FORT WORTH, Texas — Sean Henggeler and his buddies were wheeling around in a souped-up golf cart on Saturday morning, preparing for the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge like they do every spring.
Even with steamy conditions — temperatures in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex are expected to approach 100 degrees for Sunday’s final round — there was all the frivolity and enthusiasm of a major college football tailgate as the trio sped back and forth in anticipation.
Henggeler, Michael Buster and Brett Sandstrom are breaking ground this week, and they know it — they’re among the first “live” fans of a major sporting event since the pandemic took hold.
In compliance with COVID-19 protocols, the PGA Tour isn’t allowing fans on the hallowed grounds of Colonial Country Club.
But just outside and above it? That’s a different matter.
[vertical-gallery id=778048947]
When Henggeler’s father, Pat, heard they wouldn’t be able to attend the tournament, he put the family to work, knowing their property sits behind a parking lot that’s adjacent to the No. 15 green and No. 16 tee.
“With corona and everything, we couldn’t go, so we said we wanted to bring the fans over here and still let them watch golf,” Sean Henggeler said. “(My parents) just decided to do it.”
The grandstands, which rise high above the family’s backyard fence, took two days to construct and cost “a few thousand dollars,” according to the family.
“We had people out here climbing around all day, putting this thing together,” Sean Henggeler said.
The final result is a Wrigley rooftop-like experience, complete with a live announcer, full bar, TV screens to capture all the action, port-a-potties, and even a charity collection for the nearby Colonial of Kids CASA organization, which typically fundraises during the event with a lemonade stand near the club’s entrance.
A handful of other platforms have popped up outside the course, although the Henggelers’ might be the most elaborate.
No fans at Colonial?
Not hardly#pgatour #golf #NYTimes @CSChallengeFW pic.twitter.com/QuGVQiosvE— Bill Nichols (@BillRNichols) June 13, 2020
Buster, a longtime family friend, was ecstatic when he caught wind of the plan.
“I told them I’m going to be over the whole week. I will not be leaving here,” he said. “It’s electric. It’s a party. Especially when the guy’s on the mic introducing the players, it doesn’t get any better than that.”
Wait, what? Guy on the mic? At a professional golf tournament?
That’s right, the Henggelers even pulled a karaoke-style microphone setup onto the grandstand, complete with a speaker that booms over the adjacent parking lot and onto the course.
The players, who might typically be annoyed by such distractions, seem to be getting a kick out of it. The silence has been palpable at Colonial and Tour players are welcoming a chance to interact with the small group as they turn down the course’s backstretch.
Photos | Leaderboard | Updates
When Bryson DeChambeau, who has added 40 pounds of muscle the past eight months, came through to the No. 16 tee during the second round, the Henggelers’ announcer introduced him as “weighing in at 350 pounds.”
DeChambeau waved, appreciatively.
“I thought it was amazing what they did, saying I was coming in at 300 or whatever pounds — that was funny,” DeChambeau told the media after his 65 on Friday. “I really enjoyed that. It’s fun to have people rooting for you every once in a while out there. We don’t get that very much right now.”
Friday’s action brought about 100 people to the temporary seating, all of whom tried to obey the rules of social distancing. It’s worth any hassle, if it means resuming a tradition that many thought would be interrupted by the pandemic.
“Colonial’s the biggest thing we do, other than the rodeo. We’ve been doing this for many, many years, but usually, we’re out there,” Sandstrom said. “And we want to be out there so bad. But when this went up it was like, ‘OK, we’re still good. We still can get out here and do this.’ It’s special.”
Expectations for Sunday are a little lighter as Henggeler said many like to watch the final round from home. But because of the overwhelming response, would the family consider building a similar structure every year?
“No, we won’t do this in the future, in upcoming years,” Henggeler said. “We don’t want to compete with their tickets.”
[lawrence-related id=778048309,778048184,778047630]