May is in full swing here at the Brickyard. The first weekend of qualifying is over, and congrats to the Penske organization for winning the prestigious pole for the Indianapolis 500 set to run May 24.

The Players Championship finished last week. Pretty shocking that Tiger did not win. As a matter of fact, Tiger never threatened as he got off to a bad start and never recovered.

Tiger was interviewed after the round and explained how he was hitting these “high right spinners,” which means there is something new in the swing that isn’t working. Some people are saying the bulking up of his upper body is hurting him. I think maybe a new swing will be brought out at the U.S. Open next month. You can’t play the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black with a high slice and ankle-deep rough.

Here at the Brickyard, we have enjoyed some good golf activity although the weather has not been the greatest. But we have been getting by.

Next week is a big week leading up to the race. The big event of the week for us is the annual The Rollie golf tournament. This tournament is in honor of my father, who was the professional here for 39 years. He just rolled into town last weekend and will spend the summer here and then head south when the weather turns cool around October.

We are pleased to announce that this year’s tournament is being sponsored by IZOD. There are also a few associate sponsors that help out with food and beverage, such as Jug’s Catering and IMS Food and Beverage. The tournament couldn’t be a success without them, and a big thank you goes out to all of them.

A sad part of this month is that two of the biggest supporters and participants of The Rollie, and also when it was known as the annual Race Drivers tournament, are not with us anymore. Those two gentlemen are Jug Eckert and Lloyd Ruby.

Jug always supplied the food and drink for the after golf party and awards. Lloyd always worked behind the scenes getting other drivers to play, getting the accessory companies to donate items and basically made sure that everyone had as good as time as he did. Those two will be sadly missed.

Until next week, keep it down the middle and don’t forget the Brickyard is open during qualifications this weekend.

Jeff Schroeder

PGA Head Professional

Brickyard Crossing