H&B: Thomas, thanks for joining us. Can you set the scene right now and give us a little background on how you got into the game?
Thomas (TF) - Sure, I'm Thomas Fernandes, the Senior Assistant here at Worcester Country Club, and we're on the aptly named TJ Booth on hole number 14.
My dad was introduced to the game by my uncle, and he would ask me if I wanted to come on Saturday mornings. They would play at 4:00 a.m. in London, and I'd walk around, pulling his trolley. He asked if I wanted to hit a shot when no one was around, and I did. You connect, and it's this godly feeling you want to repeat and do again. So, I would jump on the bus, the train, and the tube to get to my club. My clubs were there in a locker, and I would stay there all day to practice, play, and drink a Lucozade, if you know what that is. It was my life, and I loved it.
H&B: Did you play competitively growing up in the UK?
TF: We had a great junior golf program. I played against and with guys who played on the European Tour and the Ryder Cup, including Danny Willett and Tommy Fleetwood. We all played in the same events. Anyone who plays golf knows that when you play with good guys, you want to be better. I wanted to play at that level because I saw how good they were, and I wanted to be part of that.
I decided to move west to pursue playing golf full-time for a living. After doing that for a little while, I began working at a club and got into the PGA program. From there, I moved up to Worcester in Massachusetts, a place I had never been and didn't even know existed, and here we are.
H&B: Paint the picture of Worcester CC for us.
TF: The history of the club at Worcester is unmatched. It is:
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Home of the first Ryder Cup
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Host of the 1925 US Open
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Host of the 1960 Women's US Open
We're in Central Massachusetts, which historically had a very working-class mentality. I feel like I fit right into this place as well. Worcester, as it currently stands, is very open and very much at the mercy of the elements on the day. When it's calm, it's definitely scoreable, but when it's windy, cold, and potentially frigid, it's much more challenging. That's the beauty of it. There are so many options and ways to play. You never quite know what you're going to be greeted by until you're here on property and faced with it.
H&B: How has your experience with Holderness & Bourne been?
TF: I first heard about Holderness & Bourne in the fall of 2019. I met John Bourne at Northwood Club in Dallas, where there was a small collection of shirts and belts. I was fortunate enough to meet and talk with him, and I truly loved what he had: the cut, the precision, the immense colors. For us 200-pound-plus guys, it always presents a nice silhouette, so we still look great and feel great. The pants, materials, and designs all mesh so well together. You can't help but look good when you're wearing it.
