Staff Writer for Bunkers Paradise

In my pursuit of being picked to Play Famously for Team JPX and Mizuno Golf I have hit the twitter pretty hard. I have tried to reach as many people that I thought might be able to share my story and this blog. In doing so I have caught the eye of several people who have been very kind to me and one is Ken Lee the Senior Editor of Bunkers Paradise. When I was hitting the twitter world with my story I came across a golf website that I had followed for a year or so reading articles and entering contest and so I sent Bunkers Paradise a tweet that said something like, If I get picked to Play famously for Mizuno maybe I could write for you guys. That day I got a Direct Message from Ken Lee asking what I would write about and what my interest in golf might be and then he told me that he was looking for a Staff Writer to write about various golf related articles and so I started writing. This is the article I wrote that gave Ken the confidence to give me a chance.

The Patriot Cup-Raising awareness and money for Military Families -By Tim Gaestel This Weekend marks the 4th annual Patriots Cup golf tournament held in Owasso, OK honoring the Wounded Veterans through the Folds of Honor organization, it’s a chance for celebrities and Professional golfers a like to raise money for scholarships and awareness for our returning Veterans. This event is described as, “The Most Heroic Round Ever Played” and a tournament that can do a lot for our Veterans and their families. Major Dan Rooney who started the Folds of Honored did so to help support Military families and with achieving a college education. As we look at some of the Pros who are out supporting the Patriot Cup this weekend the names read off like any event on the Tour and I imagine that as more people learn what our Veterans are going through as they return from combat, more and more will join the ranks at this event. This week one of the Professional Golfers out on the course is Scott McCarron, I had the pleasure of playing a round of golf with Scott last year in Las Vegas and it was there that I learned about his support for Veterans. The reason I was able to play the round of golf with Scott is because he chose my story out of thousands for a chance to attend the Justin Timberlake Shriner Open and play a round of golf with a Tour Professional. He picked my entry because my story took place while I was in Iraq and he told me that he had a lot of support for Veterans and our active duty military and wanted to do what he could to show his support. I reached out to Scott to ask him a few questions about the Patriot Cup.

How did you get involved with the Folds of Honor Organization? I met Major Dan Rooney while he was a Professional Golfer and played in the first annual Patriot Cup and it was one of the most worth wild Pro-Am’s I’ve ever had the privilege of playing.

The PGA Tour is very proud of their contributions to charity organizations and there are a lot of choices out there but what makes this event different?

The PGA does a lot of amazing charities but this tournament is special to me because of Major Dan Rooney, he is a very special guy and does a lot for Military families and the problems they face.

Playing in an event like this can take you and the other Tour Professionals away from a lot of money that could be made at a regular event (like the Colonial and the BMW Championship) Why this event? Over the last decade our country has faced a lot and our Veterans have done so much, this organization does a lot to help those who have given so much to our country and their families.

Do you think you will participate in future Patriot Cup tournaments?

I have played in 2 Patriot Cup tournaments with Major Dan Rooney and several Patriot Day Golf events. I had the privilege of playing with Major Dan Rooney’s father once and I hope to continue participating in these events.

How can my readers help the Folds of Honor Organization? Visit the http://www.foldsofhonor.org website and consider donating to help military families.

You may remember Scott McCarron from the controversy over the Ping Eye wedges that Phil Mickelson was using under the legal technicality, when I asked him about it he simply told me he never called Phil a cheater and he was just making a statement about how the loophole wasn't fair to the other players on the Tour. Scott McCarron is a great guy and a great representative for the PGA Tour, and I cant thank Major Dan Rooney more for what he is doing every day. I wish all of the participants in this year’s Patriot Cup the best of luck and raising awareness and money to help Military Families.

Since then Ken made it official on May 29th that I would be joining the Bunkers Paradise team and even published my first story. Here is link to the article. http://www.bunkersparadise.com/what-age-is-too-young-to-compete-on-the-pga-tour/

I am excited to be apart of Bunkers Paradise and look forward to contributing more over various golf related topics.

Thanks! Tim

MY 15 Minutes of fame via ESPN Radio 1300-Matthew Laurance

http://www.wlxg.com/Back-Spin-Golf/16336876

If you go check out the second audio clip on ESPN 1300. I had the pleasure of telling my story to Matthew Laurance (my hero from 90210, Mel Silver) It was also really awesome to hear Joshua Ray's (a member of TEAM JPX) story and I can see why Mizuno Golf would pick him to #playfamously. I really hope that with all of this exposure that I am lucky enough to be picked to join TEAM JPX and also Playfamously. Mizuno Golf has done some amazing things in the game of golf but this contest is certainly going to be one for the books, especially when they send me that email and I do my interview and get selected.

I am so thankful for all those people in the Golf business who have RT'ed me and who have gone as far as sending me a personal message of support! I look forward to the next two weeks to see who gets picked!

GOOD LUCK to all those golfers hoping to make TEAM JPX I know I look forward to the experience of playingfamously.

Tim

How lucky Ive been...Thank you to those who show their support

This Mizuno Contest has been excited! So fun to reach out to other Veterans and other Professional Golfers who have all showed their support for me in this pursuit to #playfamously! Im not sure what criteria Mizuno is using to decide who should play famously but after watching The Golf Father and his consistency and how much he writes about golf I thought I would attempt to gain support from others and hope that Mizuno might pay attention.

We'll see if it worked or it didn't but regardless its been fun talking to so many people who support my goals and who support our soldiers. Thanks to all those listed and all the people who have showed they at least dont mind me sending a million messages out to Twitter using the message to gain support for my goal to grow the game of golf in West Texas and to show Wounded Veterans that they can use golf to help recover like I did. Golf Saved my life.

