"It is a confidential agreement. We can't give any details of it."

Karl Gilbert reports that the Browns have signed a non-disclosure agreement and settlement with the Duramed Futures Tour.


Comments

[Spence]

As a tournament player, I just hope that the asshat that not only committed the offense/etiquette faux paus of rummaging through her clubs but also took her off the course is fired. Make him monetarily pay the fines, also.

[thusgone]

here's hoping that a condition of the settlement is that the father never gets to speak to the media again for any reason.

[The O]

@thusgone, I do think the "helicopter parent" approach to ladies and juniors is out of hand, but as the father of a young girl (2) who I intend to introduce to the game, I would like nothing more that to caddy for her at the U.S. Open some day if she shows any interest in being serious about the game.

That said, the hovering at the LPGA and junior level is out of hand. Helping keep them calm in a stressful situation is one thing, but the "stand behind and watch them line up" thing or the active coaching during the rounds has got to stop. It was a sad but probably necessary step when the USGA banned parent-caddies in junior events. My dad just marshalled for the junior worlds in San Diego, and all the materials talked about providing notice for both the players and the parents. WTF? The parents are spectators. You don't have to give them input on rule decisions and the like.

[thusgone]

the o: i think it's great for parents to be involved with the sports their children play. i certainly did not mean to imply that there's anything wrong with it, or with the dream of caddying for your kid in a us open. to the extent it came across that way, i apologize.

but this guy seems to be several steps beyond that. he acts like he thinks that everything is about him and it's not. i am also bothered by the idea that a man could saddle his 18 year-old kid with the responsibility for supporting his family.

[thusgone]

. . . and good luck with your us open dream. i sincerely hope that it happens.

[Scott]

I guess since it's not called the "Sarah Brown Futures Tour brought to you by Duramed" they didn't get everything they asked for...

[FOS1964]

Mr. Brown admittedly misstepped with the Sarah Brown seminar. If you knew him or Sarah, you'd know there is a website and that he admitted it was in bad taste.

I never get why parenting is given such a bad rap. The guy is helping his daughter. If anything he does is in violation of rules, fine him. Until then, everybody needs to just shut up.

The only part where he obviously misspoke was in the seminar. Per the website, it was retracted.

These are new waters for these people. Their website also mentions the tons of media calls they got. This Yes, they have a large family. And being acquainted with them, they're all great kids. Years ago, all kids were raised and taught to help the family. I think it's great that he and his wife are teaching their kids to value the family, and to help out.

Say what you want, but he must know something. His daughter

[FOS1964]

(continued from earlier post)

is on the Future's Tour and from all reports, he's been the only coach.

[CBell]

I think the dad overdid it. He risks teaching his daughter that the best way of reacting to a situation like this is to go to the media, which of course put a lot more attention on him and Sarah and placed her at the center of a golf media circus.

It would have been a lot classier if he had said at the outset, "Sara is understandably upset, and we will be pursuing the incident through the appropriate channels. I hope you all agree that the situation could have been handled a lot better, and we hope that after talking with tour officials they will agree. For now, I thank you for your support of Sarah, and we won't have anything further to say until after we've discussed the situation -- and hopefully resolved it to everyone's satisfaction. If it is not resolved to our satisfaction, I expect we'll have a lot more to say and further action to pursue. Thank you for your restraint."

[MarlaB]

Received this website from a "supporter" of Sarah's-- interesting, to say the least, to see the general opinions from people who don't know anything.

Thusgone-- everything seems to be about him? What specifically has been done to give you that opinion? Specifics, if it wouldn't be too much trouble. And please-- from your fingertips to God's ears that my husband never has to speak to the media again. The number of phone calls he's had to field to get this behind us, between PING who personally reached out to us to give us aid, to the Duramed Tour, to the media has been exhausting. However, the only goal has been to insure a positive outcome for Sarah.

As for his employment-- are you unfamilar with the economy? Have you read the unemployment numbers? The mortgage industry tanked. People got canned. My husband was one of them. Jobs in his industry are scarce. Our finances are indeed strapped, so, no, there is not money to secure Sarah another coach, caddy or "press secretary" to keep all of you people happy. Until the mortgage mess eases up, he caddies for and travels with Sarah as a chaperone. It's kinda what good dads do.

To FOS1964, I've been following some of your comments. Much appreciated. There has been another gentleman on these forums, Steve B., who, along with you, I hope to meet one day and thank in person for having our back. Sarah has made so many friends locally and nationally, there is no way I can thank everyone enough for their support. She is a neat kid-- so HER FATHER and I must have done something right.

