A Quest to Play on the PGA Tour

Today, I participated in a golf ‘twitterview’ – or an interview by tweets — on the popular micro-blogging website. Marci Diehl, known as @writerdiehl on Twitter, was the host. A professional writer, she posts about golf on her blog at Changing Your Grip and recently penned, “Why Twitter Should Sponsor Phil Bundy on Tour.”

Marci was previously married to former PGA Tour player Terry Diehl with whom she raised four sons. In the past, she has interviewed and written about Jack Nicklaus, Lanny Wadkins, Peter Jacobsen, and many other great players. Through her marriage and her journalism work, she has great insight on professional golf and life on the PGA Tour.

After Marci introduced me at the beginning of the interview, I misspelled my greeting and then typed, “Great, some typos already… I think I need a mulligan!” From that point, I hunted and pecked as well and fast as I could, and I was completely exhausted as our hour ended!

Definitely a first for golf, the twitterview was an experiment and one of the first-ever interviews by tweets. Tomorrow, journalist George Stephanopoulos of ABC News will conduct a similar chat on Twitter with Senator John McCain.

Thanks to Marci’s preparation, the questions were great, and we shared a bunch of information. While some minor delays were evident, the technology performed well.

You can see the full transcript of over 2,000 words and eight pages of the interview by clicking here. You can also find the associated tweets by searching for the #golfchat hashtag in Twitter Search.

Please leave a comment to tell me if you use Twitter and other social networks? If you watched our twitterview live or read the transcript, please take a moment to provide feedback. And if you are on Twitter, be sure to follow me: @PhilBundy.

Until next time, enjoy golf, America!

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Today, I had the pleasure of taping a segment as a guest on Capital Golf Weekly in a studio at ABC 7 and NewsChannel 8 in Washington, D.C.

The host of the program is Dave Lucas, who is also a longtime anchor of NewsChannel 8 — the 24-hour local cable news channel. A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Dave is super friendly, approachable, and easy to talk with.

Other guests taping segments for the program included Dennis Kay from Titleist and journalist Sal Johnson of GolfObserver.com, who called in via cool Skype Video technology.

Thanks in large part to my publicist Julie Bonn Heath of JBH Marketing and PR, my quest to play on the PGA Tour has been featured on radio and podcasts programs and also profiled by a number of journalists and bloggers. For a complete list of links to media appearances, please visit my press page.

Capital Golf Weekly is seen on NewsChannel 8 on Friday at 8:30 p.m. with reruns on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. I will post the segment on my blog when available.

After you watch the segment, please take a moment to leave a comment and your feedback. Also, share the name of your favorite golf television program or videocast.

Until next time, enjoy golf, America!

03.18.09 Update

Today, I received an envelope in the mail with a DVD containing my segment and a nice handwritten note from Dave Lucas reading in part:

Phil,

Thanks so much for being a guest on Capital Golf Weekly. Your story clearly resonated with our audience.

Best,

Dave

You can see my entire segment on Capital Golf Weekly by clicking here.

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Shortly after launching my quest to play on the PGA Tour, I was invited to share my story with a small group of former CEOs and top level executives in the Mid-Atlantic area.

The site of the event was The Country Club of Woodmore, which hosts the annual Melwood Open on the Nationwide Tour. In the morning, I performed an exhibition and demonstrated the changes that I have made in my golf swing. Next, I played one or two holes with each of the six foursomes. After cocktails and dinner in the clubhouse, I gave a short talk about my quest.

In my presentation, I talked from the heart and mentioned how my son Charlie inspired my effort. While golf is a singular sport, I discussed team building, mentors, and advisors, and I described how I recruited my Dream Team to help prepare me for my quest. And while I was speaking with super successful people, I asked each person to think of their own sleeping dreams or unfulfilled goals.

For me, the entire day was incredibly motivating. Through the day, I was able to personally connect with each participant, and the feedback that I received was genuine and valuable.

After my talk, one gentleman thanked me for the day and told me with great emotion that my quest had inspired him to begin his own effort to build free libraries in Belize, where he owns property. At that moment, I understood how my story resonates with all types of people and can inspire many different kinds of personal passions and goals.

