With a borrowed set of golf clubs, Lt. Col. Michael Rowells stepped up to his pro-am tee time with Tiger Woods on Wednesday morning. The Army soldier beat out 16,000 entrants in the chance to play with the world’s No. 3 in advance of the Dubai Desert Classic.
Tiger Woods, Michael Rowells Play Dubai Desert Classic Pro-Am
In Afghanistan, there is only one nine-whole golf course in the entire country, so the 47-year-old Mississippian hadn’t played golf in four months. That made him nervous. Not all of Rowells shots stayed in bounds, but he did make par on a few holes.
“I was nervous, absolutely, for not playing for so long and everything else,” said Rowells, wearing an Army golf hat over his crew cut.
“It’s not so much intimidating as much as you see someone hit the ball so pure, so often, and you think, ‘Can I get anywhere near that?”‘ he said. “They tell you, ‘Get off the first tee. Get off the first tee.’ It’s more than that. It’s almost every shot when you see a pro hit it so pure.”
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