For the first time since we have been here in the Bahamas, I am not participating in the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational Golf Tournament. I have been busy with other things. Usually I volunteer as a scorer for the first two days and then caddy for the celebrities during the last two days of the tournament. This will be the last Michael Jordan tournament held in the Bahamas. The contract has expired.The Lovely One and I walked around the Ocean Club Golf Course where it is being held. It is a five minute walk from our house. The first thing that I saw when I entered, were the "regular" autograph seekers". They buy old sports magazines at yard sales, garage sales and such and then get the celebs to autograph the pictures. The autographed pic then goes on eBay. These guys share a hotel room, eat Ramen noodles for the whole time that they are here, and make a bit of money.
There is a discrepancy between the list of celebs on the official website and who actually shows up. The website does state that the list is liable to change due to scheduling conflicts. For example, Derek Jeter was listed to attend for the past two years, and has never shown.
The list of celebrities attending this year are as follows (I got the list from the Pairing Matchup sheets from the organizers).
- Wayne and Janet Gretzky -hockey player and wife
- Paul O'Neill (this ex-NY Yankee has played in groups that I have caddied for and he is a great guy and a gracious celeb)
- Roger Clemens (again, I have caddied in a group with Roger and he is a good guy. I would jump at the chance to caddy for Roger. He is friendly as well. On the very first hole, even though I was caddying for Boris Becker, he walked up and shook my hand and said "I'm Roger".
- Ken Griffey Jr.
- Brett Hull the hockey player
- Mario Lemieux (this hockey player is a lot taller than he looks like on ice)
- Penny Hardaway - NBA basketballer
- Grant Show -played Jake Hanson on Melrose Place
- Michael Jordan
- Vince Coleman - baseball player
- Chris Doleman - football, defensive end
- Johnny Damon -- New York Yankees star. Johnny has a broad southern accent. He told me how he likes to go fishing in his native Florida. Nice, nice guy.
- Stone Phillips - ex NBC Dateline anchor
- Aidan Quinn - actor
- John Smoltz - baseballer. I have caddied for a group that he has played in.
- Marcus Allen -ex footballer
- Eric Dickerson - ex footballer
- Chris Tucker -actor
- Alan Thicke - Canadian actor
- Flex Alexander -actor/comedian
- Julius Irving - the great Dr. J of basketball fame
- Mike Piazza -- catcher. He has been in a group that I have caddied for. He is an extremely nice guy, and can hit the golf ball a mile. Every time that he used his driver, we called it "Air Piazza"
- Charles Oakley - basketballer
- Lawrence Taylor -- football
- Richard Dent - football
- CC Sabathia -- NY Yankees pitchers. A gracious man. I helped him find a lost golf ball.
- Michael Crabtree - footballer
- Mia Hamm -- female soccer star
- Dre Bly - football
- Adrian Young - drummer for the rock band "No Doubt"
- Dan Jansen - speed skater and Olympic star
- John Ventimiglia - actor from the Sopranos
- Jerome Bettis -football
- Stuart Scott -ESPN announcer
- Kenny Lofton -baseballer
- Brandi Chastain -- female soccer star -- famous for taking off her shirt on the field after winning the gold medal
- Billy Crudup -actor
- Ben Roethlisberger - quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers -- Big Ben
- Brian Baumgartner -- actor from the show "The Office". I have bad karma with this guy. Not only did I bop him in the head with a golf bag (he stooped to pick up his ball and I swung into him) but I also accidentally stepped on his ball and drove it in the earth.
When I first caddied, I caddied for Boris Kodjoe. Then I caddied in his group the following year. He is not here this year, as well as Boris Becker. Last year they had James Caan and Samuel L. Jackson and Bill Clinton among the celebrities.
I have very fond memories of the MJ Tournament that I will always cherish.
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