A young man's wish comes true at TPC Sawgrass

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Even before Wednesday began, Tim Schucker figured it would be one of the most memorable days of his life. After all, he was getting ready to tee off with his dad at TPC Sawgrass, home of Tim's favorite PGA TOUR event.

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Briny Baird surprised Tim Schucker on Wednesday by showing up to play a round at TPC Sawgrass with him.

At 8:30 a.m., Tim and his family had just finished a tour of the massive clubhouse, where they were given an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the players' locker room. Tim and his father, Russ, even had their own lockers.

It doesn't get much better than that for a golf fanatic.

But the PGA TOUR and Tim's family still had one more surprise up their sleeves. Call it a late birthday present for Tim, who turned 20 on Tuesday. As he went outside to prepare for his 9:10 a.m. tee time, Tim ran into two people who were waiting to meet him -- PGA TOUR players Jim Furyk and Briny Baird.

Furyk, who lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, just happened to be practicing at Sawgrass and wanted to meet the young man who had fought and survived an aggressive form of bone cancer. Unbeknownst to Tim, Baird had traveled up from Palm City, Fla., just to play golf with him.

Tim is a quiet, self-contained young man with broad shoulders and the build of a football player. He shook the two TOUR golfers' hands and didn't say much, but his smile broadened by the minute until it was permanently in place.

Baird immediately struck up a conversation with his new friend and asked if Tim was anxious about facing the infamous 17th hole. Baird confided that even TOUR golfers get scared.

"I get nervous every time I think about playing it," Baird said, then later gave him some advice. "Close your eyes and just hit it."

While Tim figured he'd probably put a few in the drink -- Baird said not to worry, they had plenty of balls and would keep trying until Tim, a 15-handicap, left-handed golfer, hit the green -- he knows he has survived much worse than the dreaded island green.

Just two years ago, Tim was a normal 17-year-old high school senior. He played football, lacrosse and loved to tee it up with his dad, who taught him the game when he was two years old.

Shortly before his 18th birthday, though, Tim was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer. He underwent surgery to remove a 6-inch piece of bone in his right forearm, which a team of top doctors then replaced with a cadaver bone and a steel plate.

"I couldn't believe (I had cancer). I saw things like that on TV but never thought it could happen to me," Tim said. "I had never been in the hospital for more than a day."

Twenty five years ago, Tim's arm would probably have been amputated and the cancer could have still spread. Now, though, he has a greater range of motion in his arm than before the tumor was removed. He can still play golf -- he credits watching the TOUR with keeping his spirits up during the ordeal -- and his proud mother bragged that he drives it over 300 yards.

"But that's in Denver," Tim added to account for the difference in elevation.

After eight months of chemotherapy, Tim is now cancer-free. Though he missed his senior year of high school because of his health problems, Tim was able to graduate on time and is set to attend the Golf Academy of America in San Diego. In fact, he missed the first day of school to make the trip to Florida.

Thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an organization that helps dreams come true for children with life-threatening illnesses, Schucker, his parents and his 13-year-old sister were able to take the trip from their home in Denver, Colo., to Florida. They even traveled in style, as a limo picked them up on Monday morning to drive them to the airport in 15-degree weather.

By Monday afternoon, the Schucker family was in sunny Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Representatives from the PGA TOUR and Golf Course Properties took him out to dinner and showered him with TOUR-related gifts for his birthday on Tuesday.

It was Wednesday's experience, though, that Tim will always remember.

"I'll never forget it. It is one of the best days of my life. I'll never forget this day," Tim said.

Baird echoed his sentiments.

"It's uplifting to do something like this for two reasons. One, you meet really nice people. And, two, we are helping a tremendous cause," Baird said of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which has a national relationship with the TOUR. "To fulfill someone's wish is both rewarding and humbling at the same time."