Gilroy
– Paul Kloecker’s ability to think quickly on his feet has
served him well as one of the volunteers at the AT
&
amp;T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. After all, marshals serve as
perfect
”
fall guys.
”
Gilroy – Paul Kloecker’s ability to think quickly on his feet has served him well as one of the volunteers at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. After all, marshals serve as perfect “fall guys.”
Kloecker learned that first hand last year when comedian Bill Murray asked him how he happened to be marshaling on hole No. 7, one of Pebble Beach’s prettiest.
“I told him I submitted the highest bid,” Kloecker quipped.
Murray then asked if Kloecker could balance a putter on his forehead. Kloecker said he thought he could and Murray gave him a putter. Naturally, the putter fell off immediately.
“I said I could have done it yesterday but the winds picked up today,” Kloecker said.
It’s not all fun and games being one of the approximately 1,900 volunteers that help the tournament run smoothly. Marshals have to keep the crowds quiet, keep the tee areas and greens tidy, and make certain that spectators are not using cell phones and cameras.
And yet, the majority of these volunteers are not only golf lovers but truly enjoy mingling with people. That aptly describes the amiable Kloecker, 71, a Gilroy resident since 1980. A city councilman from 1983-95 and Navy retiree, Kloecker does construction management on a consulting basis. He also finds enough time to play enough golf to shoot in the 90s.
Kloecker remembers in his younger days when he was able to play Pebble Beach in the afternoon for $40. Back then, he was in the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey. He got the bug to be a marshal last year and placed a call to the tournament office. To his surprise, he was called back one day later and found he was teamed with four or five Navy retirees in his volunteer group. The team leader was a previous superintendent of the Naval Post Graduate School.
Kloecker enjoyed his experience so much last year that he decided to return again for the 2007 tournament. While volunteering at the Wal-Mart First Tee Open this past September, his enthusiasm rubbed off on Jim Rogers, the former Gilroy Unified School District board member. Rogers has attended the Pebble Beach event for more than 40 years. By volunteering at the First Tee Open, Rogers was invited to do the same at Pebble Beach.
The volunteers get their uniforms Saturday. The uniforms include a red windbreaker, black shirt, black hat and white knickers. Argyle socks are not included but are part of the approximately $75 the volunteers pay. Free lunch is included daily as well as a free pass for any of the days they are not working. There is also the party Wednesday evening in which the attending celebrities entertain.
Volunteers are not to schmooze with the pros other than to say good morning. Kloecker says that Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Davis Love III and Jim Furyk are among the pros that are friendly to the volunteers. Kloecker says he especially likes to watch Singh and his “ability to pull shots out of anywhere.”
And then there are the celebrities, some of whom are less than accomplished golfers. Last year, Rush Limbaugh hit a ball off a spectator in which Kloecker and others had to rush to the scene to maintain crowd control.
Speaking of crowd control, comedian George Lopez is among the best at it now that he is official host. And Kloecker wanted to get an autograph last year, but found himself at the back of a long line.
Lopez was getting ready to leave before signing for Kloecker when the Gilroy resident blurted out in Spanish, “Mr. Lopez, please sign my autograph.”
“Oh my God, a white guy who speaks the language,” Lopez replied.
He then signed the autograph.
