Chapter 31: The Proposal

Final exams were difficult but after they were finished Dave was confident he had done well; he knew for a fact he had done his best. The evening after his last exam he sat down with Anne and they had a long serious discussion. She wanted to stay with him in his apartment while he finished the first summer session then move with him to wherever he was going to live after school was finished. They talked about it extensively but Dave, after all was said and digested, insisted that she go home to the family ranch for the months of May and June. He explained that he would be unbelievably busy with golf and his three summer classes - he wouldn't have much time for her. She feared that they were breaking up but he insisted that a little time apart would only prove how much they loved each other. She wasn't totally convinced but in the end agreed to go home. He drove her to the airport the next day and kissed her goodbye.

After he returned from the airport he went to see the twins and say goodbye. It was a tear-filled departure; Jana again tried to talk to Dave about Jennifer but he adamantly refused. He kissed them both goodbye and told them to have a wonderful summer. He spent the rest of that day practicing - he had not spent much time at the practice range during his exams. He worked hard at all parts of his game and was happily tired when he returned to his room that night. He and Alec had another long discussion and Alec thought Dave's idea that he and Anne take some time apart was a good one. When Dave went to bed that night, he thought about Anne as he drifted off.

Both the men's and women's teams practiced intensely after exams. The women started the regional matches on May 11^th and the men were leaving for Orlando on May 17^th, shortly after graduation ceremonies. Dave spent some additional time with the women in his practice group helping them prepare for the regional tournament. Danielle's game was at her all-time best and she had high hopes for success in the tournament. Dave spent a lot of extra time with her trying to show her little tricks to calm down and focus on her swing. Leanne and Rachael were both playing well as were the two freshmen.

Coach Dawes gave the men's team some time off practice to attend the women's regional; with that permission Dave, Darcy, Alec, and Devin went to watch every day. Dave followed Danielle the first day and it was obvious she was struggling with her putter. She was hitting the ball extremely well and had potential birdie putts within fifteen feet on almost every hole but she couldn't make a putt. Dave noticed her frustration growing steadily. After she had missed a short six foot birdie putt on the thirteenth hole, he intentionally positioned himself between her and the fourteenth tee. She was upset and didn't want to talk to him but he stood in front of her and insisted she listen. "You are playing phenomenally. I know you're not making any putts but you are still only one over par and in great shape. We can work on your putting after the round - just stay focused and keep making pars. One over par will leave you in great shape to make a charge for the lead in the final two rounds."

Dave heard her let out a huge sigh and she finally looked into his eyes and nodded agreement. Dave's talk helped and she calmed down immediately. Her putting didn't improve but she finished the round with five pars and a one over total. As Dave had predicted there were only two women under par and two more women had shot even par. Leanne was one of the two who shot even par and was tied for third. Danielle was tied for fifth while Keisha was tied for twelfth. Rachael had a poor round and shot seventy-eight while Mia had gotten extremely nervous and shot eighty. The team was sitting in second overall for the team title. Dave congratulated the entire team before he and Danielle spent the promised two hours on the practice putting green. She eventually started to feel a little better about her putting but for some strange reason she just could not get a good feel for these greens.

Danielle's second round was similar to her first; she hit the ball very well but with only average putts she finished with an even-par total. Leanne had a great second round of two under par and moved into second place for the individual title, two strokes behind Sheri. Keisha struggled and shot seventy-six while Rachael rebounded with a solid seventy-four. Mia improved slightly to seventy-nine. The team remained in second place behind Sheri's Georgia team. After the second round Sheri pulled Dave aside and asked if he still had a girlfriend. He explained that he did and apologized for not being able to spend some special time with her. Sheri simply shrugged and replied, "It's probably for the best. I now actually have a boyfriend too, but I would be very tempted to cheat on him with you, my special Sasquatch."

Dave wished her luck on her final round before he drove back to campus. His classes weren't due to start for another week but he had visited two of the professors and gotten an overview of what would be covered during the first two weeks. He wanted to get ahead because he would miss some time because of the regional and then even more time for the NCAA Championships and the US Open. He studied hard all evening before going to bed thinking about Anne.

