Today—December 16, 2024—marks the end of the Letters to a Future Champion book project. So, what are the next steps for me?

Almost 40 years later my q-school journey is as clear and sharp as ever. Those wicked dreams still roll around at this time of the year. Big moments have a way of leaving a lifetime mark.

When I embarked on the “Letters to a Future Champion” project in the spring of 2020, I never thought the gifts of this book would be as abundant as they have been, nor would I have thought the emotions would be as alive as they were when the final pallet of books shipped last week.

I consider myself extraordinarily blessed to have been born when I was, 1965. That gave me the gift of personal connection to very important people in our nation’s past, specifically World War I and World War II veterans.

With The Players at the half-way mark, the word unfair is being used a lot. No, it is not unfair. Not the course, not the weather.

18 1/2 years of televised golf and I admittedly still get a little anxious to start a new season. Getting back in full travel mode after almost 20 weeks off is a bit daunting.

This is supposed to be my “off season” but it has been anything but off. All “on” and all thankful for the places and people I’ve been able to connect and reconnect with.

It was certainly a year to remember for the CBS golf team. A new lead producer, upgraded technology and communication, coordination with the PGA Tour on rules situations that happen while we are on the air—all of it made for hard working, fast paced FUN.

This update comes to you with the happy news that the support for the first two versions of Letters to a Future Champion has been so strong that I was able to reprint hardcovers — the first printing of the hardcover version sold out in less than a month — and also achieve the early goal of printing enough softcovers at an affordable price to get the books in the hands of many more people, including young golfers, their coaches, and teachers.

What do the numbers 71, 33, 5,130, and 3,550 have in common?

For most people, likely not much.

The game of golf recently lost a gem, a servant of the game and part of a family whose golf DNA is among the deepest in history. Joe Turnesa, Jr., otherwise known to all as “Joe T.”, was one of the most respected people in the game, the guy you could easily find in the white sport coat.

I’ve finally had a chance to come down a bit myself. I am absolutely exhausted, and it’s going to take a big effort to be ready to go tomorrow with our coverage of the Charles Schwab Championship. If I’m feeling like this, I can’t imagine what it was like for Phil to tee it up yesterday morning at Colonial in the first round!

Since the shipping of Letters to a Future Champion began a month ago, many of those who received the book — as a gift or otherwise — have shared their photos with me. Some even included photos of their kids or dogs with their books! It almost brings back the emotions I felt when I opened the mailbox over four decades ago to find a letter from Mr. Pulver!