No Big Heads: Legends Championship Players are Gracious with Fans



Juanita Ruck (right) laughs with friends
Marilyn Steinmetz & Sherry Ernst
during the Legends Championship
 
To say Juanita Ruck (aka Ruckie) loves golf is an understatement...she plays three times a week, volunteers at major tournaments and can pretty much identify every member of the Legends Tour by sight.
Juanita used that keen eye at today's Legends Championship to spot Juli
Inkster, the tournament's newest pro, not on the course, but eating lunch. You see, Juanita and her golf buddies Marilyn Steinmetz and Sherry Ernst had spent the morning perched on top of hill overlooking the 18th green enjoying the play and – plotting a strategy to meet Inkster.

 


The ladies getting a little help from Dave Harner, Director of Golf
The trio had done their reconnaissance work: they checked the pairings and knew Inkster was in the afternoon group, polled the cart attendants about the best way to meet her and made a secret plan to "stalk" her in the cart area around 12:30pm.
But then around 11:30am, Juanita thought she saw the SolheimCup Captain warming up on the putting green. The group quickly leapt to their feet and headed down the hill. False alarm. Oh well, time for a bathroom break.

And that's where the fateful moment occurred. "There she is!" squealed Juanita as she exited the bathroom and spotted Inkster alone at a table across the room. The time had come for Juanita to finally get her autograph she had wanted for 13 years. The item to be autographed was not the typical hat, ball or flag but an Inkster bobblehead from the 2002 Chick-fil-A Charity Championship in Atlanta.


The infamous bobblehead
 
 

The extremely gracious Inkster chuckled when she saw the bobblehead while her husband joked that he had never even seen one before. After struggling a bit to find an appropriate place to sign the novelty item, Inkster posed for photos with Juanita and crew. It looked a bit like the paparazzi as a series of cell phone cameras flashed one after another.

Juanita posing with Juli and the bobblehead
 

This simple act was one that will leave a lasting impression on these golf fans. Director of Golf Dave Harner witnessed the exchange and said "That's the great thing about these ladies; there are no boundaries. They are happy to do this sort of thing."

 


The group shot with everybody

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