By: Rick Limpert for WorldAmGolf.com
Every participant in the Myrtle Beach World Am has a story to tell.
None may be more heartwarming than that of Houston, Texas radio legend, Les “Pe-Te” Johnson.
Johnson has been a DJ at 90.1 KPFT in Houston for 33 years and is the longtime host and producer of the Saturday night, Cajun Bandstand program. He also is an avid golfer and had planned to play the World Am in 2012. That was until his wife took ill and Johnson spent the better part of the next two years caring for her.
Before she passed, his wife made Johnson promise that he would go to Myrtle Beach and play in the event he was forced to miss.
Johnson came by himself in 2014, with a heavy heart and a voice that has kept a good part of the state of Texas entertained for over three decades.
That included many of the astronauts at NASA. Johnson even interviewed astronaut, Bill McArthur when he was doing a six month stint on the International Space Station. McArthur also commanded five Space Shuttle flights and took tapes of Johnson’s radio programs into space, so he could listen to them.
Les “Pe-Te” Johnson
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Experience: First year
Handicap: 28
What’s great about this event?
I love it and I’ve never seen such wild people here in my life. This is a cross-section of people from all over. I’ve met people from Nova Scotia, England, France and Germany.
How did you hear about this event?
I’ve heard about this event several years ago, but I never thought it was this big. 3400 people is unreal.
What do you think of the courses?
They are all tough, but I’m enjoying it. If you haven’t played them before that are all tough.
Rick Limpert is an Atlanta-based sports, technology, and travel writer. He writes for Yahoo.com, a daily tech piece for Examner.com and has been featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Sports Illustrated. You can follow Rick on Twitter at @RickRoswell.
