Keeping Score, Labor of Love for Chris and Sandy Wernette at the Tullymore Classic

Keeping Score, Labor of Love for Chris and Sandy Wernette at the Tullymore Classic

CANADIAN LAKES – Chris and Sandy Wernette have been married almost 48 years, but who is keeping score?

Well, they are.

The Canadian Lakes residents and Tullymore Golf Club members are two of the on-course scorers volunteering for duty this weekend at the Symetra Tour’s Tullymore Classic at Tullymore Golf Resort.

The on-course scorers keep track of hole scores, of course, but also whether each player in the group hits tee shots in the fairway or not, and whether they reach the green in the regulation one shot on a par 3, two shots on a par 4 and three shots on a par 5, and the number of putts each player uses on each hole. That information is then radioed to the live scoring volunteers who post it on-line for the Symetra Tour officials.

The Wernettes are second-year scorers. They also volunteered for the first Tullymore Classic and requested the scoring job once again.

“We were both educators in our careers so we have been around kids all of our working lives,” Chris said. “These are great young people trying to be successful, and it is fun to be around them.”

Sandy said she enjoys getting to know each group and marvels at their golf skills. The on-course scorers work with different groups each day.

“They are wonderful kids, and like I say, I love to talk to them,” she said. “They are just lots of fun. And to see what they can do is great. You hear people say the girls are not any good, but they are good. They are very good, and a lot of the girls from last year made it to the LPGA. They are good and they are really working hard.”

Volunteer Team Leader Dale Nester said several of the people who experience on-course scoring last year wanted to do it again in year two of the tournament.

“They get to meet the golfers, and they get to be inside the ropes and enjoy great golf with different groups each day,” he said. “If you like golf, and you understand it, it’s a great job.”

Chris said the scoring is not especially difficult, in fact rather easy if you are a golfer.

“We have training, or in our case re-training, and we go right out on the course to train,” he said. “Once you’ve done it a few times, you have it. It’s not really complicated. If you understand golf and you pay attention to make sure you know what each player is doing, you will be fine.”

Sandy said having some golf background is important.

“Then you know if they are taking a drop, or hitting a provisional and you can keep up with what is really going on,” she said. “It helps if you know your stuff.”

Chris, who taught primarily high school students in his career, and Sandy, who taught primarily junior high students, met when they were teaching in Chicago. Sandy is from Chicago, and Chris is a native of Remus.

“We’re very comfortable dealing with young people,” Chris said. “It does help keep you feeling younger, too.”

Sandy said the golfers have impressed her as people.

“They all seem so talented, but also very appreciative of what they are doing and the volunteers who are out on the course,” she said.

-Greg Johnson