OCR Text |
Show 16 HiSStopi August 26, 1999 nj t: by Steven R. Ford Hilltop Times staff For a man used to birdies and eagles, Tom Watson was suitably impressed by the 6 Falcon ride that topped off his day atllillAFB. "Awesome!" Watson said of his experience. "What a responsive aircraft it was. I can understand why these pilots do what they do. What a dream come true." One of the finest American golfers in hise e British Open, tory, the Masters and U.S. Open golf champion was on base Monday to help with a tournament for the Heritage Foundation, benefiting the base museum. CoLAl Dremstedt, the vice commander of the F-1- two-tim- five-tim- fund-raisin- g 75th Air Base Wing and the official in charge of the inaugural tournament, wrote to Watson and asked if he would help with a golf clinic before the tournament In return, the 388th Fighter Wing would give him a ride in one of the most advanced fighters in the world. It was an offer the soon-to-b- e old couldn't refuse. He called Dremstedt personally and accepted. Dremstedt, a golfer himself and a long time Watson fan, was delighted. The addition of such a celebrity to the 50-ye- ar six-handic- ap tournament worked as expected. With Watson's help, the tournament raised over $5,000 for the Hill Aerospace Museum. An estimated 300 people turned out for Watson's clinic, and the golfer fielded any and all questions about his game, his career and his advice on how to play the game. He showed the crowd how to play short pitch shots. He explained the technique for producing backspin on the golf ball. "Hit it solid," Watson said flatly. "That's not a flippant response, it's the way it is. If you catch it solid, in the middle of the club face, the grooves will do the rest." Of great interest to the assembled crowd was Watson's June announcement that he would be joining the Senior PGATour full time beginning with the Comfort Classic in Indianapolis, Ind, on Sept. 10. Watson said that the reason he made the announce- ment, despite winning the 1998 Mastercard Colonial on the regular PGATour, was that he wanted to continue to be competitive and play with some of his friends that he hasn't seen or played with in a while. Of those, Senior PGA juggernaut Hale Irwin was fixed squarely in his gun sights 'To win on the Senior Tour, you've got to beat Hale Irwin," Watson said. "He's by far the best player out there right now. " The highlight of the event came after a member of the crowd asked him what was his favorite career shot. Many people laughed at the obvious answer, but Wat- a eolf ball to the frinee son calmlv drae-e-eof the practice surface and recreated the famous "fluff shot on Pebble Beach's 17th thathelped him beat Jack Nicklaus for the 1982 U.S. Open championship. "I alwavs like to go out and try to teach people to play golf," Watson said of the clinic. "If I can get 10 percent of the people to come away and say, Tes, I learned something,' that's a pretty good success rate when you're teaching golf." After a short banquet to kick off the tour nament, Watson was in the hands of the 388th Fighter Wing for flight suit fitting, ?- - or floglM see what these machines can do. Ihaveto vuu m . aamu uia i m i cu to get strapped wanted if Looking as he in and take off, Watson said, "If the ride's anything comparable to the anticipation, it's going to be a hell of a ride." And that it was. Watson and Oholendt, along with Maj. Darin Middleton flew out over the west desert for nearly two hours. According to Oholendt, Watson took the controls for much of the flight, executing a loop, an aileron roll and a barrel roll. "He flew quite a bit," Oholendt said. "He flew over half the mission, and flew very, very well." Thenitwasofftothe34thFighterSquadron Oholendt then demonstrated some com for the tune up to the big event. Watson was shown a video of the fighter squadrons bat maneuvers, taking the two seat through an Immelman, a split-S- , and involvementinOperationDesertFoxwhere roll. Then