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Mark Oskarson Real-life coaching experience? Proud dad of a seven-year-old boy and five-year-old girl. Coaching the East is very similar to being a dad – loud car rides, snacks, group text chats, snacks, trying to make sure they don’t miss their tee time or school, snacks, ice cream as a reward, repeat…and did I mention snacks? What’s your favorite way to get pumped up for Wyndham Cup? Easy…watch Cody Proveaux’s putt from the 2012 Wyndham Cup at Bay Hill. If that doesn’t do it for you there’s no hope for you! Any weird superstitions? Never eat or drink anything the color blue. That's just a good rule to live by more than anything. What’s your captain’s cart stocked with? Hopefully the snack aisle from the local grocery store! Fist bump or high five? Fist bump Bucket hat or flat bill? I enjoy both for their style and function Who would win in a ping pong match, you or Jason Miller? Is anyone really proud of a Ping Pong prowess? (Editors note: so...Jason Miller) This year’s game plan in a hashtag? #GoEast305s |
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Katie Tahara What are you most looking forward to? Interacting with the juniors on a whole new level. I’ve been a TD for five years now and we get to “hang out” with the juniors a little bit at regular tournaments, but being an Assistant Captain will let me get to know them even more. Excited for the memories and the laughs! What personal attributes make you a great assistant captain? I’m a kind and caring person, but when it comes to competition, I’m ready to win. Favorite motivational quote? Because this is hanging in the majority of our office cubes I’ll go with the Michael Jordan quote… “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” Who would win in a golf match, you or Mark Oskarson? I mean, I think I could take him. Go-to on-course hairdo? Half-up / Half-down Any weird superstitions? Yes – hard to explain, but if I start out with a lot of clothing (because it’s cold in the morning) and I am playing well, and then it starts to warm up… most normal people would shed the clothing. I’m the opposite. If I’m in the zone, I don’t take jackets or rain pants off especially if I’m playing well. If I’m in the groove, keep it going and don’t mess that up. As tournament director of the PING Junior Solheim Cup, how does it feel to have boys on your team? I think it will be a good change. Guys bring in a whole new dynamic to team play and it should be a lot of fun! |
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Jason Miller Real-life coaching experience? With five kids, I coach constantly – whether on a field or not. I will be coaching my oldest in the Georgia state All-Star baseball tournament in mid-July. I’ve coached five levels of baseball, basketball, softball and throw in golf and fishing. What’s your favorite way to get pumped up for Wyndham Cup? Watching the interview with Ben Crenshaw from the 1999 Ryder Cup. I attended that year and experienced that magical comeback on Sunday. Everyone on the grounds felt the momentum that day. I’ll never forget standing left of 18 fairway and hearing the roar on 17 when Justin Leonard sank his putt. Any weird superstitions? My first Wyndham Cup captaincy in 2008, I kept on a wig once our play turned around. I have continued to wear blue and white ribbons each year. What’s your captain’s cart stocked with? Snacks, fruit, candy bars, blue sports drinks, water, bandages, ibuprofen, ball markers, tees, yardage books, golf balls, a golf towel and most importantly, safety pins. Fist-bump or high five? Old school…high five Bucket hat or flat bill? Bucket hat Who would win in a ping pong match, you or Mark Oskarson? Me, no question. This year’s game plan in a hashtag? #oneteamonegoalonewest |
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Blair Thompson What personal attributes make you a great assistant captain? First of all, I like to think I’m fun. I have fun in everything I do…I don’t take myself or life too seriously. But with that being said, I’m also competitive, maybe too competitive and I always want to win. And finally I’m team player. Winning Wyndham Cup is not just about your golf game, but your whole team. I will do my absolute best to create that team unity that is so important and make all my decisions based on what’s best for our team as a whole. Favorite motivational quote? “At any given moment, you have the power to say: This is not how the story is going to end.” Who would win in a golf match, you or Jason Miller? Unfortunately, I have to be honest and say JMills. He secretly is a very good golfer. I think he gets more practice than me… Go-to on-course hairdo? I’m a total hat girl. Sleep ‘til the last second, throw on a Polo and a hat, and I’m out the door. Any weird superstitions? I am EXTREMELY superstitious and one of my favorite sayings is, “It’s only weird if it doesn’t work.” So while I don’t have one superstition, whatever I’m doing while my team is doing well, I continue to do. For example, last fall I was listening to the first half of a Mizzou (my alma mater) football game in the car on the radio. We were winning at half time and I refused to watch the rest of the game on TV when I got home. I listened to it on the radio as I cleaned my apartment and did laundry. And yes, we won. As a die-hard Cardinals fan, how does it feel to wear blue for a week? It will be weird not being in my natural Cardinal Red…but lucky for me the Cardinals incorporate quite a bit of blue/navy into their jerseys, logo, memorabilia. So it’s not too much of a stretch or too uncomfortable. I guarantee you for the week July 7 – 10 I’ll be bleeding BLUE! |