The TOUR Championship. The golf tournament that crowns the FedEx Cup Champion. But the TOUR Championship is more than a golf tournament, it is an event that brings the community together, a fundraiser for the East Lake community, and last but not least, it is a reflection of the late Tom Cousins’ impact on the East Lake community. Tom Cousins was a real estate developer and philanthropist who partnered with residents, government, and businesses to revitalize the East Lake community. He used East Lake Golf Club and the TOUR Championship to help with the revitalization.
On to the highlight of the day, the HOPE Tee Shot, hit by Aiko Benford, a junior at Druid Hills High School, and Sam West, a senior at Drew Charter School. These individuals were selected to hit the Ceremonial HOPE Tee Shot, a tradition of The First Tee of Metro Atlanta, at East Lake. During the ceremony, there were tributes from their families, a video tribute for Tom Cousins, and many sponsors of the TOUR were recognized. This special moment ended with both Aiko and Sam crushing their balls down the middle.
After the Ceremonial HOPE Tee Shot, I connected with Reggie Chatman with 11 Alive. I spent most of my morning with him. I was luckily able to interview my teammate and close friend, Sam West. I wanted to get a sense of how he was feeling about the whole process and the shot, so I asked a couple of questions. With lots of anticipation, the first question I asked was, “How were you feeling when you were walking to the tee box after you were introduced?” Before he could answer, we shared a laugh because he knew that I knew he was really nervous, but he said, “Man, my heart was beating so fast! I was so nervous. But when I got ready to hit, I felt everything I needed to feel, then I just hit it.” It’s safe to say from the interview that he was nervous, but he handled it well.
After I interviewed Sam, Reggie and I watched the first two groups tee off. As I watched him work, I got to ask him a couple of questions as well. I got to learn his story about getting into this field, and it definitely sounded like he enjoys what he does. One question I asked was, “Have you ever been to the Masters?” Before he could answer, I saw the excitement that was coming, and he quickly said, “Yes!” I then proceeded to ask, “Is it as good as it seems on TV?” He replied, “Bro, it’s even better!” From here, we went down a rabbit hole about Augusta National and his personal experience covering the Masters and attending as a patron. Although I only had a few hours with Reggie Chatman, I enjoyed every second of it, and I am beyond grateful for him allowing me to be with him for the day.
By Justin Clay, Drew Charter School Senior and Varsity Golfer
