LEESBURG - The love of golf may go a little too far, but turning that passion into a way to help the families of America's heroes can't be argued.
On Monday, Tippecanoe Lake Country Club PGA Professional Tony Marucci turned his golf game to a good cause, playing an unheard of amount of rounds as part of a charity event for the Folds of Honor Foundation.
"My goal was for 300 holes, but I got 432," Marucci said of his marathon play, which began at 5:45 a.m. and ended at 9:35 p.m.
A week prior to the event, the country club began taking donations and pledges from members, many based upon holes played, holes and rounds played under par, eagles, birdies or by giving a flat donation.
"I expected, at best, to raise $10,000," he said. "Reaching $18,000 is pretty impressive to a little charity event that we did no advertising for. It really speaks to the type of members we have here."
That money will now be sent to Folds of Honor, which "provides educational scholarships for dependents and spouses of service members who are either killed or disabled while serving our great nation," according to www.foldsofhonor.com
The Folds of Honor Foundation is the brainchild of F-16 fighter pilot Captain Dan Rooney of the Oklahoma National Guard.
While exiting a commercial airline last year, the pilot of the plane instructed Rooney and the other passengers that the remains of Corporal Brock Bucklin were aboard, being accompanied by his brother, Corporal Brad Bucklin, on their way back from Iraq. After watching Bucklin's flag-covered casket roll out to the Bucklin family, which included his young son, Rooney turned back to the other passengers. At that time, he noticed that half of the passengers had already de-boarded, despite the pilot's request for everyone to remain seated in respect of the fallen soldier.
"He was embarrassed by that," Marucci said. "After that, he began the foundation in thought of the families affected by battle."
The Folds of Honor Foundation may have been on Marucci's mind for the charity event, but Marucci wasn't exactly on its mind at the time.
"They have no idea I did this," he said. "They don't know that next week they'll be receiving a check for $18,000."
Raising that much money for a good cause had to feel good for Marucci's psyche, but his body may not have shared the enthusiasm.
"I was beat," he said. "I couldn't get out of bed Tuesday. I had a scheduled lesson for 9 a.m., but had to call in and cancel it. I couldn't move. I really underestimated the soreness. The worst part was my legs from getting in and out of the cart."
Despite rushing through as many holes as he could, Marucci still had a pretty good day, averaging a 71.4. His highest round was 78, which was his 18th, and one he completed in 41 minutes. One would think that his scores would gradually get higher, but his lowest round was actually his 22nd, which he completed in 33 minutes with a 66. In fact, all six of his final rounds were shot under par.
"The goal was not to play well, but to play as many holes as possible," he said. "However, I could also raise more money by getting eagles and birdies."
He finished the 432 holes with two eagles and 59 birdies.
To speed up his play, Marucci's aim was to shoot and move on, which required a little help.
"After I'd hit a drive, there would be someone who would fill in the divots and someone in front reading the greens for me," he said.
The strategy worked pretty well, completing 24 rounds in just under 16 hours, but Marucci's looking for even more next year.
"Next year, I want to get a super-fast cart to get even more in," he said.
