MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, S.C. -- One lucky Fightertown Marine got the opportunity to experience the game of golf at its finest when he played with the professional golfers of the PGA Tour during this year’s Verizon Heritage Pro-Am tournament at the Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head this past week.
Sergeant Randall Workman, the Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 31 training chief, stepped out of his office, put on his golf cleats and hit the links against more than 100 other golf players to represent not only the Air Station, but the Marine Corps as well in this year’s Pro-Am Monday.
“I was really fortunate to have the opportunity to represent the Marine Corps during this year’s competition and to play one of my favorite sports with the pros that I only got to watch on TV before,” Workman said.
This opportunity was afforded to Workman by Verizon and the Heritage Classic Foundation in an effort to show their appreciation for the military, according to Angela McSwain, the marketing director for the Verizon Heritage.
“The foundation decided upon this three years ago as a way to say thank you to the military for all that they do for us,” McSwain said. “We are also welcoming all active duty military personnel who provide their military ID free access to watch the rest of tournament.”
The experience of playing in the Pro-Am was a far cry from just hitting a round with his buddies, Workman explained.
“Having a crowd of more than 50 people around you whenever you shoot and someone announcing your name before your turn can be humbling,” Workman said. “But no matter what, I am a Marine and we have that competitive nature that makes us want to perform well, even under that kind of pressure.”
Overall Workman finished the tournament with a score of 13 under par on Harbour Town’s 18-hole course.
“We were glad that a Marine was able to come out here from his normal job and play a round of golf with us,” said Ryuji Imada, a PGA pro. “It gives us a chance to get to know him and talk with him about what’s going on in the military today.”
The various pros participating in the tournament passed on tips to help him further his golf game in the future, Workman explained.
“They gave me some really good advice about how to read the greens better and they also gave me some key tips about putting,” Workman said. “Putting can be the best aspect of golf because that is what makes or breaks you.”
Overall it was good experience for both Workman and the Marine Corps, according to Camilo Pardo, a prior Marine and a friend of Workman’s who attended the tournament with him.
“The opportunity that was afforded to Workman was a good chance to let everyone who played alongside him or watched him play, see that Marines are normal people with the same interests as themselves, only they have accepted the nation’s calling to protect our freedoms as well,” Pardo said.