Shortly after the outing, Charlie Heller, the president of the club, mailed a nice note that said in part, “The CEO Club is happy to support your quest and looks forward to your success!” Tucked inside the envelope were sponsorship checks contributed by several members of the group.

Do you have a goal that you have yet to attain? What is holding you back from grabbing your dream? If you already achieved a goal, how did you realize success? Please take a minute to leave a comment and share your story.

Until next time, enjoy golf, America!

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I genuinely enjoy meeting people and talking golf. To help fund my quest to play on the PGA Tour, I am making personal appearances at events to share my experiences and to perform entertaining golf exhibitions.

Already, I have appeared on behalf of numerous corporations, associations, and charities, including Buick Motors, Booz Allen, Prudential, SAP, Lockheed Martin, Mercy Health Clinic, and U.S. Chinese Golf Association.

In my clinics, I demonstrate the fundamentals of golf as well as the changes that I have made in my own swing to try to compete with the world’s best players. I also hit trick shots that delight golfers and non-golfers alike.

At some golf outings, I enhance events with “Beat the Pro” and hole-in-one contests that can raise funds for charitable activities. I also participate as a speaker during awards banquets for golf groups.

For tradeshows and conventions, I perform my exhibitions indoors, utilizing a state-of-the-art computerized golf swing simulator.

Do you organize or participate in a golf outing where I can help entertain attendees? If you want more information, please contact me directly at Info (at) PhilBundy (dot) com.

Until next time, enjoy golf, America!

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I am seeking additional sponsors to help fund the expenses of my quest to play on the PGA Tour.

Already, several organizations have come forward, including Prudential, CEO Club, Interactive Frontiers Software, OGIO, and SkyCaddie. I am also grateful to have the financial support of several individuals who have provided me with generous monetary gifts.

Of course, I am not seeking mega deals like Tiger Woods and other stars on the PGA Tour. Instead, my sponsorships are very affordable, and my sponsors are true partners in my quest.

While every arrangement is structured differently, sponsorships usually include a mix of the following investments:

• Financial support to help fund my expenses
• In-kind product and services that I utilize in my quest
• Marketing and public relations support
• Charitable contribution to benefit my golf development programs

In return, I provide sponsors with the following benefits:

• Brand identification and visibility
• Personal appearances and exhibitions performed by me at golf outings, events, and trade shows
• Links on my blog
• My testimonials for use in advertising, marketing, and promotions
• Media coverage

I will also be introducing additional programs for organizations and individuals to support and become part of my quest.

I really appreciate the support and feedback that I have received since launching my quest on January 1, and I welcome comments below if you have general thoughts or ideas about sponsorships. If you wish to inquire about specific sponsorship opportunities, please contact me directly at Info (at) PhilBundy (dot) com.

Until next time, enjoy golf, America!

Media Advisory: Journalists and bloggers, please click here for a link to a press release announcing availability of sponsorships.

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After I decided to embark on my quest to play on the PGA Tour, I wrote a letter to Arnold Palmer.

As a member of the golf team at Wake Forest University, one of the great honors is the opportunity to meet Arnold, who is the unofficial dean of the collegiate program. During my years as a Demon Deacon golfer, I lived in the Arnold Palmer Dormitory. The King regularly returns to Winston-Salem for the annual Wake Forest Pro-Am which assembles an amazing alumni of PGA Tour players. And during Masters Week, he hosts a special party for the school at a private home in Augusta.

A few weeks after I sent my letter, I received a note in the mail. Written on his personal stationary, Arnold wrote:

Dear Phil,

I admire the courage and dedication you are showing by pursuing your dream of playing on the PGA Tour. My best advice to you is to never become discouraged. Keep working at it as hard as you can and, regardless of the outcome, you can be proud of what you accomplished.

Your friend,

Arnold

The note is now framed and sits on a bookshelf in my home office.

Since launching my effort on January 1, I have been overwhelmed by many other wonderful messages of encouragement. A number of old friends have reached out to re-connect. Through my blog and through social networks like Twitter and Facebook, I have hundreds of new friends who have sent kind words electronically.

Like the personal note from Arnold Palmer, I have saved every one of these messages which have touched, inspired, and motivated me. While golf is a singular game, I feel a real sense of support and community that will sustain me as my journey continues.