Danielle's putting didn't improve for the final round of the women's tournament and she shot two over par. She was disappointed with her ninth place finish but Dave told her she had played very well and finished quite high considering she hardly made a birdie putt all tournament. Leanne played well again but had to settle for a runner-up position behind Sheri. Sheri led her team to the regional title just five strokes ahead of the Wake Forest team. Rachael and Keisha had both had good final rounds of seventy-five while Mia finished with seventy-seven. The second place finish did, however, assure the women a trip to the NCAA Championships in Columbus, Ohio.

Dave took Alec and Shauna out to dinner that evening to celebrate their graduation. Alec and Shauna were both very pleased to spend the evening with Dave. They went to a modest restaurant where they could have a delicious meal. After the meal they returned to the campus and joined the women's golf team's celebration of the regional. Dave had a little too much to drink and a slightly tipsy Danielle thought she might be able to seduce him - but he simply told her that, although he would always care for her deeply, he would not cheat on a steady girlfriend. He kissed her on the forehead before he went to bed, alone.

He practiced golf and studied hard the next four days; he only took time off to swim and to attend the graduation of Alec and Shauna. Patsy was so proud of her son that she was in tears and she appreciated having Dave at her side for support, literally. Alec's father didn't bother to show up but Alec had expected that and didn't really care. Shauna's parents were very proud of her; they had warmed to Alec and actually hugged him to congratulate him as well. Dave watched as Shauna and Alec interacted with their parents and he thought about Anne again.

After a hard day of practice on Tuesday, the team flew to Florida on Wednesday to play their practice round. The lineup was the same as it was for the ACC with Devin, Alec, Dave, Darcy, and Keith. Dave liked the course immensely and played the whole tournament fantastically. He won easily with rounds of sixty-five, sixty-six, and sixty-six. The only player to really challenge him was Darcy who finished two strokes behind Dave for the individual title. Darcy teased Dave telling him, "I'm going to beat you once before you turn pro."

Dave laughed. "Well, it will have to be at the NCAA competition then because that will be my last amateur tournament."

"I'd hate to see you finish with a loss but I'm going to do my best."

Dave had sat through numerous interviews after his final round of the regional but he never told the media that he planned to turn pro after the NCAA tournament. He celebrated the victory with his team that night at the hotel even though he didn't drink very much - he only had two beers. The team had to fly back to Wake Forest on Sunday but celebrated late into the morning.

On Sunday, Dave found the coach in the airport and asked him if he and Darcy could have the week off to drive to Columbus and watch the women's final. They promised to take their clubs and find a practice range. Coach Dawes agreed and Darcy was elated when Dave told him. They packed the car as soon as they arrived back at campus. Dave was going to attend his three classes the next day and they could leave immediately afterward.

They got away mid-afternoon and the six hour drive passed quickly. They talked about their golf and their futures for a while but eventually the car became very quiet and Dave thought for a long time about Anne, himself, and their future. He continued to think about what he wanted to do and after a lot of thought he made a final decision.

He decided he was ready for marriage and he would go out the following week and order a ring - a very special ring. He felt wonderful; as soon as he made up his mind, his heart was filled with love and he was ready to go to the next step in his relationship.

They arrived late in Columbus and checked into the hotel Dave had booked. They called the girls as soon as they got in the room and Leanne reported that she didn't have a very good practice round but Danielle played amazingly well. Dave spoke to Danielle who was clearly ecstatic about her round; Dave gently reminded her to remain focused. She giggled and told him she was very focused.

