John Cook dinner is a full-time golfing announcer and part-time skilled golfer this present day, however the prospect of taking part in within the New Gallerie Vintage at Rancho Mirage used to be too nice for Cook dinner.
“It will be moderately per week. Clearly, I am truly eager about it,” mentioned Cook dinner, who grew up at Challenge Hills Nation Membership, the web page of the Nineteen Seventies Gallerie Vintage.
Cook dinner persisted to play the Dinah Shore Match Path right through the Eighties and into the Nineteen Nineties, throughout a professional occupation that featured 11 occasions at the PGA Excursion. However Cook dinner has hardly ever noticed his previous house path prior to now twenty years.
“I have been again since after we went to peer Jason (his son) play some AJGA occasions, however I have never been again to play since 1999, I believe the closing time I performed it Was once,” Cook dinner mentioned.
The Gallerie Vintage will be offering a complete circle closure for Cook dinner, who’s now 65 and spending a lot of his time running for the Golfing Channel. In reality, the brand new PGA Excursion Champions tournament will most likely finish Cook dinner’s skilled occupation.
“I selected Hoag (Vintage) at Newport Seaside and I selected Challenge Hills,” Cook dinner mentioned. “Those it will be the closing two I play, moderately truthfully. I do not see myself looking to pop out and compete over 65. Higher to name it a occupation than Newport and Challenge Hills.” What else may well be where.
Cook dinner has already made historical past within the wasteland by way of profitable the 1992 and 1997 Bob Hope Classics, the event now referred to as The American Specific. However despite the fact that Cook dinner transitioned to PGA Excursion Champions of fifty and over, profitable 10 extra tournaments alongside the way in which, he used to be hopeful that he would get a possibility to play in a senior tournament once more at Coachella Valley.
Gallerie Vintage golfing event 2023: Tickets, parking, time table and extra
“As soon as she introduced she used to be leaving (the LPGA Excursion), I assumed it used to be an ideal have compatibility,” Cook dinner mentioned. “I had not anything to do with it, despite the fact that I did say anything about it to Miller Brady (chairman of the PGA Excursion Champions Department) and he mentioned, oh, it is already within the pipeline. , I assumed it used to be an ideal have compatibility.
A part of the explanation the PGA Excursion Seniors turns out like a robust have compatibility for Coachella Valley is gamers like Cook dinner who’ve an extended historical past within the wasteland due to The American Specific. Cook dinner’s private historical past features a playoff loss to Donny Hammond within the 1986 contest, after which two of essentially the most dramatic victories in event historical past.
In 1992, Cook dinner received a five-man playoff at Bermuda Dunes, birdieing the primary 3 holes with chip-ins after which chipping in for an eagle at the fourth gap to defeat Gene Soires. In 1997, Cook dinner shot rounds of 62 and 63 at the weekend at Indian Wells Nation Membership, beating Mark Calcavecchia by way of one shot to set a then Excursion document for 36-hole scoring. Calcavecchia started the general spherical main by way of 3 and shot a 67, however nonetheless misplaced to Cook dinner.
Cook dinner mentioned, “Unhealthy calc strikes a chord in my memory of that at all times.” “Each and every time I play with Gene Soires or Calcavecchia, they strike a cord in me of the ones two years.”
Long gone are the times when Cook dinner nonetheless lived in Challenge Hills, then a spot the place each PGA Excursion and LPGA gamers lived or used as a West Coast base for his or her careers. Cook dinner and his circle of relatives first got here to Challenge Hills in 1971, Cook dinner got here below the wing of former US Open champion Ken Venturi, director of golfing on the path.
Cook dinner received the USA Novice in 1978 whilst taking part in at Ohio State and used to be a part of the college’s 1979 NCAA championship group. He became professional later that yr, however remained at Challenge Hills.
“I believe we have been taking part in it each day, Fred (the couple) and I and George Brett (Kansas Town Royals 3rd baseman and membership member) or Kirk Triplett, who used to be slightly bit on the time, Mike Mitchell (a chum of Cook dinner’s and A Challenge Hills Instructing Professional),” Cook dinner mentioned. “After we all performed it, take into accout this used to be again within the Eighties and Nineteen Nineties, the golfing ball used to be doing what it used to be doing and it used to be a beautiful bold golfing path. would play tees or mixtures, and used to be bold.
When the LPGA introduced its main championship at Challenge Hills, now the Chevron Championship, used to be transferring to Houston for 2023, Cook dinner used to be excited however at a loss for words.
“I used to be more or less surprised. Fifty-something years, you simply do not pull the plug about historical past and a big championship and the LPGA and that within the early ’70s after which Lorena (Ochoa) and Annika (Sorenstam) Play,” mentioned Cook dinner. “It is truly a head scratcher.”
Cook dinner mentioned he firstly retired from event golfing 5 years in the past as a result of his tv time table with the Golfing Channel greater. He may just nonetheless play a couple of instances a yr, however he would possibly not play in any respect in 2022 whilst combating melanoma below his eye. Whilst the most cancers used to be competitive and went below investigation, he’s now wholesome and taking part in.
“I am significantly better than closing yr,” Cook dinner mentioned.
With a possibility to play Challenge Hills one closing time and with Michelle DeLancey named event director after years of operating the Boeing Vintage in Seattle, Cook dinner figured he would possibly as smartly play two ultimate senior occasions in Southern California.
Cook dinner mentioned, “I assumed, , I am taking part in slightly bit and I am taking part in k.” “I am not going to embarrass myself. So I assumed why no longer? Why no longer return and play?”
To finish his event taking part in days, Cook dinner believes a gallery will be the very best send-off.
Cook dinner mentioned, “I am as excited as I will be, to be fair.” “We’ve got had such a lot fortify from my circle of relatives. Our daughter is coming from Australia, our granddaughter is coming. My son goes to babysit for me and my oldest daughter and her circle of relatives are coming. It is lovely particular.” It will occur.”