Tools

Handicap: 0.

How much do you play? Probably 3-4 times a month, 50 rounds a year. When I was younger, and when the weather was good, I played every day.

When/why did you take up the game? I was 3 years old. My father used to take me out, let me ride around. He cut me off a set of clubs — a pitching wedge, 7 iron, driver, putter. I just really enjoyed it. I played a lot of sports growing up. When I was probably 10 or 11, I quit most of them and really started concentrating on golf.

Where do you play? Pleasant Valley CC.

What’s your best score? I shot 65 at Pleasant Valley one day, not in a tournament. Maybe a little money was on the line.

If you had to choose one amateur partner in a four-ball, who would that be? My good buddy Joey Nichols. We play in the [ASGA] State Four-Ball every year. We’ve finished second three or four times.

If you could partner with one pro, who? This might throw some people off, but I would choose Bernhard Langer. The reason is, there’s a disease in putting called the yips. I’ve had ’em since I was 16 and Bernhard has gone through them several times. It would be interesting to see how he gets through them.

“Caddieshack” or “Tin Cup”? “Caddieshack”

What’s your best golf memory? My best and worst at the same time. I was a sophomore at Catholic HS playing in the overall at PV. I eagled No. 18 to get into a playoff against Joey Nichols. I was very excited about that. We proceeded to go to No. 1 and I proceeded to 3 putt when I had a 2-footer to win. The other best one, I played in the U.S. Amateur in 1994 at Sawgrass.

If you couldn’t be playing golf you’d be ….? Fishing.

What type clubs do you play/prefer? Mizuno irons. I have a Titleist 3-wood and Adams driver, Odyssey putter.

What’s the best course you’ve played?
Muirfield Village, Columbus (Dublin), Ohio. I played my first-ever college tournament there. Man, it’s unbelievable. Manicured tee boxes that are like our greens around here, cut so low. A great place.

What’s the course you’d love to play that you haven’t?
Augusta National.

What’s the best hole in Arkansas? No. 9 at PV.

If they held a tournament of the top CEOs in Arkansas, who would win it? Stan Payne.

(More at Arkansas' Top Executive Golfers.)