Mother Nature shined on Tampa the final day of the 2010 BIG EAST Championship. Mild temps approaching 85 degrees. Our young sophomores were going to grow up quickly. We were in the final group with St. John’s and Seton Hall. Not a time to be nervous – a time to perform. Taylor was confident. Brian was loose. Danny made the sign of the cross. Brandon complained about the speed of the putting green. Vincenzo still hated the bogey at 17. We were ready!
Timmy Hager, Class of 2009, surprised us when he arrived at Innisbrook for the final few hours of Round Two. He was a cornerstone during his four years hitting a golf ball with the navy blue “Hoyas” on it. He took time away from his professional golf schedule to be alongside the guys he once guided. Although he never captured a BIG EAST championship, he sure knew the feeling of being close. Once a leader, always a leader – he too, was ready for a long and important day facing The Copperhead.
Taylor was our lead guy to start the day. He was steadfast on turning in a “scoring” round. We walked together from the practice area to the first tee – not a word was spoken. Sometimes SILENCE speaks volumes. Seton Hall and St. John’s completed our final pairing of the day. Notre Dame, Louisville and Villanova were in the pairing in front of us. No doubt their team meetings, the night before, mentioned the word ” aggressive”! After Notre Dame’s #1 player found the center of the fairway on #1, Coach Kubinski looked at me and said, “Tommy, good luck today – if we can’t win this thing – sure want you to!” I shook his hand and wished him well, but certainly knew he felt an 11th seed was suspect under pressure.
Taylor’s opening drive was perfect. Sometimes divots smear perfection and the one his ball found was a crater. Absolutely stymied. Always in control. Always confident. Always cocky. He simply said, “No problem.” His five-footer for bogey replicated Danny’s bogey on Day One – we dodged a second bullet! Consecutive bogeys at #2 and #3 tested Taylor’s calm. His promise to hand in a “scoring round” had gotten off to a miserable start. As we stood on the dangerous par three 4th hole looking over our notes, we heard screams from across the pond back at #2 fairway. Brandon was dancing wildly and pumping fists - his Hoya golf ball found the bottom of the cup from 175 yards away. An EAGLE 2 just graced his scorecard! Our final round just got the jolt it needed. The wind at #4 was into us. The 190 yards felt more like 200. “Need a smooth 5 to be sure,” he said. I told him, “You have hit a million of these, do your best.” He flighted it perfectly. Solid two putt par. Taylor knew I had to drop back to give information to the guys about #4. “Tommy, I’m good – see you on the back nine.” Typical Taylor. Always in control. Always confident. Always Cocky.
By the time I first caught up with Brandon, he was walking off #6 tee box and his feet were still not touching the ground! He was literally “floating” after his eagle at #2 and opening birdie at #1. Tampa’s morning sun was blazing, temps were well into the 80’s. Brandon still had his ¼ zip jacket on guarding him from the cool start to the morning. I said, “B. it’s hot out here, you okay?” He smiled and simply said, “Tommy, I’m in a zone.” We never talk about numbers, I mean NEVER! From his comment, I knew his day was moving in the right direction.
Vincenzo’s drive on the long and difficult par 4 #9 may not have been any higher than 20 feet. An absolute missile. When that happens, Vincenzo is a happy camper. His wedge zipped back some 20 feet – what was once a sure birdie was now difficult two putt par. Like his driver, his putter was hot! The 25-foot twister found the bottom of the cup – BIRDIE 3 which brought an uncommon fist pump! “Let’s go to work on the back, Tommy,” was all he said. We NEVER talk numbers!
The walk from #9 green to #10 Tee is a long one. It’s really long if you’re not playing well. For Vincenzo it was a breeze. That’s what a birdie can do! When we got to the tee box, Timmy Hager was waiting. He had a gleam in his eye. That meant he was pleased with the guys up ahead. He looked dead eyed at me and asked, “When do you want to know?” The 18th green is nearby #10 tee. He and I walked over there – it is the highest point of the property. As you look down the fairway you can also see the green at #17 just beyond #18 tee. I said, “Timmy, when Vincenzo finishes #17 and Brandon tees off #18 that’s when I want to know.” All he said was, “I got ya.” He knew I never check the leaderboard. He knew I never check my phone. He knew that distracts our process. Typical Timmy, once a leader, always a leader!
