Deutsche Bank Championship returns to Norton
By Mike LaCrosse
NORTON, MA (WLNE-TV / ABC6) – Playoff golf returns to southern New England this week as the Deutsche Bank Championship kicks off at TPC Boston.
The latest leg of the FedExCup 2015 playoff features the top 100 players in the game.
“What we have this year is the worlds best players many of which are young. Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose. They’ve really risen to the occasion on the PGA Tours biggest stage,” said Tiger Woods Foundation Vice President Mike Antolini.
Behind those great golfers are the more than fifteen hundred volunteers affectionately known as “The Blue Crew.” The army of help also caters to the one hundred thousand fans that’ll line the fairways this holiday weekend.
“We have people that do anything and everything you can possibly imagine,” said volunteer Lee Esckilsen.
Esckilsen is a Pawtucket resident and sports management professor at Johnson and Wales. He’s volunteered at the tournament since it started in 2003.
“Golf is one of my passions so I was able to combine the two. What I do for a living and also what I love to do when I’m not teaching so it was a natural for me,” said Esckilsen.
A lot of the volunteers who have been apart of the tournament for years have gotten to know a lot of the players.
“Jason Day, you know we have become very good friends. Tiger Woods is very nice friendly guy,” said volunteer Romy Galiguis.
The volunteers work for a total of 20 hours, or three shifts. This year the search is on for the top volunteer with the PGA Tour Volunteer Challenge. People can vote for their pick until noon Sunday. The volunteer with the most votes will present a check for $10,000 in his or her name to the Tiger Woods Foundation.
The foundation is the driving force behind the DBC. Since the tournaments, start it’s raised more then $26 million for the Tiger Woods Foundation and other non-profits in the region.
The festivities kicks off Thursday morning with the Pro-Am and the first round starts Friday morning.
To vote for a volunteer check out – PGATOUR.com/Volunteers.
© WLNE-TV / ABC6 2015
