In recent years, Bob Tennant has had a headquarters at the first row at one of the best senior fans of the game: his wife Lara Tennant. It’s funny what it can inspire.
Bob Tennant, 68, grew up on the Fairways of the Waverly Country Club in Portland, Oregon, where he met his wife and remains a member to date. He played golf course in high school, played sporadically throughout his career as an orthopedic surgeon in one of the largest groups in Portland and entered the occasional club championship or the member guest. But the national competition? Well, it came several years later.
“I was really interested because I watched Lara play and do well on the national stadium and it sort of stung my interest – and my game improved a little, had more time to train and what not,” said Bob, who lives with Laura in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
Tee teaux: Golfweek Senior Amateur
Lara, who reappeared on the national scene after she and Bob raised their five children, won the American female amateur in 2018, 2019 and 2021. She won the British female amateur in 2019 and last summer, added titles to lovers of Scottish and Irish women senior. Bob has cadded for its abundant – especially for these three titles abroad – and it was a combination of the thrill that has just looked at Lara to compete and the additional time that he had to devote to his game which motivated him to compete nationally, also at a more discreet level.
The two tennants actually put the game effectively while raising their children – who all played golf in high school and keeping the game in their lives to some extent – but Bob had never been a tournament or even an 18 -hole tour.
“I would go there on weekends if I was not on appeal and that I would play with a group early in the morning,” he said. “I haven’t played a ton and I still don’t do it – I’m more a rast of range.”
Bob retired to operate in December 2019, although he still sees patients in an office. His first foray into the national competition occurred at the Ojai Senior Cup in 2022. He met Bruce Loman there, a longtime representative of Callaway, and Loman explained Bob by filling his partner at the NCGA Super Senior Four-Ball played in Poppy Hills in Pebble Beach, California.
The senior golf course being a kind of a small circuit, Bob met more players, has contributed more and will do it to the senior amateur golfweek from Friday at the Desert Willow’s Firecliff in Palm Desert, in California. Last year, he finished 37th In this event, which presents a deep field each year.
“I just play in some of these things – it’s fun,” said Bob.
Bob tells his own golf story with naturally intertwined pieces of Lara. He has never tried to qualify for a USGA event, mainly because he remembers being to the British female amateur with Lara in 2022 when male and female events were played simultaneously in Royal Dornoch in Scotland.
Lara finished second this year and Bob, meanwhile, spent a little time looking at the men on the range.
“They are much better than me,” he concluded. “I have no chance.”
This story, of course, reminds her that Lara has won all her events in Great Britain in the playoffs – a fact that he relates proudly. He has been cado for Lara in several major events (Lara’s father, George Mack, was another frequent caddy), and describes her as the automatic pilot in competition.
“She can certainly read green vegetables, she is very meticulous with her preparation in her tour of practice, she takes notes and that kind of thing,” he said.
As for Bob, after this week’s Golfweek event, the rest of his year will mainly include a handful of senior, super-sennior events and four Oregon balls.
“I’m not about to win anything,” he said, “but it’s fun.”
The land
A senior loaded division includes many players who will stay on the property after the national senior golfweek division championship, played earlier this week at the Desert Willow’s Mountain View race. Among those who continued in this tournament are Trae Cassell, Randy Haag, Bryan Hoops, Chad Branton and Todd Doss.
With Tennant, the super senior division this week includes another northwest of the notable Pacific to Jim Pliska, an Oregon native who owns Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell, Oregon and Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, Washington. Pliska played in the male golf team at the University of Oregon in the 1970s and remained competitive in Oregon Golf Association tournaments (while making a handful of USGA departures) while leading the spatial age, the family oil business it has now.
The Floridians James Starnes (the super senior prevailing player of the year) and Marcus Beck (player of the year in 2023) are also likely to take into account the competition in this division.
The defending champion Michael Jonson returns to the legends division and the former NBA player Jack Marin highlights the Super Legends division.