The par four 12th Hole at The Copperhead is short but trouble lurks left and right off the tee. I hadn’t seen Taylor since his two putt par at #4. When we joined up in the middle of the fairway, his focus was laser-like. “165 pin, 152 to cover the front bunker, full 7 should be fine.” He meant business - drew it up to perfection – 12 feet. “Need this one, Tommy.” Something told me he was grinding to make his promise. As we crossed over the pond approaching the green, a roar erupted over at the par 3 #13. The roars were from folks in green. Notre Dame’s #1 player, just made a 2! Wasn’t the first time we heard those roars. Notre Dame was making a run. Funny thing was the folks wearing red were quiet. Louisville wasn’t. Taylor’s lip-out tested his normal calm way. Like he said, “he needed that one.” Told him on our walk to #13 tee, “Pars are good.“ His response was quick, “Golf course is tricky today.” My response was just as quick, “Then pars are REALLY good.”
We had the driver’s seat to know how Seton Hall and St. John’s were playing. The look on Coach White’s (Seton Hall) and Coach Darby’s (St. John’s) faces, after two of their five players found the pond on #13, revealed a bit of panic. The Johnnies and the Pirates were obviously not answering the bell!
Brian’s birdie at the par 5 #14 was just what the doctor ordered. The Hoyas were on the move - and I had a funny feeling things were narrowing down to two teams. Guys with a Fightin’ Irishman on their bag and the guys wearing a “G” in the center of their shirt. The tournament was funneling down to the Snake-Pit! Go figure.
Danny’s forehead vein was bulging and he was purple. After hitting a perfect five-iron to 6 feet at the par three 15th, his birdie putt took a 360 degree turn and never fell. His tap in par felt like a double bogey. Not exactly the mindset you need to tackle the three daunting holes that waited.
I ran - correct that - I sprinted over to him as he approached the tee box. At least his purple color had measured down to a burning red. “Danny, Gonzaga is on your 3-yard line and they have three “$#@!” downs to score and beat you – don’t you dare let them “$#@! score.” was my message. He looked at me as if I had completely lost my mind but nodded and said, “No way!” Danny detested Gonzaga from his days at Georgetown Prep – it was a rivalry and no way he was going to lose! His birdie at the brutal 16th, a two putt par 3 at 17, and a magical up and down save for par at 18 closed out a round he would never forget. 15 pars, 2 birdies, and a double bogey. Our gunslinger had won his gunfight on the final day with an even par 71.
When I circled back to check-in with Brandon and Vincenzo, it was clear – the moment was at hand. The roars from the folks in green were loud and constant down the stretch. The folks in red remained silent. Seton Hall was friendly with trees and bunkers. St. John’s was struggling to make a par. GAME ON – Hoyas vs. Notre Dame in the final hour at Copperhead. Brandon approached the 16th tee and stared at the Copperhead as if to say – “bring it on.” That is the mindset you want when you face the Snake Pit. I tapped the middle of his chest, right where his “G” sat. “B, this is what you dreamed about, play hard.” He knew exactly what I meant. The next 45 minutes were going to be stressful and important. We needed everything he had in that mighty 135- pound frame! His 3-wood found the trees guarding the left side. He was livid again, just like Saturday morning when he limped home finishing Round One. Vincenzo was walking down the hill at 15 dialed in on a makeable birdie from 18 feet. “Should have hit the 5 iron.” I answered, “You're fine.” He closed down from both sides, “I like right edge.” “Perfect, do your best.”
We had these conversations a bunch during his four years. One more rotation would have landed a 2. “Pars are good, V – it’s late in the day!” “I know Tommy, should have had that one” Tapped his chest, in the same spot as I did Brandon – right on top of his “G”. Told him the same message, “V, this is what you dreamed about, play hard.” He knew we were REALLY relying on his shoulders now. At that same moment, I happened to look down #16 fairway and I could see Timmy racing through the trees on the left side of the fairway. He had remembered our little chat about 2 hours ago. He was headed to #17 green/#18 tee with his phone updating the information I needed! The 16th beat Vincenzo - he made a sloppy bogey. Not a time for our leader to turn purple. As we walked to 17 tee, I told him, “Back middle pin, 195 actual, playing 185 with down breeze.” Information has a way of calming down good players. They understand the game couldn't care less about what you just did. It’s all about NOW.
“I like a solid 7 iron.” I knew he was still fuming from the bogey at 16. He was mad and wanted redemption. I backed his decision with, “V, good choice, do your best.” Vincenzo was our best ball striker, that was plenty of club for him. His best skill set was absent at the moment of contact. “Go, Ball, Go” – he knew he had chunked it. Good news, his ball found the front edge of the green. Bad news – he was 85 feet away and it was all uphill. After marking his ball Vincenzo perked up a bit, “Putter has been good today!” He had quickly forgotten the debacle at 16. Good players have bad memories! Over on the 18 tee, Brandon had saved his best drive for his final hole of the day. The sound was crisp and he immediately picked up his tee – Dead Solid Perfect! He made a very hard shot look easy. Vincenzo’s lag putt kept rolling out and finally stopped a mere two feet from the cup. He made a very hard putt look easy! Tap-in par, another bullet dodged.
