SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Milo Bonnin might have the best job at TPC Scottsdale this week.
OK, the guys who make six or seven figures in prize money have the best jobs. But Bonnin is definitely having fun.
His job title?
“I guess I’d be ‘gopher boat manager’ or ‘gopher boat pilot’, maybe?” Bonnin said from a golf cart near the clubhouse Friday morning.
For those attending the tournament and near the lake behind the 17th green (and on the left side of the 18th), look for a remote control boat with a gopher in it. There’s also a good chance you’ll see close-ups of it during live Golf Channel or CBS Sports TV coverage.
“He drives the boat. I’m just kind of dealing with it,” Bonnin joked.
The Green Gopher’s main gig is to hunt for birds that might want to congregate on the giant floating WM logo in the lake.
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“He had a water gun on another boat but we decided not to do that anymore, so now he just has the cool Chris-Craft [boat]which makes it stylish there,” Bonnin said.
The gopher also has a daily wardrobe change.
Cruise in Day 1 as…#WMPO #thepeoplesopen #greenestshow #RESPECT #GreenGopher@PGATOUR @tpcscottsdale @Waste Management pic.twitter.com/HpFxRVHqgP
— WM Phoenix Open (@WMPhoenixOpen) February 1, 2018
“We change her outfit. He dresses differently every day. Today [Friday] he is disguised as Thunderbird. Yesterday he was a caddy. Tomorrow, [Saturday] he’ll be all dressed in waste management gear, WM gear, so he’s got a green hat and helmet and makes sure he’s part of the crew,” Bonnin said.
“We go out in the morning and make sure there are no birds sitting on the WM sign there in the lake. We’re going to scare some birds away, but other than that it makes everyone happy I think.
