An emotional Mark O’Meara holed out his ultimate professional putt immediately, abandoning a decades-long profession.
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Mark O’Meara took his ultimate stroll up No. 18 on the PURE Insurance coverage Championship, closing out a 44-year professional profession that included two main victories and 16 PGA Tour wins.
There couldn’t have been a extra epic setting, because the 67-year-old capped his illustrious profession from Pebble Seaside, a spot the place he was victorious fives occasions on the PGA Tour and as soon as as an novice.
As one would possibly anticipate, O’Meara couldn’t maintain again his feelings. Not from this second, nor from this place meaning a lot to him.
Following his ultimate professional putt, O’Meara gracefully walked off the inexperienced waving his hat in direction of the applauding crowd, soaking in each ounce of vitality and love from followers younger and outdated.
Requested about what he felt throughout this ultimate spherical, O’Meara referenced a laundry checklist of reminiscences from Pebble Seaside, and thanked the celebrated course for all it gave him all through the years.
“It means all the things. I imply, all the things that’s transpired in my life right here is, Pebble Seaside has been the dream,” he stated. “With that, coming right here in ’78, taking part in the state novice in ’79, profitable the state novice at Pebble Seaside. My nice fortunate fortunes through the years to play properly round this iconic place, the wins that I’ve had right here, the reminiscences of profitable the final Crosby to taking part in with my father within the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-am and profitable the championship alongside my dad.
“I imply, I owe all the things to Pebble Seaside, it’s only a blessing to have the ability to end my profession right here.”
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As he made the sluggish stroll across the ultimate few holes, O’Meara stated actuality started to set in as he noticed household and buddies displaying their help.
“The final couple holes, once I see my family and friends out right here, they’re supporting me,” O’Meara added. “My daughter, Michelle, guys which have labored for me, my caddies of previous years and my spouse, different buddies which have flown in to have fun this event with me, I imply, how will you not be emotional? I’m emotional nonetheless proper now.”
As soon as O’Meara made his option to No. 18, his feelings bought the very best of him, with tears starting to swell in his eyes as his thoughts started embracing all of the reminiscences from through the years.
“Look, I’m nonetheless teary eyed, I’m nonetheless form of considerably crying. And do I feel I’m an emotional man? I’m somewhat bit, however it’s somewhat overwhelming coming down the final gap, even on the seventeenth gap seeing a good friend of mine who’s caddying for one more participant out right here who caddied for me for quite a few years, one other — you understand, Mitch Windsor who 3 caddies for Steve Flesch, after which Shane Joel who caddies for Doug Ghim on the common tour who caddied for me for 10 years, to see that he would take the time to return up right here and watch me go round.”
Whereas there’s a little bit of an unknown for O’Meara now that he’s accomplished with aggressive golf, he’s embracing the modifications, and says “it’s OK to decelerate somewhat bit” now that he’s in his late-60s. It’s now time for him to faucet into a few of his hobbies — whereas nonetheless holding the sport of golf inside arm’s attain.
“I imply, I’ll nonetheless keep lively within the recreation,” O’Meara proclaimed. “I received’t compete at this excessive stage, however I really feel a calling that I need to keep concerned within the recreation.
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“And I’ve a variety of hobbies that I like outdoors the sport — whether or not it’s in a river fly fishing someplace or driving snowmobiles up within the backcountry — these are issues that I like to do. Spend extra time with my household and never really feel like I’ve bought to get on a airplane and journey a lot and sit in resort rooms on my own.”
As O’Meara wrapped up, he couldn’t maintain again his thanks for Pebble Seaside — a spot that noticed a few of his biggest successes as a participant.
“I’m grateful for each second that I’ve strolling round this place,” he added. “It’s not like I’ll by no means come again to Pebble Seaside once more, however the truth to have the ability to finish a aggressive 44-year profession at Pebble Seaside, yeah, I couldn’t have picked a extra big day and a extra particular place.”
