Mary Sue Fairchild remembers a simpler time in Mark O'Meara's life. A time when passing the next big math test was the biggest of his worries.
Back in 1972, Fairchild sat behind the 1998 Masters Tournament champion in freshman algebra class at Mission Viejo (Calif.) High School. On Friday, she was at the Augusta National Golf Club with yearbook in hand hoping that O'Meara would remember her.
``He was a nice guy then, and I hear he's still a nice guy now,'' said Fairchild, now a seventh-grade teacher in Kennewick, Wash., a small town about an hour south of Spokane. ``I used to try to get him to move so I could look at the cute surfer dude who sat in front of him. I don't know if he'll remember me, but I still hope I get a chance to say hello.''
As she and her fiancee, Aiken resident John Lindsay, positioned themselves near the 18th green as O'Meara completed his round Friday, Fairchild hoped the yearbook would jar her old classmate's memory.
Across one of the yellowing pages near the back of the book, the young O'Meara, then 14 and a bit more carefree about things like grammar and spelling than he is today, penned the following:
It sure was nice having a cool head around. You are a real nice person and everyone like nice people. I haven't talked to you much but I know are nice because you hang around with Debbie, and she's nice. I hope I see you and Debbie this summer. You know were at the golf course. Have a neat summer OK!.
Luv ya,
Mark O'Meara
In the yearbook, the surfer wrote:
I wish I could say I'll miss you as much as you'll miss me.
``Mark was a lot nicer than he was,'' she said.
Finally, O'Meara emerged from the scorer's hut off the 18th green after shooting a 4-over-par 76 on Friday, and after spending a few minutes talking to reporters, headed to the putting green.
Fairchild met him there, where O'Meara smiled and, 27 years later, signed the yearbook a second time. His wife, Alicia, then approached her husband, and Fairchild introduced herself and shook Mrs. O'Meara's hand.
``It was nice to get a chance to meet him again,'' Fairchild said. ``He still seems as nice as he was then. It's great to see how successful he has become.''
O'Meara, classmate have on-field reunion