Diamond Run golf pro takes on a different kind of course for charity

Adam Morrison had a Sunday to remember last month.

Morrison, head professional at Diamond Run Golf Club in Sewickley, participated Nov. 5 in the world famous TCS New York City Marathon.

The 34-year-old Morrison was part of a team of PGA of America golf professionals that ran in the 26.2-mile event representing PGA Reach, a charitable foundation of the PGA of America.

The NYC marathon is held annually on the first Sunday in November and is one of the most popular marathons in the world. It features 50,000 runners and the course touches all five boroughs of New York City to create a unique running experience.

“The NYC marathon was incredible,” Morrison said. “The city embraces the runners throughout the entire race. For a first-time marathon runner, the encouragement of the citizens of New York City makes it a race you’ll never forget.”

Morrison became a serious and dedicated runner. He trained for the marathon for almost seven months and developed a schedule that didn’t detain him from his duties at Diamond Run.

“I started training for it in late April,” Morrison said. “I really was not a runner until I was selected by PGA to run the marathon. As far as training, my daily runs would be early morning runs or late evening runs before or after work. My long runs as I approached the marathon would be on a day off. Longer runs would take two or three hours and I would try to do them early in the morning so I would have the rest of the day free.

“This was my first marathon, so I was unsure of what to expect. It was an experience of a lifetime and something I’ll never forget. I’m hopeful to run again next year. At first I thought it would be a one-time thing, but now that I have done it, I definitely have the urge to do it again. There is such a great feeling you have after completing the race.”

The PGA Reach team of 17 participants from across the United States ran the full marathon while raising awareness for the foundation throughout their pre-race training.

Post-race awareness also was a part of the training process for the participants.

“I ran the entire 26.2 miles,” Morrison said. “My body reacted much better than I thought it would. I did walk about two miles after the race back to the hotel to help my body adjust. I was definitely sore the next day but nowhere near what I thought I’d be.

“And crossing the finish line was awesome. It was a bit of, ‘I can finally stop running,’ and, ‘Wow, I just finished the NYC marathon.’ I definitely had the runner’s high that everyone talks about when I crossed the finish line.”

A runner’s high is defined as a short-lasting feeling of euphoria or bliss that occurs after exercise or running.

The PGA Reach team’s goal was to raise $150,000 collectively to help support the program’s mission to positively impact the lives of youth, veterans and diverse populations via the game of golf.

Through this initiative, Morrison helped PGA Reach continue to help veterans recover from PTSD or physical injuries through the game of golf, as well as to introduce the game to youth that have not had the opportunity to play golf.

“Team PGA raised almost $150K for PGA Reach,” Morrison said. “PGA Reach allows kids to learn the game of golf that may not have the opportunity without PGA Reach.”

Morrison is a PGA professional who learned to play golf through the First Tee program. He had an early inkling that a golf career may be on the agenda for him.

“Growing up, I played most sports,” Morrison said. “Baseball, basketball and golf were always what I played through high school. I really geared my focus towards golf early in my high school years.”

Morrison’s career on the links began at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, Miss., where he worked while attending Mississippi State.

Prior to joining Diamond Run, he was the first assistant golf pro at Seven Oaks Country Club in Beaver.

Diamond Run Golf Club was built in 1994 and is a Gary Player signature course.

PGA Reach was among 550 official charity partners that provided thousands of runners with an opportunity to run in the world’s most popular marathon.

“The PGA of America is proud and grateful of our 17 members raising awareness and funds for PGA Reach by running in the TCS New York City Marathon,” said PGA of America president John Lindert, the PGA director of golf at The Country Club of Lansing in Lansing, Mich. “Through their efforts, we are better able to provide resources to introduce, coach and welcome more people to our great game.

“We’ve seen many positive results from this campaign, whether it’s more youth playing in PGA Junior Leagues or veterans across the country regaining joy in their life.”

Morrison’s teammates at the NYC Marathon included runners from Florida, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Texas, Maryland, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, California, Utah, New Jersey, New Mexico, Illinois and Michigan.

PGA Reach has a long-standing partnership with the New York Road Runners, a nonprofit community organization whose mission is to help and inspire people through running.

This year’s NYC Marathon had 51,402 finishers representing 148 countries.

“Overall, the experience was just incredible,” Morrison said, “and the city really embraces the runners and cheers each one of us on from the start to the finish.”