true for me and I am just going to have fun with it.  If I play well, that 
will be a bonus.”  He glanced at his watch, realizing it was time to leave.  
“Thanks, Annette.  I have an early tee time tomorrow so I will be here just 
before Gary leaves for the course.  Is that too early?”

She laughed, “No, I will have your cup ready.  Good luck and have fun.”

Dave nodded, thanked her again, and then left for the hotel.

Alec, Sarah, and Shauna were waiting in the restaurant and Dave sensed that Alec 
was as nervous as him.  They ate a large breakfast and, just as they were 
leaving, Bob came in and wished them luck, then thanked Dave again for getting 
him and Hilary the special passes reserved for close friends and family.  Dave 
shook Bob’s hand, “I’ll be happy to have you and Hilary following me today.  The 
special passes will allow you to walk with Shauna and Sarah inside the rope 
areas separating the rest of the fans from the golfers.  I’ll see you later.”

Bob wished him luck again as Dave walked out of the restaurant.  Shauna went 
back to her room while Sarah drove them to the course.  After Alec got out of 
the car, Sarah pulled Dave close and kissed him for luck.

Dave practiced for two hours and felt very good about his swing.  He then went 
to the putting green and putted for an hour – the greens were very fast and Dave 
slowly adjusted to the fast pace.  With just over an hour to his tee time, he 
and Alec went to eat.  As he walked into the clubhouse he glanced at the leader 
board.  Westwood was at the top with six under through sixteen holes.  Dave knew 
someone would shoot the lights out the first day – it was almost normal for 
every tournament for someone to get hot early.  He looked down the names but 
didn’t see Woods anywhere.  He saw Love, Michelson, Singh, and Jimenez then 
several names he didn’t really recognize.  He and Alec ate a good lunch even 
though both had stomachs that were doing flip-flops.

After eating, Dave and Alec went back to the practice range and hit balls for 
fifteen more minutes to loosen up then walked toward the first tee.  As they 
approached the tee, Sarah and Shauna walked up to them and kissed both of them 
luck.  Dave could hear the announcer calling out the names of the group that 
were to tee off in front of him so he waited patiently until both players teed 
off before he walked onto the first tee.  Jack followed him and they shook 
hands, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Nicklaus; I’m honored to be playing with you 
today.”

Jack smiled at him, “It will be long day if you keep calling me Mr. Nicklaus; 
please call me Jack.  I’ve heard a lot about you, Dave, and I am looking forward 
to playing with you as well.”

Dave nodded and introduced Alec.  Alec shook Jack’s hand before Dave moved to 
the side of the tee and started swinging his three-wood to warm up.  Jack was 
doing the same not too far away.  Eventually the announcer began his 
introduction, “Teeing off first at 1:05 is Jack Nicklaus ….”  Dave listened as 
the endless accomplishments were noted and when the announcer stopped speaking, 
the crowd roared their support for The Golden Bear.  The throng of supporters 
for Jack were almost deafening as they cheered for him.

Jack strolled onto the tee with true class and waved to the fans before he hit a 
solid drive down the right side.  The fans again roared approval.  The announcer 
started again, “Teeing off second at 1:05 is amateur Dave MacDonald from QAI, 
Canada.  Dave is the Canadian Amateur Champion, Canadian Open Champion, and 
United States NCAA Champion.”

The fans cheered for Dave but it was a significantly lower roar than Jack’s.  
Dave stood over his three-wood and hit it perfectly into the middle of the 
fairway thirty yards past Jack’s drive.  Dave picked up his tee and passed Alec 
the club as they strolled down the fairway.  He looked over to see Sarah, 
Shauna, Bob, and Hillary following at a close distance.  That was the last time 
he noticed them before he finished the entire round – he was focused and in a 
zone.  He hit the ball really well but he played conservatively and was rewarded 
with a solid three under sixty-nine.  Jack played well but could only manage a 
seventy-five.  As Gary had predicted, the huge crowds quickly increased their 
support for Dave as they watched him hit his huge drives down the middle of the 
fairway.

After the round was completed, Jack pulled Dave aside. “It was a true pleasure 
to play with you today, Dave.  You have an amazing smooth consistent swing with 
remarkable length.  You have a very bright future ahead of you.”

“Thank you, Jack.  I really enjoyed today as well.  Have a good evening and I 
will see you tomorrow morning.”

Jack replied, “I’ll see you then.”

As Dave walked to Alec he saw a shocked look on his face.  Dave asked, “What’s 
up?”

Alec shook his head, “I just heard Tiger was disqualified.  He signed an 
incorrect score on his scorecard.  The tournament organizers are reviewing the 
rules now trying to find a loophole to keep him in.”

Dave shook his head, “Unbelievable, I guess I better be even more careful than 
usual, eh?”

Alec simply nodded as Dave walked towards the scorer’s tent.  He sat down with 
Jack at a table and they both reviewed their cards carefully before they signed 
them.  Jack shook his head, “I can’t believe Tiger made that mistake.  He has 
always been so careful.  Tough break!”

Dave simply nodded, still stunned by the news.  As they left the tent the 
tournament officials asked both of them to stay for interviews.  They led Jack 
to the media tent first.  Sarah was waiting for Dave so he walked to her and 
hugged her tightly before he kissed her softly.  Then Shauna hugged him as well.  
He thanked them for their support.  Bob put out his hand and as Dave shook it 
Bob said, “Great first round, Dave, solid consistent play.  You’re only four off 
the lead.”

