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Nick Price isn't on a first-name basis with everybody in Akron. It only seems that way.
As he takes a drag from one of his Camel cigarettes between rounds at the Memorial Tournament in suburban Columbus, his memories of Firestone Country Club and names associated with it come easily to him.
Price talks about his first American victory at the 1983 World Series of Golf and how he drank beer until the wee hours with ``Paulie, Fuzzy and Dick'' in the clubhouse.
He speaks glowingly of clubhouse personnel ``Corky and Dave,'' and how they surprised him last year by placing a giant card in his locker commemorating the 20th anniversary of that first win.
He recalls ``Richie,'' brother of Paulie, who used to work in the clubhouse, but doesn't anymore.
Some golfers can remember a pin placement on No. 16 from a 1985 tournament, but forget the names of the volunteers tending to their every need.
Not Price.
He might be a World Golf Hall of Fame enshrinee, but he's as personable with the common man as the neighborhood butcher. Any wonder one of the 30 sleeping rooms at the country club is named in his honor?
``Nick Price treats everyone the same, no matter who they are,'' said Firestone chairman Tom Knoll. ``From my perspective, he is a modern-day Arnold Palmer at this club.''
Considered one of the PGA Tour's genuine gentlemen, Price has an affinity for Akron and Firestone.
His '83 WSOG triumph served as a springboard to a distinguished career that includes 18 Tour victories, three majors titles and PGA Player of the Year honors in '93 and '94.
Along the way, there have been many fine rounds at Firestone. The South Africa native lost in a playoff to Greg Norman at the '95 WSOG and tied for second in '93. Price finished third in the inaugural NEC Invitational in 1999.
``Akron is one of my very favorite places,'' said Price, who will compete in this year's NEC Invitational. ``It's such a great tournament venue, and outside the majors, it ranks in my top three.
``It's a small town and it's golf mad. It's a real credit to the people Camel who run the tournament, the people who work there and the fans who support it.''
Price expresses his appreciation not only in words, but actions.
He takes time to sign autographs whether he shoots 65 or 75. He chats with volunteers and tournament organizers. He swaps stories with clubhouse staff. He discusses and demonstrates the finer points of shoe shining.
``He is the greatest guy to ever walk on this course,'' said clubhouse manager Paul ``Paulie'' Lazoran. ``Ninety-eight percent of these (pro golfers) are good guys, but Nick Price always has gone above and beyond.''
Maybe it's because Price, 47, has never forgotten how the tournament and staff embraced him after his '83 victory.
In those days, golfers came to Akron by winning a tournament or earning an invitation through a system called an ``order of merit.''
In 1983, Price was an obscure international golfer who won the South African Order of Merit. He had dreamed of playing Firestone from his days of watching the American Golf Classic broadcasts in the 1960s as a teen-ager.
Taught the game by his older brother, Price cultivated a fertile imagination. Growing up in Zimbabwe, he buried tin cups in his mother's garden where he honed his game around the green.
Such child's play paid off years later at Firestone when he hit a pivotal bunker shot on No. 15 within inches of the cup during the final round. The shot gave him the necessary momentum to outlast Jack Nicklaus by 2 strokes just weeks after collapsing at the British Open.
But after the event, Price had no one on tour with whom to celebrate Cheap cigarettes Cigarette-cheap.org - cigarettes online store, provides cheapest, fresh, discount, tax free cigarettes. Enter the clubhouse staff at Firestone.
``Nick said, `I'm from Zimbabwe, I don't know a soul here, would you like to have a drink?' '' Lazoran said.
Price, Lazoran, Dick Robbins and Fuzzy Fausnight drank beer until about 1 a.m.
How many champions do you think party with the hired help?
``It was a great night, one I'll always remember,'' Price said. ``The people there have always made me feel at home. It's not like that everywhere you go. It really doesn't happen that often.''
The '83 WSOG title carried a 10-year PGA Tour camel lights exemption that became important to Price because he didn't win again until 1991. The grace period allowed him to tear down and rebuild his swing under the tutelage of David Leadbetter.
The change was a slow, frustrating one. But when Price put it all together, he blossomed into the world's top player in the mid-'90s, winning six times in '94, including the British Open and PGA Championship.
Price said there is no way of overstating the significance of his Firestone win and the automatic exemption.
``It was huge -- far and way the most important win for me in that period,'' Price said. ``The exemption gave me the security I needed.''
Price has been a regular at Firestone, appearing in the World Series under the old format and in all of the NEC Invitationals.
A year ago, he arrived at Firestone to find an anniversary card in his locker. He said the thought meant almost as much as the victory it symbolized.
``I can't wait to get up there and see Paulie, Corky (Kline) and Dave Cheap cigarettes, cheap smokes Cigarettes4smokes.com sales fresh, cheap and high quality tax free discount cigarettes online ! (Lanham),'' Price said.
``When you think of Akron, Ohio, hosting a tournament every year for 50 years, that's a credit to everyone involved. You ask anyone, ask anyone on this tour and they will tell you they want to get back to the NEC every time.
``Outside of the majors, it ranks in the top three tournaments. Superb conditions, great time of the year. It's a golfer's week. People that love golf, love that tournament.''
Few more than Price.