Golf lessons are reserved for weekends. It’s a welcome change of pace from all the public-relations activity Tacoma’s Kenny Evans has been swallowed up by in the past month.
Evans showed up at the Tacoma Firs Golf Center on Saturday afternoon with a set of clubs in hand, ready to see teaching professional Todd Erwin.
As he came in, Erwin was heading out.
A blank look came over Evans’ face.
Erwin explained: You missed your morning lesson slot by a few hours – a time reserved weeks ago.
Obviously, Evans had forgotten the arrangement. And it isn’t difficult to figure out why because his life has been turned upside down by his mission to compete in the Golf Digest/U.S. Open Challenge in June.
What started as a 60-word essay sent in to the folks at NBC and Golf Digest has turned into a quest to play one of the finest golf courses in the world – under the most harrowing conditions of a U.S. Open setup.
If Evans, 44. a 1983 Clover Park High graduate, wins the online popular vote by fans – he is one of five finalists – he will tee it up with NFL quarterback Drew Brees, former NHL star Wayne Gretzky and actor Mark Wahlberg in a nationally televised 18-hole round at Pebble Beach Golf Links in California.
“Kenny has got a job. He’s got a family, and he’s trying to pull all this stuff together,” Erwin said. “It’s a crapshoot. Hopefully, he makes it.”
The idea of a U.S. Open Challenge stemmed from a post-round comment made by Tiger Woods at the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club outside Pittsburgh.
The course was playing so difficult, Woods declared that a 10-handicapper could not break 100 strokes.
NBC and Golf Digest were willing to find out. They became partners in what has become the annual U.S. Open Challenge.
“I heard about it the first year, and didn’t apply for it,” Evans said. “Last year, I heard about it and forgot about the date (to apply by). And last year’s winner (Larry Giebelhausen) was a police officer in Phoenix when I lived in Scottsdale (Ariz.).”
Last December, Evans decided to apply, sending in a short essay explaining how playing Pebble Beach would change his life.
In January, he got an e-mail verifying he had made the first cut of 50 golfers – out of thousands who applied.
After an interview, he made the second cut to 13 semifinalists who were flown to Orlando, Fla., in February for a three-day retreat with NBC officials.
In late March, Evans received word he was one of the five finalists.
Since April 1, the Verizon Wireless financial officer and father of four, who recently moved back to the area in Renton, has been on a campaign to attract as many online votes as possible.
Evans has handed out postcards during lunch hour in downtown Seattle. He’s handed out fliers at Mariners games. He’s contacted the alumni association at the University of Oklahoma to help spread the word.
His car is plastered with signage, telling people to vote for him – and how.
He started accounts on Twitter (twitter.com/Vote4KennyEvans) and Facebook (http//nb-no.facebook.com/pages/Seattle-WA/Kenny-Evans-Golf-Digest-US-Open-Challenge-Pebble-Beach/10851924250342) specific to his task.
He’s up at 6 a.m. to answer e-mails before he goes off to work, and usually doesn’t finish up until well past midnight.
“It’s become a second job,” Evans said. “I literally tell people I have more hands to shake and babies to kiss.”
Oh, and the missed golf lesson? He was in Seattle that morning handing out fliers, naturally.
As the former mascot at Oklahoma Sooners basketball games, and then with the Globetrotters, Evans has wide-ranging contacts, such as former NBA players Stacey King and Chris Webber to help. Former NFL running back Joe Washington contacted him to say he was in his corner. On board is Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops.
“My goal is 250,000 to 300,000 (votes),” said Evans, who grew up playing on the Fort Steilacoom and Whispering Firs golf courses in Pierce County.
“That is the confidence I have. That is how many people I know.”
The venture comes with one big risk if he does not win: disappointment.
“I’m sure it would be a letdown, but he also knows it’s one out of five chances now,” said Kortnee Evans, his wife. “We’re just hoping for the best.”
Kenny Evans is certainly a qualified candidate. He’s a 7-handicap. He has shot even-par several times on difficult layouts. He’s sharpening up his game with Erwin, whom he’s asked to come with him to Pebble Beach as his caddie.
“He doesn’t seem to get all worked up about playing Pebble Beach,” Erwin said. “He comes down, we talk about the shots he needs to hit – low shots, and little wedge shots in case he gets into the hay.”
And over the past month, in crazed contest-winning mode, Evans knows he’s likely been a PR pest.
“I tell people,” he said, “I’ll apologize from the 18th hole at Pebble Beach.”
Todd Milles: 253-597-8442
todd.milles@thenewstribune.com
HELP THE MAN OUT
Thousands of golfers applied. Only five got through. One of them is Tacoma’s Kenny Evans, who has a chance to earn a spot in the Golf Digest/U.S. Open Challenge-winning group with celebrities Drew Brees, Wayne Gretzky and Mark Wahlberg to play Pebble Beach Golf Links in early June.
An online-only popular vote by the fans determines the winner. Here’s how to cast a vote:
• Log on to gdopencontest.com, and cast a vote through your e-mail address.
• Vote once a day per e-mail address.
• Each voter automatically is entered in a vacation-for-two sweepstakes to San Francisco.
• Voting ends Friday.
Todd Milles, staff writer
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