Darius Rucker Skips Pebble Beach

Darius Rucker loves golf.  When he’s not on stage or with his family, you’re likely to find him on a golf course.  And one of his favorite tournaments is the annual Pro-Am at Pebble Beach.  He’s taken part in the celebrity tournament for many years.  This year, however, he was unable to play.  He explained his absence to Country Countdown USA’s Lon Helton: “I had a procedure done on my back, so I haven’t played golf in a bit.  But I’m pretty close to fixed, and I think I can start playing this week, so I’ll be happy.  This is the first time I’ve missed it in four or five years.  The most fun is hanging out afterwards.  We’ve got a good country contingent with Charles Kelley, Jake Owen, and Joe Don Rooney.  Afterwards you go to dinner, and it’s one of the most fun you can have as a golfer.”

Lon asked him, Have you seen Clint Eastwood? “I’ve had dinner at Clint’s house a couple times.  It’s great, he does this thing some times, he didn’t do it last year, but he sometimes invites people to dinner, and afterwards you have to tell a joke.  You’ve got those comedians in there who have great jokes, and me with a one liner.  I had two lines, and I was out.”

This year, the country contingent was well represented, and Saturday, during CBS-TV coverage of the event, Charles Kelley credited Darius with bringing him back to golf.  He said, “We were on tour together, and Darius plays golf almost every day.  So being out with him revived my interest in the game of golf.”  Charles won the nearest to the pin contest during the week.  Darius told Lon, “I didn’t know how hard it was until it happened, and I’m looking out and it’s 70 in Charleston, and I wanted to play golf.  But it’s OK.”  Darius will have a few weeks to work on his game before beginning the Southern Style Tour in May.

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