South Carolina Rep. Bill Taylor, R-Aiken, and his wife, Donna, learned more about a rising golf star and also had fun with friends during the Masters last year.
The Taylors watched the prestigious tournament on the television in the great room of their Summer Lakes home north of Aiken with Larry and Murlyn Zeske, of Dallas, Texas.
The excitement was especially high during the final round when Jordan Spieth almost became the Masters' youngest ever winner at the age of 20.
"It was like having your own personal play-by-play announcer; it was a fabulous experience," Bill said. "Larry knew which club Jordan was going to use, how he was going to hit the ball and where he was going to try to make the ball go. I was completely amazed."
The Zeskes have known Spieth since he was about 8 years old and attended the same grade school that their grandson, Luke Zeske, did.
"Jordan and Luke played a lot of the same sports, and we got to know him and his family," Murlyn said. "When Jordan decided to focus just on golf, Larry really started following him because he recognized that he had something special. Actually, we both followed him, but Larry was the first and the most dedicated."
The Zeskes eventually became known as Spieth's "surrogate grandparents" because of their devotion and support.
"Murlyn and I were privileged to travel with him when he was one of the top amateurs in the world," Larry said. "His parents couldn't be with him all the time because they were working and had two other kids, but we were retired, so we could go. We went with him to the Junior Ryder Cup in Scotland and the Walker Cup in Scotland."
After Spieth turned professional in December 2012, the Zeskes continued to enjoy their close association with him.
"We try to go to five or six of his tournaments each year," Larry said. "We were there when he won the John Deere Classic (in a three-way sudden-death playoff on the fifth playoff hole in 2013). I'm a collector of sports memorabilia, and when he signs things for me, he writes, 'To Grandpa Larry.' "
Attending the Masters was on the Zeskes' bucket list, and last year, they found a package deal that gave them access to Augusta National Golf Club in April from Tuesday until Thursday (April 8 to 10).
The big crowds made it difficult for Zeskes to watch Spieth practice and play, but they liked the atmosphere, the friendliness of the people and the sunny spring weather.
"Everybody in the world that is a golf fan should be lucky enough to be there physically; I would do it again in a nanosecond if I had the opportunity," said Larry, who got to buy some special Masters souvenirs that weren't available to many of the other spectators.
Then, after the Masters' first round, the Zeskes headed to the Taylors' house, where they spent the weekend. Murlyn had met Donna years ago when they both worked for Xerox.
"One of the things we like to do when we go to a golf tournament is to get a feel for the local flavor, and if we know people in the area, we try to reconnect with them," Murlyn said.
The Taylors took the Zeskes to the Track Kitchen and The Willcox to eat. They also visited the Palmetto Golf Club and went to church together.
Donna made the Zeskes pimento cheese sandwiches that Murlyn thought were better than the ones sold at Augusta National.
"Bill and Donna were wonderful; they really are genuine people and fantastic friends," Murlyn said. "Donna told us that Aiken was prettier than Augusta, and that's exactly what we found. Aiken is a very charming town."
The Taylors also had a good time.
"It was a weekend with friends, a weekend of learning and being in closer touch with golf and the Masters, and a weekend of being able to tout a community that we dearly love," said Donna, who is a vice president at Meybohm Realtors.
Spieth finished tied for second with Jonas Blixt in his Masters debut after leading for a while during the last round. Bubba Watson, meanwhile, captured his second Masters title.
"Murlyn and I were both a little disappointed that Jordan didn't win, but I think we were more appreciative of how well he did do and how well he handled the situation when he congratulated Bubba," Larry said. "It has to be demoralizing to get beaten that way, but Jordan doesn't let things like that bother him. He is so mature for his age."
DeDe Biles is a general assignment reporter.