Dave and Darcy slept well that night and in the morning drove directly to the golf course. Darcy followed Leanne, of course, while Dave followed Danielle. He spent a little time with the other three girls but most of his time was spent watching Danielle. Her fantastic ball-striking from the previous week was back but so was her putter and she shot an unbelievable sixty-five. She had broken her personal best by three strokes and was also leading the tournament by three strokes. She hugged Dave enthusiastically after she finished and Dave enjoyed feeling her in his arms. She was a truly special girl and he knew she would make some man very happy someday. The rest of the team played fairly well and, with Danielle's extraordinary round, Wake Forest was in first overall for the team title. Coach Lloyd spoke to the girls before they went back to the hotel, she reminded them that there were more holes to play.

Dave and Darcy went to a local driving range and hit balls for two hours. Dave was interrupted eight times by people who recognized him and requested an autograph. He happily gave them the autographs and talked to several of them for a little while.

Dave spent the evening studying while Darcy took his car and drove to the girls' hotel where he spent some intimate time with Leanne. The women's team was teeing off late the second day so Dave and Darcy practiced for two hours the next morning before going to watch the second round. Leanne followed her first day score of one over par with an even par round while Danielle shot another good round of two under par, seventy. She was still holding her three-stroke lead and the team was still five strokes ahead of Sheri's Georgia team. Sheri was tied with a girl from Texas for second place behind Danielle.

The women tried to convince Dave to go to back to their hotel with them but he said he had to study so Darcy again dropped him off at his hotel before he went to meet Leanne. Dave spent the evening studying and was happy with how much work he accomplished. He was asleep when Darcy returned.

For the third round, the women had to go head-to-head with the Georgia team and the Texas Longhorns team. Leanne had to play against Sheri and she shot a very good seventy-one but still finished two strokes behind Sheri who was determined to defend her national title. Danielle wasn't giving up without a fight though and she shot seventy to remain two strokes ahead of Sheri. Rachael, Keisha, and Mia also played well and the team increased their lead to nine strokes.

Dave again spent the evening studying while Darcy was with the women. They both woke early the next morning and practiced for several hours before going to watch the women's final round. The same three teams were in the final groups; Wake Forest held a nine stroke lead over Georgia and twelve strokes over Texas. Sheri and Danielle were in the final group of the day and Dave followed them intently. Sheri came out of the blocks fast with a couple of birdies but Danielle fought her off with one of her own. Danielle was still holding a one stroke lead early on the back nine when she hit a very poor tee shot into a water hazard. Dave had noticed she was getting increasingly tense with each hole; when the ball splashed into the water he watched her slam her club into the ground. He gave her a few minutes to see if she could compose herself but she seemed to be very distracted. Dave suspected she was thinking too much about the possible outcome and not about her next shot and the current hole.

She dropped a ball next to where she had gone into the water hazard; that lie left a long shot to the par-four green. The penalty stroke meant she was now hitting three and Dave knew she was still fretting over her errant tee shot. She was just starting her pre-shot routine when she heard Dave clapping in short sharp pops. She looked at him and he cheered, "Okay, Danielle, focus on this shot. Take it one shot at a time - you can do this." She looked at him and he pointed two of his fingers to his eyes and then to ground in front of himself. All of the group practice had prepared her for this moment; she knew that Dave's motion meant for her to get focused and she obediently shrugged off the previous shot and concentrated on the long three-wood shot ahead. She took a smooth practice swing before she relaxed her breathing and settled over the ball. She swung her three-wood and hit it perfectly. The ball launched off the face of the club and flew towards the green. It bounced just short of the green then rolled to within six feet of the hole. The sparse crowd around Danielle cheered appreciably. Sheri hit a great second shot to twelve feet from the hole then sank the putt for birdie to put the pressure on Danielle. Danielle took her time with her putt and hit it smoothly into the hole. She made par and was still tied with Sheri.

Sheri and Danielle both went one under par over the next few holes and stood on the final tee tied for the lead. Sheri was up first and hit a long, straight drive. Danielle also hit a good drive, which finished only twenty yards short of Sheri's. The Texas player had fallen well back of Sheri and Danielle and she hit a good drive just past Danielle. Danielle hit a great approach shot leaving ten feet for a possible birdie on the last hole. After the Texas player missed the green, Sheri hit her second shot just inside Danielle's.

