Kamikaze leaves no doubt in JWC

Joe “Kamikaze” Camacho said most of the folks he met at the 2005 Johnny Walker Classic had no idea where he and Tournament of Champions co-chairmen Rodney Klinge and Ben Babauta came from.

The 2004 TOC Championship Flight winner said they usually drew blank stares when they try and explain what country they were representing.

“They have no idea where we came from. They thought we came from some place in Malaysia called ‘Sheipen’ or something. They didn’t know where Saipan was,” he said.

While his place of origin may have come as a big question mark to many, Camacho left no doubt that he belonged on the golf course when he participated in the 2005 Johnny Walker Classic Pro-Am Event last April 20 in Beijing, China.

He said his playing partner, world No. 34 Paul Casey, was blown away when he saw Camacho hit his first tee shot, a homerun of a swing that almost hit the green some 75 yards away from the pin in hole No. 1 of the Pine Valley Golf Resort and Country Club.

“Casey said ‘holy cow’ when I hit my first tee shot and he asked me who taught me my swing. But I told him it was self-taught,” said Camacho.

The golf pro was more shocked when Camacho told him that virtually all the golfers on Saipan learn golf that way because they don’t have the benefit of learning it from a professional.

Camacho went on to say that it was pleasure to play 18 holes with a gentleman like Casey. He said the player from the United Kingdom was very friendly and like most players on the European Tour was very sociable and made playing the game fun.

The 44-year-old Commonwealth Utilities Corp. employee said that Casey told him what it was like to be on the Tour and even inquired whether Camacho played the sport full-time.

“He asked me if playing golf is my full-time job and I told him no and that I work for the government. He then asked why was I so good. I just told him that everyone on Saipan wants to beat me, so I try to practice and play as much I can to improve my golf game,” said Camacho.

Aside from Casey, Camacho was also able to exchange pleasantries and even pose for photographs with the likes of Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Luke Donald, and Chinese pro Liang Wei.

“It was an altogether exciting feeling actually for me to meet all these guys because you normally only see them in the golf channel,” said Camacho.

The 2003 Suva South Pacific Games veteran also thanked Klinge and Babauta for giving him the opportunity to play in the 2005 JWC in Beijing, sponsors Johnny Walker and Diageo for arranging the trip, and local supporters Alex Aquiningog, Jung Eun Teack, and the Marianas Visitors Authority.

“Overall, it was a great learning experience. Of all the tournaments I ever played in, this was so far the most memorable and I’m raring to go out and win the Championship Flight of the 2005 TOC so I could go to Perth, Australia for the 2006 JWC,” he said.