The horn blew, the thunder rattled, and hail fell out of the sky at Calgary’s Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club, covering the greens as the storm ripped through the area. With the course soft, and as winds diminished after the storm dissipated, scores were low during the first round of the Champion Tour’s Shaw Charity Classic.
That means this year’s Shaw, similar to past years, will likely be a shootout.
But the weather delay, which lasted a couple of hours, didn’t bother David Frost. The South African said the break gave him time to check his email, ponder his wine business, and consider his golf game. With the sun shining where storm clouds had once been, Frost hit his approach to 30 feet on the 18th green and rolled in the putt for eagle to shoot 62, one shot ahead of Jose Coceres and last year’s champion, Jeff Maggert.
Did he think the putt, which just tentatively dropped into the hole, had a chance? Turns out Frost was far from confident.
“No, it was on the low side of the hole and that’s very rare that it happens,” said Frost, joking the putt “dropped in from the amateur side.”
There was polite applause when the putt fell, but by that time most of the spectators had disappeared, leaving during the storm and not returning.
Frost was having a solid round before the weather appeared, and the veteran, 56, said he found a few things to keep himself interested during the delay.
What did he do? “Drank—no I’m just kidding,” said Frost. “I like to think about the game, and even before I come out here I prepare in the fitness truck to make sure there aren’t any kinks in my body.”
Frost added he checked in on his vibrant wine business. While a large number of PGA Tour players–from the likes of Canadian Mike Weir to Australian legend Greg Norman—have entered the wine business, Frost is one of the originals, having purchased a vineyard in his native South Africa in 1994. He admits he checked emails when he was waiting in the clubhouse, though he added his daughter is actively involved in running the business.
“There’s always something to do,” he said. “I just stay on top of things.”
Wine, it turns out, is part of his makeup.
“I grew up on a grape farm—my grandfather bought a vineyard that was established in 1693,” he said. “So it is very nice to have a business like this. It takes 20 years to build a brand. It is very competitive out there. I try to do wine dinners and expose the brand. I know we can do the good product in South Africa, and that’s what keeps me focused on the wine side.”
Is he having a glass to celebrate his success at the Shaw? Frost says he’s “taking a little break,” and won’t have a glass until after the season is done.
Two of the three Canadians in the field weren’t as effected by the weather. By the time the storm rolled in, only a handful of players had completed their rounds, but that included Canadians Rod Spittle at 2-under par, and former Calgary resident Stephen Ames at even par.
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