PGA Tour Professionals Visit Iraq

Most of us take for granted how lucky we are to be able to go out and play a leisurly round of golf. We are able to go out and forget about everyday life and the freedoms that are given to us and enjoy this wonderful game we play. For the men and women who are defending our freedoms in war torn areas such as Iraq and Afghanistan, enjoying the game is reduced to the occasional opportunity to watch the PGA Tour on international television or read the Golf Digest that a relative or friend has sent.

My brother Ryan Buytenhuys, who is stationed at Camp Fallujah in Iraq is one of those individuals who truly loves the game. Ryan often spends his free time in Iraq hitting old golf balls off the hard desert sand, hoping that he does not brake the only club he has, when he catches it just a little heavy.

Recently, Ryan and the other servicemen and women stationed at Camp Fallujah were treated to a visit by Butch Harmon, David Fehrety, Tom Watson, Tom Lehman and other PGA Tour Professionals as part of a PGA USO Tour to the Middle East. This was an extra special break from the war they are fighting and extra special for guys like Ryan who love this game.

It also reminded me what a great game we play and the fact that individuals like Watson, Lehman, Fehrety and Harmon are true ambassadors of the game and that is the way it was meant to be. Thank you for bringing a piece of the game to our troops and more importantly thank you to our troops who put their lives in danger on a daily basis to protect our freedom.