Take a moment, and share a comment. Have you ever sent or received a note of encouragement? If received, who wrote to you, and why did the message touch you? If you were the author, who did you write, and what was your message?

Until next time, enjoy golf, America!

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Despite a struggling golf industry and a recessionary economy, I received great feedback and support for my quest to play on the PGA Tour at the 2009 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando.

For three days, I pitched sponsorship inquiries to a number of companies that set-up shop in the expansive Orange County Convention Center. Already, I can report that OGIO, Seemore, and V1Pro Swing Analysis Software are continuing their support and that SkyCaddie and JoxSox are new sponsors of my effort. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be following-up with other interested parties and announcing new agreements as finalized.

I also met and greeted what seemed like the entire 41,000 people in attendance. From the trade show floor to hospitality and media rooms, I was busy networking with the some of the movers and shakers in the world of golf. Golf pros and celebrities included players Tom Watson and Lorena Ochea and instructors Butch Harmon and David Leadbetter.

As someone who loves to read and write about golf, I was pleased to spend time with two top golf writers: John Paul Newport from the Wall Street Journal and James Achenbach of Golfweek. Both of these pro journalists are mild-mannered, unassuming gentlemen with single digit handicaps and passion for the game.

During the show and at a special tweet-up event on Friday evening, I also enjoyed connecting with a number of folks who are in the blogging and social media community. I anticipate the number of golf bloggers covering the event will increase sharply in the coming years.

Did you attend or have you ever been to the PGA Show? What was your experience? What trends and new products caught your eye?

Until next time, enjoy golf, America!

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This week, I am joining some 41,000 people as the golf industry convenes at the 2009 PGA Merchandise Show. An annual gathering that began 56 years ago in a parking lot, the trade-only event now takes place inside the expansive Orange Country Convention Center in Orlando, FL.

The PGA Show is a virtual candy store for golfers and includes 1.1 million square feet of exhibit space with approximately 1,100 exhibitors. The building will also house the largest indoor range in golf, a continuous golf fashion show, meetings, and hospitality functions.

Traversing a total of 10 miles of aisles, the exhibit space will house large McBooths by major companies like Titleist and Callaway as well as tiny 10’ by 10’ displays by startups with new names.

The exhibitions start on Thursday and end on Saturday, but the event begins with an outdoor demo day at the nearby Orange Country National Golf Center on Wednesday. The demo day features 90 top golf manufacturers with hitting bays that completely circle a 42-acre driving range, which in itself is an amazing site and the biggest outdoor demo day in the game.

While attending the PGA Show, I will be meeting with companies that have supported my quest to play on the PGA Tour. Of course, I’ll be searching for new sponsors, and I’ll also be conducting public relations work as the event annually hosts over 1,000 members of the international golf media.

On Friday night, I am hosting a “tweet-up” – a special gathering for the Twitter golf community — at the Bahama Breeze at 8849 International Drive. If you are in Orlando, please be sure to stop by the bar and say hello beginning at 9:00 p.m.

During the week, I will post daily updates on Twitter marked with a #PGAShow hashtag, and at the end of the week, I will post a full recap on the blog. To stay informed, be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed of the blog and follow me on Twitter @PhilBundy.

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Congratulations to Barack Obama, whose inauguration as the 44th President of the United States is extraordinary and historic. I sincerely hope he will have success in leading our country during these times of war and economic crisis.

And on a lighter note, I also hope he can bring golf back to the White House.

In 2003 as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq continued, President George Bush stopped playing the game, saying, “I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal.”

Signs are good that President Obama will play golf during his presidency. The natural left-handed golfer hacked around a Hawaiian island while on a recent vacation, and Tiger Woods spoke at his Inaugural Celebration..

To help President Obama and to serve our country, I would voluntarily take a short break from my quest to play on the PGA Tour and offer a quick clinic on the White House Putting Green.

Then, if he can just work on his swing…

What do you think? Does President Obama playing golf send the wrong message to the American military and public? Does he help promote the game if he plays while serving as the leader of our country? Do you have any swing tips for President Obama?

Until next time, enjoy golf, America.

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