Northern Trust Open honors local military members, veterans

  • Published
  • By Kenji Thuloweit
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The frigid winds and cold rain managed to hold off for the better part of the day so Edwards servicemembers could enjoy some professional golf in the sun.

Several Edwards personnel were bused down to the posh Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. to see the third round of the Northern Trust Open golf tournament Feb. 19.

As part of the Professional Golf Association Military Appreciation Week, all active, retired, guard and reserve military personnel, as well as their dependents, received free access to the grounds on all four competition days, which began Feb. 17.

Golf fans and interested spectators got to see the likes of Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples and Vijay Singh. The tournament was won on Sunday by Aaron Baddeley, his third PGA tour win.

"I'm a big Phil Mickelson fan so every time I get a chance to follow him I will," said Tech. Sgt. James Miller, 412th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. "I just enjoy golf and I'm glad they put this on for the military to come out and see it for free."

Senior Airman Trevor Taylor, 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron, who is an avid golfer and a frequent player at Edwards' Muroc Lake Golf Course, had an especially exciting time on the course.

"This is my first Northern Trust Open," said Airman Taylor. "I actually caddied here Wednesday for the Pro-Am and decided to come back today to be a spectator, rather than inside the ropes."

Airman Taylor said he knew someone who has been caddying for a while and volunteered to come out during the Pro-Am.

"It (caddying) was kind of surreal. I got to be teamed up with Anthony Kim as the pro and Jerry Royster who was a Major League Baseball player for the Atlanta Braves, it was just amazing," he said.

"It's a great experience and I had a lot of fun. It was awesome to walk a course like this, which is famous for the difficult holes."

Selected members from the different service branches also got the chance to introduce the golfers when they teed off for the first time that day.

In addition to grounds admittance, the military attendees and veterans had free access to the Patriot's Outpost hospitality tent and venue where a ceremony was held to honor local military members. The March Air Reserve Base Honor Guard presented the colors and pro basketball legend and NTO Executive Director Jerry West thanked all the servicemembers for their sacrifices and contributions.

California National Guard Soldiers and Army cadets from the University of California, Los Angeles Reserve Officer Training Corps also attended and helped out with the event. One of their duties was handing out the free Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches to the packed venue.

"Having Chick-fil-A come out and sponsor the food is great, we don't get to see much of them out here in California," said Sergeant Miller, who said he's from the Southeast where Chick-fil-A is a common restaurant.

But, the free chicken sandwiches were just a small part of the day's fun on one of the most famous golf courses in the United States. The hospitality of the NTO and its sponsors hit home with its military guests.

"It just shows they care about the military. We work a lot of long hours and sometimes you wonder if it pays off, but to come out here and see how the community appreciates what we do for a living and the sacrifices we make - it makes me really appreciative," Sergeant Miller said.

The Patriot's Outpost is an outreach program established through the Birdies for the Brave foundation. Originally established in 2005, when Phil Mickelson and his wife began donating $100 for every birdie and $500 for every eagle to servicemembers wounded in combat; it now encompasses a variety of outreach efforts, including the Patriot's Outpost for PGA tournaments, such as the NTO.

The NTO, which began in 1926, is the fourth-longest-running Professional Golfers' Association Tour event. Although it had been played on several courses throughout the Los Angeles area, in 1973 the tournament found its permanent home at the Riviera Country Club.