By Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Max Beard is entering his sixth year as a volunteer at The Players Championship. That fact, in and of itself, isn’t remarkable. Of the 2,000 volunteers this year, many have spent a week at the tournament for decades.
Beard’s tenure is remarkable because he’s a 17-year-old senior at Nease High School. He was 12 the first time he became a standard bearer - the kids who carry the signs with the scores of the players high above the crowd. Beard’s dedication to the job, which is one of the most in-demand volunteer jobs at The Players - there’s a waiting list every year, according to Standard Bearer Chair Jamie Welu - earned him “standard bearer of the year” honors after last year’s tournament.
As such, Beard is rewarded by getting to walk the course today and Friday with last year’s winner, Sergio Garcia, and his playing partners for the first two rounds, Zach Johnson and K.J. Choi. That’s a pretty good gig for Beard, who has served with Choi twice before and considers Johnson to be his favorite player on the PGA Tour.
If Beard’s name sounds familiar, it should. His father Murray was chair of The Players in 2000 and the impetus for his son volunteering for the first time at age 12.
“I got involved and really enjoyed it,” said Beard, who will serve as standard bearer for the final pairing both Saturday and Sunday, so there’s a good chance you’ll see him on TV at some point.
What you won’t see him do is engage the players in conversation. There are strict rules that prohibit the standard bearers from initiating talk with the players, but the players often speak up first. Beard said his Sunday round last year was with the player in last position and was actually fun.
“It was speed golf. We played a lot faster and flew through the round in about an hour and forty-five minutes,” said Beard, who admits he’s just a casual golfer who really gets more out of volunteering his time than enjoying the tournament itself.
It’s that unselfish attitude, said Welu, which helped Beard earn this year’s distinction.
“He is always willing to help and go above and beyond,” said Welu, who’s an account representative for Ring Power outside of his standard bearer chair position. “He earned a lot of respect and high praise from the markers.”
Welu said he has 62 standard bearers this year with many more who wanted the job. Most are returners from last year and while grades in school aren’t a deciding factor, doing well in the classroom is a sure way for kids to convince their parents they can handle three days off the week of the tournament.
Grades are not the issue for Beard. After graduation, he’s headed to Japan for a year of study abroad. Then, he wants to return and apply to the Naval Academy.
“I want to be a Navy SEAL,” he said.
Beard said the best part of the job is being inside the ropes with the players. The worst, he says, is when the wind blows hard like it did last year.
“The signs were spinning,” he said. You couldn’t hold them against the wind.”
Beard also said he’d like to follow in his dad’s footsteps and chair, say, the 2029 Players Championship.
“Hopefully. I have loved to volunteer most of my life,” he said.
356-2466
Staff Writer
Max Beard is entering his sixth year as a volunteer at The Players Championship. That fact, in and of itself, isn’t remarkable. Of the 2,000 volunteers this year, many have spent a week at the tournament for decades.
Beard’s tenure is remarkable because he’s a 17-year-old senior at Nease High School. He was 12 the first time he became a standard bearer - the kids who carry the signs with the scores of the players high above the crowd. Beard’s dedication to the job, which is one of the most in-demand volunteer jobs at The Players - there’s a waiting list every year, according to Standard Bearer Chair Jamie Welu - earned him “standard bearer of the year” honors after last year’s tournament.
As such, Beard is rewarded by getting to walk the course today and Friday with last year’s winner, Sergio Garcia, and his playing partners for the first two rounds, Zach Johnson and K.J. Choi. That’s a pretty good gig for Beard, who has served with Choi twice before and considers Johnson to be his favorite player on the PGA Tour.
If Beard’s name sounds familiar, it should. His father Murray was chair of The Players in 2000 and the impetus for his son volunteering for the first time at age 12.
“I got involved and really enjoyed it,” said Beard, who will serve as standard bearer for the final pairing both Saturday and Sunday, so there’s a good chance you’ll see him on TV at some point.
What you won’t see him do is engage the players in conversation. There are strict rules that prohibit the standard bearers from initiating talk with the players, but the players often speak up first. Beard said his Sunday round last year was with the player in last position and was actually fun.
“It was speed golf. We played a lot faster and flew through the round in about an hour and forty-five minutes,” said Beard, who admits he’s just a casual golfer who really gets more out of volunteering his time than enjoying the tournament itself.
It’s that unselfish attitude, said Welu, which helped Beard earn this year’s distinction.
“He is always willing to help and go above and beyond,” said Welu, who’s an account representative for Ring Power outside of his standard bearer chair position. “He earned a lot of respect and high praise from the markers.”
Welu said he has 62 standard bearers this year with many more who wanted the job. Most are returners from last year and while grades in school aren’t a deciding factor, doing well in the classroom is a sure way for kids to convince their parents they can handle three days off the week of the tournament.
Grades are not the issue for Beard. After graduation, he’s headed to Japan for a year of study abroad. Then, he wants to return and apply to the Naval Academy.
“I want to be a Navy SEAL,” he said.
Beard said the best part of the job is being inside the ropes with the players. The worst, he says, is when the wind blows hard like it did last year.
“The signs were spinning,” he said. You couldn’t hold them against the wind.”
Beard also said he’d like to follow in his dad’s footsteps and chair, say, the 2029 Players Championship.
“Hopefully. I have loved to volunteer most of my life,” he said.
356-2466