it was time to the 34th scored an 87 percent success rate, a four-poithe highest of any unit involved in that con-- open her up as the colonel demonstrated flict. At one point, the video showed a the acceleration, power and climbing capabunker being destroyed but requiring two bilities of the aircraft. "We try to do basic events that they can bombs to do the job. understand and appreciate," Oholendt said. "They call that a green missed in regu"We demonstrated a tactical intercept. lation in mv business." Watson joked. Later, another bunker was obliterated That's when you have aircraft on opposite with a single, well placed shot, spraying sides of the airspace, and the object is to debris all over the area. identify and detect the other aircraft, and said then move in behind him without being "That would be a Maj. Andy Hecht, the video narrator and detected yourself. You intercept that aircraft with a tactical advantage." weapons officer during the conflict. Watson left the aircraft in unusually good After a short recess and a preflight brief388th Col. Ron the shape. Many of the VIPs who take 6 Oholendt, ing with Fighter Wing vice commander, it was time rides turn a little green, and even the pilots of the 34th admitted to needing time to to saddle up. "I'm not nervous," Watson said, looking adjust to such flights, but Watson was like a boy on Christmas morning. "I'm anx-- the same aggressor in the air that he has ious. I'm anxious to get up in the air and always been on the putting surface. egress training and emergency procedures briefing. From entering the aircrair, to strapping in, to arming the ejection seat, to bail out and egress procedures, Capt. Shane Brotherton and TSgt. Gary East- PGA player of er wood took the e the year through all the necessary steps and possible procedures for his flight, After that it was off to the 421st Fighter Squadron for a bomb load demonstration, 500 pound bombs and a Sidewinder Mis sile were fitted to the hard points of an 6 as Watson looked on. Afterward, he shook hands with the loading crew, sign ing autographs for the enlisted personnel. six-tim- - F-1- F-16- nt hole-in-one- ," F-1- We make your iesf TeriyaEd i next payday today" Restaurant r L LUNCH SPECIALS MM OPEN 7C AS LOW AS uHl With Drink! "' To INSTANT CASH FOR: MONDAY-FRIDA- 10:30A.M. IIP:5: Up PARTIES BANQUETS E-O- UT $ ) Oriental & American it TAI SATURDAY 11 :00 9:00 P.M. A.M.-9:0- 0 Past Due Utility Bills P.M. ml nfi Car Repairs Home Repairs 2 t. I "A C Weekend Get-Awa- y (WendoverSt. George) ii lit Employed Full Time YOU OUALIFY 77es TAS'K0 gives you the BFGoodrich jThe pp? tine TractionAdvantage anytime, anywhera New tt Shouldertock Technology gets you through dirt mud, sand and snow while the proven tread design provides the performance you're looking for. 470 East IIOO South North Salt Lake on-ro- ad d Exceptional on and traction control IndusirylirsT Adventure off-roa- August 28 7:30 p.m. Kenley Amphitheater, Layton (gates open at 6:30) 801-295-83- 33 (Across from rt) 4 LE $00.00 $00.00 $00.00 TIRE SIZE TIRE SIZE TIRE SIZE Season Sponsors: FORTHGEAR (formerly design one), Employees of Ed Kenley Ford, PurrFection Printing, Standard Examiner, Imagic Entertainment, and Layton City BURT BROTH AS I mm mmmm ...... tmmr Event Sponsors: America First Credit Union, Beuller Auto, KSG, Hansen Allen & Luce, Inc. DOUNT1FULNSL 2885 546-857- Highway 89 299-114- 2 Tickets: Adults $6, Children $4, (General) Adults $8, Children $6, (Reserved) Call S. 4 -- ,.v,j,mj 'iV"www,i!'ijripMMyii.iii(iijuiu.WMWi i 1271 N. Highway 89 451-459- 0 BOTH STORES OPEN Mon -- Fri. 7-- 7, Sat. 7- -6 5. How Playing! Checkout all the great movies at the Base Theater. All Shows start at 7 PM. For more information see the Around the Hill section of the Hilltop Times, or call Tickets Available at: First National Banks and Olde Saint Rose Home & Garden Accents, Heritage Museum and at the door. j : FARM1NGTON 4O the Base Theater at V 777-413- 4 V |