Rabu, 09 Agustus 2017

Unsung heroes of the PGA Championship

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The biggest brands in the game come from all over the world but they all have one thing in common: equipment managers.

"You kind of think of us as a NASCAR pit crew," said Jack Ulrich, a technician with PING Golf.

Ulrich and three other people make up a four-man crew in PING's equipment trailer, one of the newest 18-wheelers on tour at ten weeks old.

Call it a $1 millon big-rig.

"It's a lot a bigger than what we had previously," said Ulrich, who is from North Carolina. "All the manufacturers [on tour] have a mobile work shop."

They make adjustments to whatever club that comes their way. Some of the biggest PING stars on tour: Louie Oosthuizen and Bubba Watson.

Watson brought pop superstar Justin Bieber into the PING trailer on Tuesday.

"You never know when you might meet, a celebrity that's not a PGA tour player," said Ulrich.

Watson is one of a kind when it comes to the PING brand. After winning The Masters (twice), he went to Phoenix to pay it forward.

"He's come back both times and bought lunch for everybody back at the factory and there are almost 900 people employed back at the home plant," said Ulrich, who is also based out of Phoenix.

He says the most challenging part of the job is the travel. Not only do they make sure golf clubs fit the player's liking, they also have to make the cross-country drive with the 18-wheeler.

By the time a tournament starts on Thursday, they're already on their way to the next stop.
 

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