A golfer who will be walking the course at the Wyndham Championship on Sunday is responsible for Gary Bowman’s start in volunteering. And no, it’s not a PGA TOUR pro, it’s his son.
“[My son] played high school golf, so he was involved in it,” Bowman said. “I volunteered at the Wyndham mainly because of him. I play golf. I’m not very good. I never was very good. But he got me involved in golf, and we’ve got what we do. We were at Forest Oaks when we started, and ever since, I’ve just loved it. It’s awesome.”
After starting as a gallery marshal, Bowman transitioned to standard bearer. From there, he could be inside the ropes and interact with the players more. Beyond that, the Wyndham Championship means something to Bowman because of folks other than the players.
“The people in there,” Bowman said, referring to the volunteer tent. “Those are awesome crews. The volunteers are always so helpful. I’m a very giving person and like to get involved. So it’s just right up my alley. I love it.”
Like many of the standard bearers before him, Bowman’s favorite memory comes from a round that went awry.
“Every year is great, but the biggest memory I’ve had was the one time an awful storm hit,” Bowman said. “It raged for about four or five hours, and we just sat there. I was on the 18th green and if we could’ve just done two more shots I would’ve been done for the day. We came back in [the volunteer tent] and sat down, but it was nice to hang with the guys you knew.”
“Every year is fresh, every year is different, every year is new,” Bowman said on what makes the Wyndham Championship special. “The environment is so uplifting and so energizing. Here is a great place to be.”
Thank you for everything, Gary!