Matthew Laurance-As a child my sister and I watched 90210, and Matt was the father of Bryan Austin Green, Mel Silver! He now works for ESPN Radio 1300 and does an online sports program and has been very supportive of my goals and giving me a platform to tell my story. I owe him a lot and he thinks I'm the hero...

David Feherty- David sent out a shout out to me and then invited me to come out to his IED golf clinic in San Antonio and I have to say I am so thankful for his generosity and his support for Veterans. Its people like David who make serving my country something to be proud of, and I like to thank all those in uniform and the old Vets for what they did, because they support all of us doing what we love to do.

Jonathan Byrd- Jonathan Byrd was the first Mizuno Staff member to RT my link and has since taking me up on my bet, that if I can beat him on one hole (If I get picked to #playfamously for Mizuno Golf) that he would buy me dinner in Atlanta and if I can't beat him on one hole I buy him dinner) I appreciate his support!

Frank Nobilo- Mr Nobilo was the first Golf Channel Staff to not only Re-Tweet my hope to Playfamously but he also sent me a kind message on his Birthday (Today the 14th of May)

Brent Long- Big Break Mexico Contestant and fellow Patrick Gibbons Hand made "Staff" has ReTweeted me several times (even with his very own Big Break season just starting) He is a class act and I wish him the best in his future goals on tour!

Patrick Gibbons-He supported me in my goal to become a PGA Professional long before this contest and continues to support my goal to #playfamously. Someday I hope to have an entire golf shop with Hand Made gear! Go check his website out if you get a chance. http://www.patrickgibbonshandmade.com/

Kyle VanHise- BOS Golf IF you want anything customize go see his website! He has helped me out more than I can say with golf equipment and my clubs looking like I already #playfamously http://www.bosgolf.com/

ALL the new TEAMJPX members have all supported me with ReTweeting my hopes to Playfamously

Butch Harmon- sent me a message and even invited me to watch a lesson or two for free. He is a great guy and very supportive of my goal and of all Veterans.

Lexi Thompson-ReTweeted my request and she was very nice in her message!

Jim McLean- I met Mr McLean at a golf clinic he did here in San Angelo and was nice enough to show his support in this mission.

The Team over at Bunker Paradise have been super supportive and I thank all of them!And now Im on the team!

All get honorable mention for Retweeting me and helping spread the word, its not everyone but I appreciate their help! Lamkin Grips. Best Grips. Jordan Spieth (UT GOLFER!). Bob Estes. Heidi Watney (Cousin of Nick Watney). G-Fore Gloves (Best gloves in golf!). Micheal Breed. Claude Harmon III. Kenny Lofton. Gary VanSickle. Alex DePallo. Marjor Dan Rooney. Seema Sadekar. Scott Piercy. Bronson Teigen-This guy has been a huge supporter and I wish him the best of luck in all he does! He is a great human being. Win McMurry- (She is so nice to RT my request to playfamously). Pat Perez. Brandel Chamblee. Tianlang Guan- After his appearance at the Masters was nice enough to show his support for me to live my dreams to playfamously. Folds of Honor. Ajun Atwal. Jason Saunders. Sara "No H" Brown has been very kind and helping me on twitter! Gary Williams. Matt Ginella.

Mizuno Golf- Of Course they are the ones who are holding the contest but they have been very supportive of me getting my Tweets up and even contacted me personally because they wanted to make sure that I was actually in the contest (which makes me think, why would they care unless they planned on contacting me. At least thats what Im thinking is the case) They are even following me and they're only following 417 people out of 20,000 people who are following them, so Im taking that as a good sign as well)

Good news to those who #playfamously

Late-Post

I just found out that John Daily was following me on Twitter and if that's not #playing famously I don't know what is! I also received a message from David Fehrety and was invited to join his IED Golf outing in San Antonio in October through his Troops First Foundation! I also hope to be involved in an organization called the Salute Military Golf Association and I am interested in seeing how I can help! I am super excited to participate in the world of golf and look forward to helping other Wounded Veterans learn the value of a little game called golf.

Go check these sites out! They are doing great things for Wounded Veterans!

http://www.smga.org/index.html

Troopsfirstfoundation.org

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Almost didnt #playfamously!

Its May 9th 2013- Just got a kind message from Mizuno Golf on Twitter and they have seen me tweeting my little heart out and thought I might want to know that I hadn't entered the #Playfamously contest and that if I wanted to be picked I might want to make sure I enter. I completely freaked out and went and checked my email for the confirmation email that said they received my entry. I wrote them back and they eventually confirmed that I had entered and it was just miscommunication. What a relief that I had entered and on a good note, Mizuno Golf is now following me on twitter (I know, I know it could just be so they could Direct Message me, but still very cool) I have a lot of things in my life to be thankful for, my wife is the # 1 part of my life and I would be lost without her. I hope she knows that I love her more than Golf! And I really love Golf! :)

Why I love golf...

The reason I love golf is because it seriously saved my life. I know, I know its just a game they say...Well for me it really did, after taking two pieces of shrapnell in my lower back, doing anything active seemed impossible and in 2005, I left the army with little hope that I would ever gain that drive that I had when I was an athlete competing among my peers. I was in my first year of school at Texas State University and I was offered a Jr Golf Coaching job and I jumped on it, part of the perk of the job was free golf at the course and I started really playing golf. I lost a lot of weight and more importantly gained that drive to compete and my mental health has never been better. I live in West Texas and hope to grow the game for jr golfers and also bring wounded veterans out on the course and show them what I learned on the course. You can compete, you can be active and golf did that for me...So call it just a sport, it save me.

You know you love golf when your driving down a highway and look off on the side of the road to a big open field and imagine how you would play that field!