“Thanks, Bob – but there are still three rounds to play.  I’m happy with the 
first round though.”

Hilary moved into Dave’s arms and hugged him in congratulations.  Just as they 
released they heard the familiar clicking of cameras and looked over at a 
smiling photographer.  Dave chuckled.  “The Enquirer and all those other trash 
magazines will have a field day with that one.”

Hilary nodded agreement before she moved back and Sarah cuddled under his arm.  
Dave looked to see if she was upset but she didn’t show any concern whatsoever.  
They stood together for ten minutes before Hilary, Bob, Shauna and Alec left in 
the vehicle Bob had rented.  They said they would see Dave back at the hotel 
after the news conference.

After a half hour interview with Jack, Dave was led to the media tent.  Several 
of the crews started packing up but most stayed to listen to what Dave had to 
say.  They asked about his round and he gave his usual speech, “I’m pleased with 
my first round but there are still three rounds to play.  I felt I hit the ball 
well and putted well too.  The course is in great shape and I’m honored just to 
be here.”

There were more questions about his golf game before a reporter asked, “What do 
you think of the ruling that Tiger is disqualified?  Do you think they should 
find a loophole and let him finish the tournament?”

Dave shook his head.  “If he signed his card wrong he should be disqualified – 
that’s the rule.  The officials shouldn’t make a special exception for him or 
any other player.  If they want to change the rule – that’s fine for the future 
but they can’t do it for this tournament just because it was Tiger.”  Dave 
hadn’t known that the same reporter had asked that question to every interviewee 
and they had all stepped away from the question saying tournament officials 
would make that decision.  Dave had given the answer all the reporters wanted to 
hear and even Dave noticed that the crews who were packing up suddenly got their 
equipment back out and started taping him.  He thought to himself, “Oh fuck, you 
stepped in a hornet’s nest now.”

Another reporter asked, “Don’t you think Tiger should be given a second chance?”

Dave thought for a second and thought, “In for a penny, in for a pound!”  He 
looked at the reporter and replied, “If that had been me who signed the 
incorrect score, no questions would even be asked.  The officials would call it 
a rookie mistake and they would probably help me pack my gear into my car before 
they waved goodbye.  Why should Tiger be any different?”

Another reporter asked, “Are you scared to play against Tiger.”

Dave was expecting this and he laughed out loud before he replied, “Why would I 
be afraid to play Tiger?  I’m just a college freshman – I have nothing to 
prove.”  He pointed at the WF emblem on his chest as he spoke.  A very evil 
thought went through his head before he added, “Maybe he’s afraid of me.”

That got all the reporters jabbering.  A different reporter asked, “Do you 
consider yourself the ‘Tiger Tamer’?”

Dave shook his head.  “I have never said that phrase – I’m simply a freshman 
from Wake Forest.  I’m just here to enjoy the week and play as well as I can.  
You can call me whatever you want.”

The questions continued for fifteen more minutes and Dave was very tired when he 
finally left the tent.  Sarah drove him back to the hotel.  They went to Alec’s 
room and tapped on the door.  When Alec opened the door he was laughing.  “You 
love to torture Tiger don’t you?  The media are going crazy with your comments.  
You are on every channel and they keep showing you saying that Tiger is afraid 
of you.”

Dave chuckled, “That’s not what I said, exactly.”

Alec shook his friend’s hand, “If you ever play in a tournament with Tiger 
again, you better wear a bullet proof vest because he will be shooting for you.”

“I’ll cross that bridge when it comes.  I’m going up to our room to call Dad.  
I’ll meet you in the restaurant in fifteen minutes.” Alec nodded before Dave 
left.

Dave phoned his father.  “Hi, Dad.”

His father’s first comment was, “Dave, you are playing with fire and Tiger is 
going to try to burn you.”

Dave chuckled to his father.  “It’s nice to talk to you too, Dad.”

Roger laughed, “Great round, son, I saw some of it on television.  They weren’t 
following you early but when you went to two under par, they showed almost every 
shot after that.  I wish I could be there – you played with Jack Nicklaus today; 
that’s spectacular.”

“Yes it was, Dad.  He is a true gentleman and a real class act.  I’ll call you 
tomorrow after I finish.  Can I speak to Mom?”

His father replied, “I’ll get her but watch what you say about Tiger – don’t let 
your comments come back to haunt you.”

Dave agreed to watch what he said in the future then spoke to his mother briefly 
before he and Sarah went to the restaurant.  As Dave walked to his seat, the pro 
golfers who were already eating in the restaurant stared at him and gave him a 
smirking kind of smile.  Dave wondered if maybe he had gotten himself into 
trouble with his comments.

He ate a large dinner and the conversation was mainly about his round.  Bob 
really enjoyed the day and Hilary, while not a big golf fan, was pleased to see 
her father so happy.

Dave and Sarah went back to their room alone and relaxed before they went to bed 
early – Dave had to get started at five o’clock.  As Dave lay in bed holding 
Sarah, he again wondered if he had pissed all the golfers and officials off.  He 
was playing this mental chess game with Tiger but he didn’t really think about 
the collateral damage he could do.  He realized he had to grow up and make sure 
he put more thought into his answers.  He tossed and turned wondering if he was 
truly ready for the huge jump to professional golf.  It took a while for him to 
finally fall asleep.