CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Wells Fargo Championship starter Bill Plyler has some simple guidelines to help him be the best he can be on the first tee at the Quail Hollow Club.
“Make sure you tee them off on time, get their name right and get their hometown right,” Plyler said.
Plyler has been announcing the PGA Tour players to the patrons in attendance on the opening hole since the inaugural Wells Fargo Championship, then known as the Wachovia Championship, back in 2003.
What You Need To Know
- Bill Plyler has been a PGA tournament starter since 2003
- Starters are responsible for keeping tee times on time
- Starters do not use voice-amplifying devices
- Wells Fargo Championship concludes May 7
The club officials in their navy jackets emblazoned with the tournament logo are as much a part of the tournament as the golf course itself.
Being a starter is more than just a title. It’s the starter’s job to make sure the groups get going at their designated times.
When the tee sheet says players X, Y and Z are to begin at 8:29 a.m., Plyler begins his introductions ahead of that time, so that the first ball is struck only seconds after the officially listed start time.
“We take a lot of pride in just being out of the way, but doing our job and setting a tone,” Plyler says. “This is an elite event, and we try to approach it that way and want it to feel like a major [championship].”
Plyler is carrying a heavy heart this week, as his longtime friend and fellow tee box announcer Graham Keith isn’t with him. Keith passed away in March at the age of 90, and was a large presence and personality inside the ropes while announcing the players’ names.
“He’s a mentor in many ways. He was the quintessential southern gentleman. Yeah, there are a lot of heavy hearts,” Plyler said.
The days are long. Generally, Plyler is at the golf course by 6 a.m. to be in place for the opening group by about 7 a.m. The first two days of play feature 156 contestants. The contestants are from all over the world.
Along with the names come the accomplishments. The starters at the Wells Fargo Championship will tell the patrons the previous winners, current major champions, current players champions, the current Fed Ex Cup champion and the 2020 Olympic medalists.
Plyler doesn’t have the names committed to memory, but he says that’s what notes are for.
He admits there might be trouble with a pronunciation of a hometown for an international player in the field. There’s a workaround for that as well.
“For the internationals, if you have no chance on the hometown, just go with the country,” Plyler says.