Champions.
That is the perfect word to describe Bobby Orr and Pat Bradley whom I had the pleasure of photographing over the summer for the covers of Golf & Leisure magazine.
Bobby Orr is an absolute legend in these parts. Whenever I told someone I was shooting Bobby Orr, it was ALWAYS followed by either,"Wow, that guy's a legend" or, "He is such a NICE guy!" I knew this assignment was magic when I got the email from editor Rob Duca to shoot it (as if any sane photographer would say no) and I happened to be at the passport office in Boston, looking down on Bobby Orr's statue at that very second. Freaky. He was an absolute pleasure, even responding to a camera two feet from his face, held by someone he just met, with a good natured: "Just don't make me look old". I could go on and on about how cool Bobby Orr is, but lets just wrap it up with this description: he is Frank Sinatra, the hilarious guy at the coffee shop that knows everyone, your big brother that will always beat you at sports, and the mayor of whatever town he is in: all in one. Basically, he's the man.
And that brings us to our other legend, Pat Bradley. If you don't already know who she is, let me tell you. Pat Bradley is the MOST accomplished female golfer of ALL TIME. No exaggeration. She brings me to her local course, the one and only Hyannisport Golf Club, where we park in a back lot which I'm convinced is the secret celebrity entrance (as I imagine many a Kennedy sneaking on to the course this way). She unloads her clubs, and it simply says "Hall of Fame" on the bag. If you're a real champion, you get to stitch that on your golf bag right under your name. She is unbelievably gracious as she poses in multiple locations, and talks about her days of competitive skiing. You get the feeling Pat probably could have rocked anything she put her hand to, she just happened to choose golf. She also gushes about her nephew, pro golfer Keegan Bradley. Apparently champion blood runs deep.
So here's to the champions!(raise imaginary glass) Maybe I'll, see you on the links of Cape Cod, I'll be the one in the woods, looking for my last shot...
