By BRANDON PARKER
bparker@beaufortgazette.com
843-986-5536
While Brian Gay addressed the hoopla surrounding a win that threw his name into the Verizon Heritage record books, the tools behind Gay's convincing performance sat under the care of Donny Maloney and Chuck Miller.
As special as those clubs appeared at that moment, they were far from the first awe-inspiring garbs that Maloney and Miller came across this week as the event's locker room attendants at Harbour Town Golf Links.
They've restocked drinks, cleaned shoes, changed spikes and provided reading material for the likes of Boo Weekley, Davis Love III and Stewart Cink. Lending a helping hand was Ronald Taylor, who visits the locker room at least 20 times during the day to clean the showers and bathroom area.
"Anything we can do to accommodate and make things easier for the golfers here," said Maloney, who had never manned the Heritage locker room until this week. "We just try and make the week a good experience for them, and the players have been pretty complimentary."
The typical day for Maloney and Miller started around 5 a.m. The initial set-up consists of tuning the two flat-screen TVs to the Golf and Weather channels, scattering the local papers on one of several tables and arranging various energy drinks and snacks before the golfers arrive for the day.
"The cookies are a big hit," Maloney points out.
About 15 hours later, around 8 p.m., the two began shutting things down before heading to a nightly staff meeting to prep for the next day's work.
"Most of the time, the guys might relax a little, hit some balls, then come back in before practicing a bit more before their rounds," Maloney said while holding a six-pack of Coke in his hand. "So, the golfers pretty much flow in and out and take what they need."
And although Miller said that most of the field spends relatively little time in the locker room, that's not to say the area's cozy-yet-traditional setting isn't inviting.
Gold name plates adorn each of the cubby lockers assigned to the competitors, with a special corner designated for the past champions beside the showers.
On the walls, water-color paintings again celebrate past champions and familiar names, adding an old-fashioned vibe that complements the prim arm chairs and wood-stained benches.
Sunday clean-up often comes with a reward for locker room attendants, who gather golf balls, gloves and other sponsorship items left behind by golfers as a token of gratitude for their services.
Of course, much more apparel is prone to be found by Maloney and Miller.
For instance, two pairs of Chris DiMarco's shoes were found sitting on a bench Sunday, meaning Maloney or Miller must contact someone within DiMarco's camp to reunite him with his shoes.
Such a task is all in a long day's work for Maloney and Miller, who do their best to offer a friendly hand, even if Harbour Town's narrow fairways and tiny greens prove not so gracious.
"It's a job that offers the opportunity for lots of interesting experiences," Miller said. "I'm sure we'll be back next year to do it again."
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