Dr. Carswell’s excellent day in his 49th RBC Heritage pro-am

“Golfdaddy” was squired around the Harbour Town Golf Links on Wednesday like he was Arnold Palmer.

But after he teed off in his 49th pro-am at the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing, Dr. Nelson S. Carswell Jr. muttered, “I thought I was just a country doctor.”

Indeed he is. He still practices pediatrics two days a week in Dublin, Ga., as he eases up on his 87th birthday in May.

But on this week, and for every week in the history of the Heritage on Hilton Head Island, the country doctor morphs into “Golfdaddy” to his five children and now their children, and they celebrate family and golf like it was the running of the bulls.

He started his day in the media center interview room, introduced to reporters by the PGA Tour’s John Bush, just as Jim Furyk and Branden Grace would be later in the day.

He was taped for a film being made for the 50th anniversary of the Heritage in 2018, sitting under the lights right after Nick Faldo and just before Matt Kuchar.

Then at 1:10 p.m., he teed off to shouts and applause in the pro-am group led by Aaron Baddeley.

Betty Ann Carswell said her husband lives to play next year in his 50th pro-am.

“Oh, it’s everything, after his medicine, which he has been practicing for 54 years,” she said. “I used to say, medicine came first, then golf and then me.”

The family makes posters and koozies for the festivities, this year with a Godfather theme.

Grandson Nelson Carswell IV said, “Next year’s going to be the granddaddy of them all.”

Carswell’s wisdom on golf is to hit it in the fairway.

His wisdom on life is to stay busy.

He said the pro-am cost him about $250 when he started and just short of $6,000 today.

Charlie Hoffman has been his favorite professional playing partner because he sent Golfdaddy a nice, personal note three weeks later.

But there was the day he played with Arnold Palmer.

“I remember on 17, I birdied the hole,” Carswell said. “I heard a little bit of (clapping) right behind me. And he birdied. And the crowd just went wild. I thought, well, I got what I deserved.”

On Wednesday, he got to be Arnold Palmer for a day.

This story was originally published April 12, 2017 at 3:57 PM with the headline "Dr. Carswell’s excellent day in his 49th RBC Heritage pro-am."