After strolling to the final green, the Texas player chipped close to the hole then tapped in for par before Danielle stood over her putt. Danielle stroked the ball smoothly and it rolled straight at the hole but started to break as it lost speed. The ball rolled across the lower lip of the hole and lipped to the top of the hole; then it paused and simply dropped to the bottom of the cup. Danielle jumped in delight before she quickly regained her composure. The crowd cheered appreciably. Dave was still watching Sheri as Leanne walked up beside him and whispered, "With that birdie, we won the team title by six strokes." Dave hugged her quietly to congratulate her before they both resumed watching Sheri putt.

Sheri hit a solid putt but she misread the break slightly and missed the hole by two inches. She dejectedly walked to the hole and tapped in for par. She turned and congratulated Danielle for winning the individual title. Danielle also shook the Texas player's hand before she sprinted to Dave and jumped into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his body as if she were climbing a tree. He hugged her as she kissed him on the lips. After their lips separated she dropped her legs to the ground and said, "Thank you, Dave. Winning the NCAA was a dream I never really believed would come true but thanks to you, I did it. You helped me so much, especially today. You've helped me since New Years and you helped me incredibly last year. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" With each thank you, she hugged and jumped at the same time.

Dave hugged her tight. "I'm really happy for you. You worked very hard to earn this and I couldn't be happier."

The rest of the team quickly surrounded Dave and Danielle and even Coach Lloyd joined the group hug. They celebrated for five minutes before going to check the scoreboard. After final scores were posted and confirmed the team and individual victories, Dave hugged each woman on the team before he hugged Coach Lloyd. They hugged so tightly that her mouth was very close to Dave's ear. She whispered, "Dave, your Midas touch has brought us a championship that I never imagined we would win - and we have every member of the team returning next year. What you have done in two short years for the Wake Forest golf program is truly amazing. Coach Dawes told me you are turning pro after the NCAA Championships and I wanted to wish you all the best. Thank you for helping develop a program that hopefully will be dominant for many years to come." Dave thanked her for the kind words and he promised to join the team celebration at the hotel after the banquet.

Dave, the mentor, celebrated success with the women that night - he was really happy for all of them. Each team member took some time to thank him for his help and he really appreciated their heartfelt thanks. All the women were fairly inebriated when he left shortly after midnight. He hadn't been drinking so he could drive back to his hotel. Darcy was very drunk and he kept thanking Dave as they motored back to the hotel. "Dave, you the greatest friend a person could ever have. You have helped the entire golf group and Leanne loves you to death. You're lucky I'm not the jealous type; she talks about you non-stop but I know it's just because you have helped her and the rest of the women's team. She always growls at me to thank you for everything you have done for me as well - but I tell her you know how I feel. Well, just in case you don't, I owe everything I am to you. Last year when I started at Wake Forest I was just a scared kid but you helped me become a man. I know you are turning pro in a few weeks and I look forward to trying to lead the team next year. I have huge shoes to fill but I look forward to the challenge and I hope I don't let you down. I have learned so much from you and not just about golf. That incident with the fire in Vegas last year changed me forever. I think that one event will define the rest of my life. Thank you for everything, Dave."

Dave knew his friend was getting maudlin in part because of the alcohol but Dave appreciated his kind words. "Darcy, you are a great golfer and a great person. You and Leanne will have a wonderful life together and I'm proud to have known you both. As far as trying to fill my shoes, just be yourself and don't ever worry about trying to make me proud because I'm already incredibly proud of you."

Dave put his hand out and his friend shook it enthusiastically before they both became quiet, deep in thought. Darcy fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow in the hotel room and Dave lay in bed thinking about his future. He had the next two weeks completely mapped out and he was anxious to get back to the campus.

They slept late the next morning and ate a large breakfast before getting on the road. Darcy slept most of the day in the passenger's seat and they arrived at Wake Forest shortly after dinner. After Dave dropped Darcy off, he spent an hour with Alec giving him all the details from the tournament. Dave then logged onto Win and checked his final marks from the winter session. He was very proud that he had made two A⁺s, four As and one A-. He called his parents immediately to give them the results; they were very proud of him. He also told them all about the women's team winning the NCAA. He eventually hung up then spent the evening studying.

