As my second Father’s Day approaches I recently thought about some of the rather insignificant interactions I had with my father growing up that might in some way have shaped the Duff I am today.

Sure there are big events that stand out – The first fish I caught, the first game of h.o.r.s.e I won, the day he took the training wheels off my bike; all very important happenings that standout, but not a key event that molded my being.

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Introduction to Golf – It was a gradual introduction. My grandparents lived on a golf course (9 holes) and as a kid (about 7 years old) I would always caddy for my dad when we came over to visit. After a couple of holes, when we were far enough away from the clubhouse, he would let me hit a couple of shots up the fairway per hole until we got close to the pro shop again. No tee shots, no putting, I just threw a ball on the fairway and whacked away at his 5-iron. After a couple of outings I started to make pretty good contact, but I was a couple of years away from officially teeing-it-up. And when I wanted to sneak out for another 9-holes, he would always say “Why don’t you go over and practice your putting instead!” To this day my iron play and short game are as solid as they have ever been. He was there to see my first birdie (285 yd Par 4), my only hole-in-one (112 yd Par 3 using my grandma’s clubs) and even the first time I shot par!

Now I know these are not ground breaking events, but knowing he was responsible for my love of a game that I am still very passionate about today, makes me even more proud to say “Thanks Dad!”