The reporting from the national media has been very positive. Reading the comments from people who have no clue of my husband, nor the family we're raising makes my blood boil. Guess I need to just log off the computer and get to work.

[thusgone]

if you don't want people to form opinions about you, then maybe you shouldn't state your case, or your list of demands, to the media.

[MarlaB]

as I thought-- no specifics.

Thanks for proving my point.

Have a great night.

[Ky Laffoon's Ghost]

@MarlaB: Welcome to ShackLand. Something has been bothering me through this whole regrettable affair. Why did Mr. Brown LET that "rules official" paw through Sarah's golf bag, on the course, in full view of Sarah while she was preparing to putt? Nowhere else on earth would something like that occur, including my local city championship. A caddy's #1 job is to protect his player. Maybe, given your inside knowledge, you can let us know. kthxbai.

[MarlaB]

First, I wasn't there-- but, I was at the Hartford event. you have to understand, not all players have caddies. When I was there, only Sarah had one. Keith had the responsibility of tending the pin, et cetera for all players-- it's nuts. He's completely exhausted at the end, having to perform all the caddy responsibilities on the green (save reading putts, obviously, for her opponents) for the entire group, and then grab the bag and run.

My understanding is that the bag was on the other side of the large green. Keith and Sarah were busy reading, lining up, et cetera-- it all happened rather quickly.

I can only imagine, however, what would have been the reaction had Keith interacted with the official-- angry caddie and 'overbearing father'-- how that would have been spun by those interested in bashing him at every turn. First he was slammed for "not making sure she had legal clubs." Then when media reported what we knew, that the clubs WERE legal, then it was bashing how he tried to secure a settlement-- I can only imagine how "that piece of work" Keith Brown would have been viewed if he stopped the rules official "from innocently" looking through the bag and doing his job or some other such garbage.

Through it all, my husband has been tremendously professional and courteous to all parties involved. He begged the rules officials to let her finish, and there has never been a harsh word spoken. I'm way proud of him. His one goal was to secure restitution for Sarah-- fair restitution-- quickly. And he did it.

I realize people will always be negative, always have an opinion I may or may not like. I'm new to this. Guess I'm not built for the public eye.

[MarlaB]

Just spoke to Keith about the question above, Ky Lafoon's Ghost. He had this to say.

"The rules officials out here are the police. You don't tell a rules official what to do, especially if you're a nobody."

He went on to opine that maybe a Tiger Woods could get away with telling the police how or when to do their job (both on and off the course, obviously) but Sarah Brown from New Jersey certainly couldn't get away with it.

He also agreed with my sentiments, about just how it would have been viewed had he the audacity to approach and address the rules official as they were performing their duties.

[Lynn Shackelford]

MarlaB
"I'm new to this. Guess I'm not built for the public eye."

You are doing just fine.

[The O]

@thusgone, Thanks. First re the Open. More of a wish than a dream. If she wants to be competitive, I'll help her. If something else is her interest, then that's ok too. Second, re the parents. Yes, support is great. (see comment re my kid) Not great are parents that try to get involved in rule decisions and the like when they are technically spectators. At least here, the father was the caddy and has some legit role in this on the course, and is more vocal after the fact. You may think he's over the line, but I don't have a specific opinion on him. My complaint is this behavior starts really early these days and I don't think the effect its had on junior golf is healthy.

[F. X. Flinn]

I appreciate MarieB's comments and I'm glad things worked out for Sarah. Kudos to Keith.

[Ky Laffoon's Ghost]

"...maybe a Tiger Woods could get away with telling the police how or when to do their job (both on and off the course, obviously)..."

Pretty good golfsnark from the Brown Family! We hope to see Sarah on the Big Tour next year.

[Golden Bell]

While MarlaB is in the neighborhood – Geoff's done a great job with it – was the rules official in question a Futures Tour regular? Someone who volunteered for the week? I just wonder how well (or poorly) run the Futures Tour is. It stops near my town, but not so close that I've seen it.

In either case, he should know that questions as to equipment, and anything else, can be settled after the conclusion of the round. If I'm one of the other players in the group, I tell him, under the theory of protecting the field – this guy can do this to anyone, maybe to me – that he can't pull someone off the course for any reason, and that if he disagrees, he has to call in a second official to get confirmation/denial right now.

[MarlaB]

He is listed on the website as a rules official. He is a regular. You'd have thought he'd have known that it was unprecedented to yank her off the course for a rules violation-- but, he was adamant that she not continue her round.....and the rest, as they say, is history.