The men's team flew to Sunriver, Oregon on Sunday for the NCAA Championship. They got in early in the evening and settled into their hotel. Dave was very relaxed and ready for his final collegiate golf tournament. Before they went to bed, he and Alec talked briefly about the US Open, which was only two weeks away. Dave tossed and turned for a short time as he thought about how quickly his career at Wake Forest had come and gone and how happy he was that he was turning pro the following week. He was naturally nervous about the jump to the professional level but he knew he already had two professional victories including a Major and a second-place showing at The Masters. He was confident he was ready.

The practice round the next day went well and Dave found the course very challenging. Darcy had a great day and shot sixty-nine, beating Dave by one stroke. Alec played well but he confessed to Dave that his bad hand was really bothering him. Dave encouraged his best friend to stick it out. Alec assured him he would.

Dave went for a long swim that evening; he was tired but relaxed when he went to bed.

He and Alec woke at the same time the next morning and went for breakfast together. The team eventually went to the course and they practiced for an hour before their tee times. The first day went well for the entire team and Darcy pulled into a first round lead with a six-under-par score. Dave was one stroke behind with a sixty-seven and Devin shot seventy. Alec and Keith both shot seventy-one to finish tied for twentieth. The team jumped to a huge fifteen stroke lead with all five players in the top twenty. Rounds two and three were a repeat of the first round with the WF team absolutely dominating the tournament. Darcy extended his lead to two strokes over Dave while Devin closed to within three strokes of Darcy. The media were abuzz with the fact that Wake Forest held the top three places in the tournament. Keith and Alec both continued to play well with Keith tied for fifteenth place and Alec tied for twenty-second. The team was thirty-five strokes ahead and almost assured of their second straight national title. Coach Dawes was overwhelmed with the team's results.

Dave made a late charge on Darcy in the final round, making birdie on three of the last four holes for a sixty-five but Darcy battled him hard and finished with a sixty-six to win the National Individual title by one stroke. When he finished he looked at Dave sheepishly - he wondered if his friend would be angry for beating him in the last collegiate tournament Dave would ever play. He knew he didn't have to worry when Dave rushed across the final green and hugged him in celebration. He whispered, "I'm sorry I beat you, Dave."

Dave shook his head. "Your game was awesome; don't ever be sorry. We won the national title again and you are an NCAA Champion." Dave hugged him again and the rest of the team joined the celebration. Dave hugged Alec then said to his best friend, "I'm so happy you're here to enjoy this. I really missed you last year."

Alec was bouncing with delight as he replied, "I wanted to be here so bad last year - but this year is even better. This has been a great year and winning the title is unbelievable."

Dave nodded agreement before he moved to Devin. "You have a great future, Devin. You and Darcy will have to lead the team next year because I'm turning pro this week. I know the two of you will work hard to defend our title next year."

Devin smiled at Dave before he replied, "I have learned a lot from you this past year and I look forward to helping Wake Forest win many more titles. Thank you for everything, Dave."

Dave then walked to Keith. They shook hands and Dave spoke softly to his former nemesis, "We didn't see eye-to-eye when I started at Wake Forest but we overcame that and won two straight national titles. You're a great golfer, Keith. Good luck in the future."

Keith nodded to Dave. "You're an amazing golfer and I'm lucky to have been able to play with you. You taught me a valuable lesson and I hope I have become a better person for it. Good luck on the tour."

Dave thanked him before he walked to Coach Dawes and gave him a huge hug. "Thanks, Coach, for giving me another chance. I promised that you wouldn't regret it and I think two straight national titles are sufficient payment."

