On Saturday, June 6th, 2009 many of the Ohio State University turf students had the rare opportunity to attend the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club because of the generous invitation extended to us by The Toro Company.  For many of the students, just being able to attend a PGA Tour event and experience the competitive atmosphere is an exciting thing, but being able to watch the players from the skybox off of the 14th green made it even better; we had a bird’s eye view of some great shots. 

The most notable highlight of the day was definitely when we met Jack Nicklaus and, all 60 of us that attended, had our picture with him.  He graciously took time out of his day not only to have his picture with us, but also talk with us.  He spoke about when he was involved with the construction of cricket fields in Australia some years ago, the opportunities that are available in the industry today, and the invaluable benefits that come from having quality people around you and working for you.  He was also curious as to what some of the students’ aspirations are.  It was very insightful to hear firsthand what he had to say.

I not only enjoyed watching all of the golfers, especially Tiger Woods and Luke Donald, but more than anything, I enjoyed watching golf with good friends that I had not seen in a while. Thank you very much to Toro for their invitation and their wonderful hospitality.  All of us had a memorable and fantastic time, and it couldn’t have come at a better time: just before the start of finals.

Author: Samantha Callas

note: Samantha Callus from Canton, Ohio is a junior at The Ohio State University is majoring in Business - Operation Management with a minor in turfgrass management.