BY MIKE WARREN

EDITOR

STEVENS POINT – When Vance Welch left Washington, D.C. on June 27 headed for SentryWorld in Stevens Point, he knew he was a longshot to make the field of 156 golfers as an alternate for the 43rd U.S. Senior Open. What he was certain of, however, is that he would at least be able to get a caddie once he arrived for a practice round the following day. He was mistaken. Enter volunteer marshal Kurt Krueger of Minocqua.

Krueger was one of the 2,000-plus volunteers working in various roles during the week of the U.S. Senior Open, which included practice rounds June 26-28, and four rounds of competition June 29-July 2. During the afternoon of June 28, Krueger was working as a marshal on the 1st tee box, operating paddles to indicate a golfer had teed off and which direction his ball was heading.

“And an amateur showed up who had driven all the way from D.C. overnight and arrived at 1:15 in the afternoon, and did not have a caddie,” Kruger told the Gazette June 29. “He was trying to work with the pro shop to get a caddie arranged and was back and forth three times and still couldn’t get one. And I was standing there, and I said, ‘You need someone to loop for ya, I’ll do it.’ He goes, ‘I’m an amateur. I don’t have any money.’ I said, ‘I’m not looking for money. I’m looking for the experience.’ And he’s like, ‘You’re hired.’ And (Hole Captain) Ron (Benhoff) was kind enough to cut me loose, and I ended up carrying his clubs for 18 holes.”

Welch, who less than a month ago was the top-ranked player in Golfweek’s Senior Amateur Rankings, is now ranked No.2, and three pros qualified ahead of him for the Open at SentryWorld.

“Very cool,” Krueger said of the experience. “He is an absolute class act. He was thanking every marshal along the way.”

Speaking of class acts, Krueger – who decided to leave Stevens Point a day early and head for home – gave Welch his hotel room for that night, because he could not get one at the last minute.

“I got my grandkids up north, but I was gonna stay tonight (June 29) and come tomorrow and spectate, but I decided that grandkids are more important, so I gave him my hotel room and he’s gonna hang around, just to drink in a little more of the experience. Plus he drove 15 hours just to get here.”

Welch and Krueger were joined on the back nine by Jerry Springer, who missed the cut at plus-16 for the first two rounds.