- May 23, 2025
Loading
Team USA Captain Jim Furyk poses with Gene Storm and Emily Storm at the World Champions Cup block party at Waterside Place. Emily Storm is on the golf team at Lakewood Ranch High.
Photo by Jay HeaterJim Furyk, Lakewood Ranch's Kevin Stoll, Stuart Appleby, Lakewood Ranch's Sue Gregus, Ernie Els and Darren Clarke get together for a photo with the World Champions Cup trophy.
Photo by Jay HeaterSarasota's Rich Boyd gets a photo with World Golf Hall of Famer Ernie Els at the World Champions Cup block party at Waterside Place on Friday.
Photo by Jay HeaterMark Mayea plays for the Bay Kings Band during the block party Friday night at Waterside Place.
Photo by Jay HeaterThe World Champions Cup is on display at Waterside Place. The final round at The Concession is Sunday.
Photo by Jay HeaterLakewood Ranch's Kathie Marini and her best friend, Mary Costello of Warren, Ohio try out Santa's chair in front of the big tree at Waterside Place on Friday during the block party.
Photo by Jay HeaterLakewood Ranch's Carol McCabe tries her pitching skills in a game at Waterside Place during the World Champions Cup block party. She won two tickets to Sunday's match.
Photo by Jay HeaterRonnie Dee blasts a tune on the sax for the Bay Kings Band during the World Champions Cup block party on Friday night at Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch.
Photo by Jay HeaterKaren and Dean Boeving won a pair of tickets to the World Champions Cup round on Sunday after Dean chipped into a bucket during a game at the block party Friday night at Waterside Place.
Photo by Jay HeaterTeam USA Captain Jim Furyk poses with Lakewood Ranch's Mark Kaszubski on Friday at Waterside Place. Kaszubski said he has been looking forward to the World Champions Cup since it was announced in April.
Photo by Jay HeaterWorld Golf Hall of Famer Ernie Els has some fun with the crowd at Waterside Place during the block party.
Photo by Jay HeaterThe crowd at Waterside Place lines up to take photos with the players.
Photo by Jay HeaterJim Furyk, a PGA Tour Major champion who is serving as the captain of Team USA for the World Champions Cup at The Concession, had finished his duties Friday taking photos of those who had lined up to meet him at Waterside Place.
But instead of running off, Furyk spent five minutes chatting with Lakewood Ranch High sophomore Emily Storm, who plays on the school's golf team.
Storm was seeking some tips as she begins to consider her college choices, and the next step in her golf career.
"It was nice meeting a pro golfer, somebody to relate to, and to hear something I can take into the future," Emily Storm said.
Furyk told her to make sure she can have fun playing golf in college, and therefore to find a place where she will have the opportunity to play.
She had come to Waterside Place with her parents, Gene and Be Storm, for the World Champions Cup block party with the hope of meeting the pros, and Furyk didn't disappoint her. He patiently answered every one of her questions.
Furyk said it is all just part of giving back and starting some positive history for an event that is in its inaugural season.
"I can tell you that the 18 players here are enjoying (the World Champions Cup) a lot," he said.
The highlight of the evening was when Furyk, Ernie Els, Stuart Appleby, Darren Clarke and Billy Andrade emerged from Osteria500, which hosted a selection party for the Saturday pro-am part of the event, to visit and take photos with the crowd.
They waited until everyone in the line that had formed to see them had their photos snapped. The event concludes Sunday with the final round of the World Champions Cup.
"Oh my god, this has been great," Lakewood Ranch's Kathie Marini said of the World Champions Cup. "The course is beautiful, and the players were talking to the people in the crowd. I hope they come back."
Carol and Don McCabe of Lakewood Ranch also attended the event.
"I thought it was fabulous," Carol McCabe said.
Lakewood Ranch's Dean Boeving had attended Friday's round after his wife, Karen, had bought them tickets for his birthday.
"The course was amazing, and it was such a quick in-and-out with the parking (shuttle from Premier Sports Campus)."
Boeving said he hopes The Concession lands the PGA Championship. It has a bid being considered to host the 2031 event.
"Lakewood Ranch is growing and a perfect fit (for a Major championship)," he said.
Jason Langwell, the executive vice president of Intersport, which owns and will promote the World Champions Cup, said everything has gone well through two days of the event.
"The feedback from the players has been that this is incredible," Langwell said.
The fans have enjoyed it as well.
"I was a huge fan of Ernie Els growing up," said Sarasota's Rich Boyd after getting his photo taken with Els at Waterside Place. "I watched him and learned to swing the club easy."
Els is known as the Big Easy.