Volunteer with medical condition welcomed warmly at THE PLAYERS

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Van Tanner stands by the ninth green, lifting a rope so the PGA TOUR players can cut through to No. 10. In a ball cap and standard-issue volunteer outfit, he looks no different from other men volunteering as marshals.

But he is different.

Tanner, 52, has been waiting for a liver transplant for five years. The call could come any minute and, if it does, Tanner must be at the Mayo Clinic within an hour. The drive usually takes about 12 minutes from TPC Sawgrass but, with fans flocking to the course for THE PLAYERS Championship, traffic could significantly slow the drive time.

"If they call me, they want me to come immediately over there and they want to start prepping me right away, even if the liver is on its way from another state," Tanner explained.

Tanner was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 1996. An unfortunate side effect from a mushroom tattoo he got as a 17-year-old, the disease slowly damaged his liver. He's able to function normally but has complications from the liver disease.

When Tanner, a big golf fan, turned in his application to volunteer, he wasn't sure about the logistics.

The volunteer parking lot is a long hike from the course. What if he and his wife couldn't make it to the car in time?

Cell phones aren't allowed at TOUR events. Would THE PLAYERS let him bring one?

But the TOUR sprung to action, getting him a special cell phone sticker for his volunteer badge. Dr. Jeff Snowton, chairman of the First Aid Committee at THE PLAYERS, lost his own mother to liver disease and has pledged to do all that he can to help.

If the call comes while Tanner is on the course, he will radio First Aid and they will escort him by player transportation to Mayo. Should traffic be too heavy, they will coordinate a police escort.

"All of this is a surprise to me. I thought that I would be a nuisance or a problem for them and I was very thankful to even have them let me volunteer," Tanner said. "(The TOUR and First Aid) really took it upon themselves to do these things for me. I didn't even ask them and the next thing I know they had made all of the arrangements."

The Mayo Clinic is one of the top facilities for liver transplants in the world. They don't have a standard "list" like other hospitals and give the organs to patients based on dire need, blood type and a myriad of other health factors. Tanner has a rare blood type -- Type O Negative blood -- and said his position on the list depends on circumstances.

The only constant -- be there within an hour.

"They want me ready as they are testing the liver and doing all of these things," Tanner explained of the specific time constraints. "And it could (turn out) that they walk in the room and say it didn't work out, you'll have to wait until next time. But they say that once you have a dry run, you will probably have a transplant within the next couple of weeks.

"The people (at Mayo) are so accommodating and friendly. They work with you because they know it's so much more than a liver, it's a change in your lifestyle," he added.

Tanner used to be on the list at Duke University, near his home in Greensboro, N.C. A former businessman, he went into ministry in 1996 and served as a pastor from 1996 until he moved to Florida last June.

He and two additional pastors are working at No. 9, which they've dubbed the "Holy Hole." Tanner's position as a volunteer allows him to sit when tired -- he gets sleepy frequently and said he could take a nap despite all of the distractions around him -- and stay out of the sun.

A father of three girls in their early 20s, Tanner had to move away from his daughters and grandchildren to live in nearby Amelia Island. He can't leave a two-hour radius of the Mayo Clinic to visit his family but they understand -- his young grandson even calls Florida "the place you go to get a big liver."

For the first time in eight months, he will go off the list in early June because of his daughter's wedding. In order to get back on, he will have to start all over with blood work, physical reviews and survivability tests.

He knows his phone will ring -- or vibrate, as is the case this week -- when he least expects it. But he has a good feeling about this week, especially given the attention his story has generated.

"I've been praying about this and it's interesting. It may very well be that what y'all are doing will help me," Tanner said to members of the media.

No matter what happens, though, being a volunteer at a golf tournament like THE PLAYERS is a wonderful experience.

"With liver disease, because it's not just a specific disease, it just knocks you down if you don't get up and do something. If you just vegetate it really makes your condition worse," Tanner said, adding that he plays golf whenever he feels up to it. "You really need to get up and do something if you can.

"If this was strenuous, I couldn't do it. This is a dream of mine, too. I've always watched it on television but now I'm getting a chance to see the players up close."