Friday, October 12, 2001
At 52, Marc Rosen hasn't forgotten what it's like to dream. ‘Old’ Rosen’s golf
stock risingBy Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.comIn fact, he's just beginning to live his dream.
No, not the one where he becomes a doctor and treats patients on the Waianae coast. That's already a reality for the family practitioner in Nanakuli.
He's living the other dream -- the one of being a competitive amateur golfer.
Rosen finished in a three-way tie with Brandan Kop and Gary Kong at the Hawaii sectional qualifying tournament last month at Oahu Country Club.
But he birdied the second hole of the playoff to become the Hawaii representative for the 2001 US Mid-Amateur Championship beginning tomorrow at Fresno, Calif., at the San Joaquin Country Club and the Fort Washington Golf and Country Club.
The winner of the tournament qualifies for the Masters.
Rosen plays the first day at Fort Washington and the second at San Joaquin, both days at 6:10 a.m. Hawaii time.
"(The courses are) going to be fabulous," Rosen said. "High rough, fast greens ... this is what I play for. I never dreamed I'd play in one of these -- especially as I got older. But golf doesn't matter if you're young or old."
Rosen is probably the oldest qualifier of the 264-man field. He'll compete against golfers decades his junior. The Mid-Amateur Championship has a minimum qualifying age of 25 and a maximum of 55.
But Rosen is proving that it's never too late to peak in golf. He was the oldest player (by almost 20 years) to reach the quarterfinals of last year's Manoa Cup.
Going to the Mid-Amateur championship is his greatest golf feat.
"I've been to this tournament as a rules person but never as a player," Rosen said. "I'm the best I've ever been, but I'm far from the better players around here in Hawaii. It's so out of character for me to qualify that it's really fun."
His formula for taking his game to another level?
Play less.
Since the birth of his 6-year-old daughter, Rachel, Rosen finds himself playing only once or twice a week. He used to play three times a week and practice twice a week. These days, he rarely practices except before a tournament. Surprisingly, his 7 handicap has dropped to 4.
"The reason I've improved now, even though I play less than I used to is because it's not as important as it used to be," Rosen said.
His passion for golf started 40 years ago when golf was just starting to gain a large following in the United States. As a 12-year-old, he remembers admiring Arnold Palmer when Palmer was just beginning to be noticed.
Along with golf, Rosen played traditional sports like baseball and basketball growing up. The athleticism stayed with him through most of his adult life as he gave up basketball only a few years ago.
"I used to play these over-40 leagues around town, but I kept breaking or dislocating joints and things," Rosen said. "I would be out of golf for a few weeks at a time. I really liked basketball, but golf is something I can play forever."
He considers himself a purist of the sport and relishes its spiritual side. He carries his own bag and walks the course even when the course requires that he buy a cart. And he says that even a lousy round of golf is still a great break from reality.
Rosen has an extensive collection of books and memorabilia. But he's quick to point out that unlike medicine, which is a body of knowledge that can be learned from books, owning golf books doesn't necessarily make you a good golfer.
"To be a doctor, frankly, you put in the time, put in the years and you're there," Rosen said. "But golf, we all know lots of people who put in years of playing and they don't necessarily become very good. There's a little more to it and you get a new awareness of what it takes to get to that next level. Golf takes a little more finesse than being a physician."
It will take all his finesse and more to win the Mid-Amateur Championship. Rosen admits that he's a long shot to do well in the tournament. Two hundred players are eliminated after two rounds of stroke play. The final 64 compete in match play. Despite the odds, he's excited and nervous to tee it up tomorrow.
"There's no chance for me to win," Rosen said. "I'll try, but there's no chance. I have high hopes ... to get to match play is quite an achievement. I don't expect to get there, but I'm not going to give up before I start."