Coach Dawes laughed. "Not only do I have two titles but I have the best two collegiate golfers in the country in Darcy and Devin plus I have two very promising freshman coming to Wake Forest next year, thanks to you. You definitely delivered on your promise and thank your beautiful friend in Canada for talking me into giving you that second chance. Don't be too hard on my brother and nephew on the tour this summer."

Dave shook his hand as he thought again about Jennifer's visit to sort things out when he was in big trouble. His heart did a flip as he remembered her naked in his arms that memorable night. He still regretted not telling her then and there that she was his true life partner and he wanted her in his life.

The team celebrated that night and Dave joined in wholeheartedly. He was very drunk when he finally went to bed. The day had been another award-filled day as he received his second straight Hogan Award for top collegiate golfer and a first-team All-American Award. Darcy also received a first-team All-American award and Devin received a second-team award. The media interview lasted over an hour and the media were very excited when Dave finally announced he would be turning pro the following week.

Dave woke late on Sunday; after packing he wished Alec and the team farewell before he boarded a separate flight from the team. After a brief detour Dave eventually landed in New York. He checked into the hotel he had booked; then he called his Uncle Alan and asked him to pull together all the offers he had received and to fax them to Dave at the hotel. They talked for fifteen minutes about the offers and Dave thanked his uncle for again being there for him. Dave promised Alan a nice reward but Alan said he was simply proud to help his now-famous nephew.

Dave then called Mike Weir and got the number of his recommended agent. Mike had told Dave that he had hinted to his agent that there might be a special call coming to him the evening after the NCAA Championships were completed. Dave thanked Mike before he promised to see him at the US Open.

Dave then called Mike's agent, Jack Power, who, even on a Sunday evening, was happy to hear from Dave. When Dave hung up, he had a nine o'clock appointment the next morning. Jack's office was only two blocks from Dave's hotel.

As Dave lay in bed he thought about his life moving to the next stage he was confident he was ready but he was also understandably very nervous. Alan had good leads on numerous sponsors who had even made preliminary offers to Alan, which he quickly said he could not consider or even discuss until later. Dave knew the offers were significant and he would be set for life financially. Dave then thought about his often-erratic love life and how he was also now ready to take that to the next step.

The meeting the next morning involved a major negotiation. Jack Power wanted a much larger commission than Dave was willing to offer; the kind of agent you want negotiating on your behalf can be tough when it's between the two of you. Dave patiently explained the offers he had already semi-received and how, as the new agent, one simply had to complete those deals, but Jack Power wouldn't bend to Dave's wishes until Dave stood up and started to leave. Dave knew that the commission he was proposing to the agent on the existing offers would be worth millions of dollars. Convinced it was a real attempt to walk, Jack suggested they renew discussions. They finally came to an agreement on Dave's terms and they shook hands before going to lunch. After lunch all the paper work was completed and Dave signed his life away.

Jack went right to work on the offers and assured Dave he would be in touch very, very soon.

Dave flew back to Wake Forest and arrived late Monday evening. He and Alec talked briefly before Dave studied for a couple of hours. He slept-in the next morning but wasn't late for his first class. He worked hard in class and was pleased that he was only slightly behind. All the studying during the evenings had paid off.

Dave's cell phone rang late in the afternoon as he studied for his three midterms the next day. Jack had called to confirm that he had come to terms with five of the companies Alan had fielded. The biggest contract, with Adidas-Taylormade, was an easy negotiation and Jack explained he could have gotten a lot more if Dave hadn't insisted on only slightly modifying their initial offer. Dave was pleased to hear he would receive thirty million dollars over four years including a six million dollar signing bonus. Dave assured Jack that if he played well over the next four years the next contract would be much larger. Jack definitely agreed. Three of the other four contracts were for ten million dollars each over four years, each including a two million dollar signing bonus. The final contract was for five million dollars including a one million dollar signing bonus. Dave quickly added the money in his head and was still shocked by the figures - sixty-five million dollars in total. He would receive thirteen million dollars immediately in signing bonuses and the same amount each year for the next four years. These were only half of the offers Dave had presented to Jack and Jack was confident he could get additional ones himself.