Timmy was right where he said he would be – on 18 tee. He was shaking when I approached him. Something told me, he had some good news. “Taylor 77, Brian 77, Danny 71, Brandon is EVEN and in the middle of the fairway and V is +3 after the tap in - Notre Dame in the house at 874 (+22), if we make two pars we win.” He was REALLY shaking now. I said, “Thanks Timmy, I’ll see you up on the hillside.” Never saw Timmy run so fast in my life. He wanted to make sure he had perfect view of Brandon’s final hole.
Vincenzo now knew that I knew. He had honors on the tee. “Where do we stand, what do I need to do?” I balked and diverted his attention, “How has your driver been today?”- He replied with the best possible answer, “Straight.” I said, “Good, hit it.” He did. It was his typical low bullet that went far. Problem was it went a little too far and found one of the gnarly fairway bunkers guarding the left side of the fairway. As we began our walk up the hill on 18 he asked again, “What do I need to do?” I balked again, “V, we need to talk about how much you have meant to our program!” Just as Danny looked at me on 16 tee about an hour ago, Vincenzo thought I had lost my mind. For the third time he asked, “What do I need to do?” Good players need honesty. “Well V, we have always said pars are good!” I appeased him for a minute yet he knew that was only 50% of the full story. I didn’t tell him what Brandon had to do up on the 18th green.
While Vincenzo was in the bunker scoping out his plan. A roar, different from any roar I had heard all day, erupted. This time the folks wearing the Blue & Gray were the ones making the noise. Brandon had nailed his 5 foot slider to cap an incredible two-putt par from the back edge of the green I could see Timmy celebrating – he had a perfect seat to see it all. One par down, one more to go! “I’m 163 to the pin, but I’m between clubs.” I let Vincenzo continue to talk through his plan a bit more. “Either an easy 8 or an aggressive hard 9.” I asked him, “How are you feeling inside?” He smiled and said, “I am jacked, Tommy.” I returned with, “You have your answer.” I had no intention to discuss the serious lip of the bunker which stared him in the face. Good players sometimes don’t need a coach’s full disclosure! His 9 iron was struck the way Vincenzo normally strikes a golf ball – perfectly! It landed some 30 feet away from the hole which brought another Blue & Gray roar. As we approached the green, I told him, “Do you best, see ya when you’re done.” He knew it was not the time to ask his favorite question a fourth time. He also knew his shoulders were the ones we were relying on.
Timmy was the first person I joined up with from the Hoya contingent. “Tommy, that hill is tough but I got up here in time, Brandon’s up and down was crazy good.” He was still shaking! Everyone else was silent on the outside but wound-up on the inside. A ledge separated Vincenzo’s ball from the cup. A big ledge! I looked at Timmy and told him what Vincenzo had told me back on 17 green – “Putter has been good today.” I was now hoping it was good enough to only use two more times, max! Vincenzo does nothing half-way. His first put was aggressive. The ledge needed a near perfect strike. We hit that putt several times three days ago in the practice round. It raced by and finally stopped a scary eight feet away. As much as he wanted a small tap-in, he was now faced with the most important putt of his intercollegiate career. Make it, we polish the trophy. Miss it, we step to the 1st tee with Notre Dame and begin a sudden-death playoff. No one wearing a “G” in the center of their shirt wanted the day to continue. The folks wearing green who lined the entire hillside were now praying for the day to continue.
Vincenzo took a second look from the opposite side of the cup. He never takes a second look. Timmy looked at me, “Must be nervous.” My answer took a split second, “Nah, he’s just making sure!” By now the gallery had swelled. Even the resort guests, who couldn't have cared less which team won, were glued. All eyes were on Vincenzo. His stroke was perfect. His path was perfect. The bottom of the cup had company - a golf ball with the navy blue “Hoyas” on it. The roar was so loud, even the Copperhead at 16 moved its head. Danny had tears streaming down his face - even gunslingers have a soft spot. “We did it”, he was exhausted with emotion. Every person wearing Blue & Gray was hugging one another to make sure the dream was real. IT WAS!
We closed the day with a gritty 293 to post a final team score of 873 - one stroke better than Notre Dame. The Fightin’ Irishman on their bags had to put his fists down – the Hoyas withstood the pressure, withstood the fight!
