Rymer Bites: Brendon Todd & Random Thoughts

PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com’s Charlie Rymer checks in from the airport to offer his thoughts on the sudden resurgence of the PGA TOUR’s Brendon Todd, and his victory last weekend at the Mayakoba Golf Classic.

Charlie Rymer here on a Tuesday morning at the Charlotte airport. Just got some random thoughts for you; I hope that’s okay. A lot of what I do is random, so why am I at Charlotte International Airport early on Tuesday morning? I’m traveling back home to Myrtle Beach from West Palm Beach. I’ve been down there a couple of days at the very swanky Floridian National Golf Club owned by Mr. (Jim) Crane – now, of course, the owner of the Houston Astros and a lot of other things, a really neat place down there at Floridian.

In fact, President Obama was down there the last few days as well. A couple of times I had those Secret Service people looking at me a little bit funny, and Mr. Crane likes to have some balance. He’s also got president George W. Bush as a member there, so, as you can imagine, it’s a nice joint.

I was down there, my good buddy Ken Duke has a wonderful charity event there, and he asked a lot of friends to come in and I ran into a couple of guys you might’ve heard of, World Golf Hall of Fame members. Nick Price. One of the nicest guys you’ll ever want to meet now. The “GOAT” was there as well, Jack Nicklaus, so a lot of fun, Ken raised a lot of money for some local charities and also Folds of Honor. Major Dan Rooney there, who is now a Colonel, we call him Colonel Major Dan Rooney. A wonderful, wonderful man, and what he’s been able to do for the Folds of Honor, for our families of our fallen vets, is really, really truly amazing.

I want to give a shout out to Brendon Todd who won down in Mayakoba. Second week in a row he’s won on the PGA TOUR. This is a young man who a year ago was thinking about quitting the game, and boy has he turned it around. Interesting, right before he went to Bermuda where he won that first week, a buddy of mine in Athens, Georgia out playing at Athens Country Club was behind Brendon Todd. Brendon was out there playing with the University of Georgia golf team, carried his own bag and my buddy Woody, who’s a lifetime six handicap (a little north of 70) was watching Brendon play. He said, “Man, I just don’t understand how that guy’s even on the tour. He’s in the left rough all day long.” Woody, you’re not a very good talent scout.

For all you guys out there, you’ve got to understand that folks who made it to the PGA TOUR and have won in the past, they’ve got game. When the bell rings, they can get it done. That’s exactly what Brendon Todd has done.

Well, you guys have a great week. I’ve got to go catch my flight!