To The Commissioner

Maybe a year after I joined the company and met Ken, he invited to join his Sunday golf game, otherwise known as the Bernal Heights Golf Association. Ken was the Commissioner of the Association, which included Ken, myself, Dan Humphrey, Joe Atturio, Jim Balderston and a rotating assortment of other players. Ken was usually my partner in a best-ball skins match against the other two players. You never saw four guys play harder for a pitcher of beer. Ken introduced me to the "air press," a chance to go double-or-nothing on the last hole by calling "air press" when the other team's shot is in the air, and to "flagging," waving the flag over the hole to distract the opponent on a key putt. Memories: winning the first air press with a birdie on 18 at Sharp Park (Dan's reaction was priceless), going on road trips and playing for food, including a particularly satisfying $400 dinner financed by Dan and Joe at Spring Training, hitting balls with ken occasionally at Mission Bay, seeing the "pro swing" screen saver on Ken's computer, helping Ken figure out what tournaments we wanted the PGA Tour to bring to Harding, receiving the Association "player of the year award" for buying so much new house furniture at IKEA. I've made good friends and spent a lot of enjoyable Sunday afternoons, because Ken was nice enough to invite me in.

Thanks, Ken, you were always a player of the year.