By Ryan Finley,
Staff Writer

The University of Arizona sophomore is a lifelong golf fan, and the plane he’s about ready to get on will take him to his personal Shangri-La: the La Quinta golf resort in La Quinta, Calif. He’ll be caddying for the Bob Hope Classic this weekend.

His dream is about to come true.

Although he’s not playing, Andy Kramer will be able to assist his father, Rob, who will be caddying for a foursome that will include, among others, Jay Delsing, Doug Sanders, Joe Durant, and John Huston.

Rick LaRose

But Andy Kramer’s different. School takes precedence over a game.

“I played in high school, but out here, I try to stay on track with school”, he said. “It’s more important for me to finish off my degree.”

For him, a college degree is his passport to a life centered around the sports he loves.

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Taking 17 units of classes this semester, far above the units needed to graduate, Andy Kramer surrounds himself with courses intended to fit into his “Sports Turf Management” degree. He will board a red-eye plane on Friday night so as not to miss classes. That’s serious.

“Golf is my passion,” he said. “A golf course superintendent gets to be outside, which is an absolute delight. Combine those two things, and you have a dream job.”

Kramer’s happiest moments will come amongst professional golfers, athletes he admires.

“The one thing that sets golfers aside from other athletes is their sense of sportsmanship,” he said. “It’s such a humbling sport, there’s no room for an ego. Well, unless you’re Tiger Woods.”

Despite all of those things, the weekend among celebrities carries a larger meaning: a time to spend time with his father, who he sees sparingly.

“The Bob Hope will be another chance to see professionals up close,” he said, “but I’m looking forward to spending time with my dad, too.”

The two have a tee-time at the Quarry Resort in Palm Springs for Sunday afternoon. For Kramer, that means time with his father.

“It’s pretty exclusive, but we got on,” he says with pride. Golf, a sport which can break grown men apart, can also reunite a father and son.