Palmer, Piller add local spice to Dean & DeLuca at Colonial
Colonial Country Club member Ryan Palmer, and Fort Worth resident Martin Piller, are among players on the Dean & DeLuca Invitational leader board after Thursday’s opening round.
Palmer, Piller, Jason Dufner, and Kyle Reifers are tied for fifth place at 4-under 66, two shots behind leader Bryce Molder.
“I can step on to each tee and don’t even need my yardage book,” said Palmer, whose caddie, James Edmondson, is also a member. “It was a solid day. I hit the ball well today. A few putts out there I think I left out, but overall to shoot 4-under out here on a Thursday, you’re never hurting.”
Piller, who is in the tournament on a sponsor’s exemption, was 1-over when he made the turn, after starting on the 10th tee, but he shot a 5-under 30 on his back nine.
First Responders
Hugs, handshakes and heroism.
All of those elements came together at the First Financial Bank tent on the 17th fairway Thursday.
In celebration of First Responders Appreciation Day, First Financial Bank invited 250 first responders to the event, including Fort Worth police officer Matthew Pearce, who was shot multiple times on March 15 while in pursuit of a wanted man and his son in far west Fort Worth.
I want to watch some golf.
Police officer Mattew Pearce
who is recovering from multiple gunshot wounds.“It’s been a long couple of months. We’ve come a long way,” said Pearce, who was greeted with a flood of handshakes and well-wishes from the gathering. “It’s an honor, just like it is for all these other guys.”
Pearce, riding in a wheelchair, went inside the tent briefly then came outside and began visiting with friends.
“I want to watch some golf,” Pearce said.
Later, Mayor Betsy Price joined the gathering.
“Hi, Matt,” Price said while giving Pearce a hug. “Being home agrees with you.
“This young man is a survivor.”
Among those in the crowd was police officer James Gray, a longtime friend of Pearce.
It makes me emotional to see people come out with this support. We love the job we do. We don’t do it for thank yous.
Police officer James Gray
“I worked with him for years,” Gray said. “First Financial set this up and put it out through their communications. It’s a great setting.”
Gray perhaps best summed up the event that had representatives of the police, fire and ambulance.
“It makes me emotional to see people come out with this support,” Gray said. “We love the job we do. We don’t do it for thank yous.”
New player perks
Defending champion Chris Kirk, who shot even-par 70 Thursday, said new tournament sponsor Dean & DeLuca is noticeable change — off the course.
“A lot of little goodies laying around the locker room, the chocolate covered malt balls or gummy bears. Yes, the caviar, the fancy balsamic vinegar. They’ve got it all,” he said. “Anything that you can think of that you can grab in a little tin, they make the best you’ve ever had of that.
“They’ve had a pretty good supply of that in the locker room this week. It’s been nice. It seems like a cool place. They’ve got some nice stuff.”
Double disaster
Jason Kokrak took a quintuple-bogey-9 on No. 18, dropping him from a tie for first to 1-under 69 and a tie for 27th.
Kokrak, who tied for 18th at Colonial in 2013, hit two balls into Crampton’s Lake, beside the 18th green, for starters. He needed two more shots to get out of the rough, then he two-putted to avoid a 10.
This story was originally published May 26, 2016 at 8:34 PM with the headline "Palmer, Piller add local spice to Dean & DeLuca at Colonial."