HANOVER – Rex Whitney’s friend didn’t give up much information. Sure, he said, he could score Rex seats to see the Red Sox at Fenway Park Wednesday night, but he wasn’t making any promises about how good they might be.
Living in Alexandria, Va., these days, Rex probably would have welcomed standing room with an obstructed view at Fenway. But as it turned out his friend was having a little fun with him because the seats were good. Real good in fact. Monster seats. Front row Monster seats.
It’s a pretty safe bet that when something like that isn’t necessarily the highlight of your week you are enjoying a pretty good week. And Rex Whitney, who turned 28 Friday, is having a good one. So are his oldest brother Drew, who lives in Reno, Nev., middle brother Bart, who lives in Charlotte, N.C., and his parents, Doug and Martha, who live in the college town of Brevard, N.C.
The Whitneys, you see, are together as a family for the first time since Rex graduated from James Madison University in 2008. And what do they have to thank for bringing them together? The same thing that has brought so many brothers and fathers and sons and friends together the last week of July for 36 years now.
The Tommy Keane Invitational golf tournament at Hanover Country Club.
Not that the Whitneys are strangers to Hanover. They lived here for 37-plus years before Doug and Martha retired to North Carolina to be near Bart and their two grandchildren.
Nor are they strangers to the TKI.
Doug says he’s played in the event so many times over the years he’s lost count. Rex, a top New Hampshire junior when he was at Hanover High, teamed with Bart to win the Keane in 2004 and won it again in ’06 with Jake Obar. All three Whitney boys carried bags in the tournament when they were younger.
“The older two used to caddie every year in the TK,” Martha said. “Rex was born early in the morning on the Friday of the TK 28 years ago today. When Doug brought Drew and Bart in to see the baby they took one look and said, ‘See ya,’ and they were off to the course.”
The thought of coming back this year was planted in Doug’s head when he teamed with old Hanover friend John Manchester to win the member-guest at his home course in Brevard, Connestee Falls Golf Club. Rex, meanwhile, hadn’t played much golf the past couple of years but he was getting the itch after watching Woodstock’s Keegan Bradley win a PGA Tour event and hearing reports about talented young Upper Valley players like 2008 TKI champion Peter Williamson and 2010 champion Nick MacDonald.
Depending on who you ask, Rex decided to play in Hanover after Doug and Martha said they were coming, or Doug and Martha decided to come after Rex committed.
Either way, when he heard his parents and baby brother would be in Hanover Drew left a message on his folks’ answering machine that he’d be flying east to serve as a cheerleader. With that, Bart got on the horn to Hanover pro Alex Kirk and that quickly Drew went from being a cheerleader to Bart’s teammate. Rex would play with high school teammate Nick Lorusso while Doug would team up with his member-guest partner Manchester.
“Isn’t that what the tournament is all about,” marveled six-time champion Scott Peters, who helps run the event. “In many ways it is as much a reunion every year as it is a golf tournament. It’s good competitive golf with good people who come back every year.”
People like a family that traveled a combined 5,248 miles to be together once more at the Tommy Keane Invitational.
“At 72 years of age, in good health and with the whole family here?,” said Doug Whitney. “It doesn’t get any better than this.”
DIVOTS
Rex Whitney and Nick Lorusso carded a 70 to earn the seventh seed in the championship flight. Bart and Drew Whitney shot 75 and are the seventh seed in the first flight while Doug Whitney and John Manchester shot 82 and are seeded fourth in the second flight. …
Hartford High golf coach Mike Hathorn and former Hurricane standout Mitch Cable claimed medalist honors with a 65 although it is believed the medalists have never won the tournament. …
Mike and Scott Peters shot 66 to earn the second seed as they bid to break a tie with six-time champion Brian Doyle for the most TKI wins. … Defending champions Nick and Shane MacDonald shot even-par 71. … Peter Williams, who teamed with father Doug to win the 2008 title and take medalist honors last year with a 62, withdrew from the tournament to play in the Ouimet Memorial. While he was finishing tied for the lead after 54 holes but losing in a playoff in Massachusetts Doug was teaming up with 2010 Hanover High graduate John Chobanian to shoot 70 and claim the 12th seed in the championship flight. …
Mitch Cable won two of the four closest-to-the pin contests at 4 feet, 10 inches on No. 4 and 8-2 at No. 5. The closest shot of the day was by Mike Kelley, who was 13 inches from the hole on 14. …
Match play begins Saturday morning and continues through Sunday afternoon.
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