When It Happens6:41A Tale of Two Booths: Real Estate Agents Invited to Golf’s Most Valuable Tournament
Scott Stallings of Georgia loves golf — but he doesn’t think he has the skills needed to compete at the Masters.
So he was a little surprised when he received an official invitation in the mail from Augusta National Golf Club inviting him to play at one of golf’s most prestigious tournaments.
Then it clicks. The invitation may have been sent to Scott Stallings, the real estate agent. But it’s clearly for Scott Stallings, the professional golfer living in Tennessee.
“I don’t think I have a chance in a million,” he said When It Happens presenter Nil Köksal. “Now, the real Scott Stallings, they can have a little more confidence in his abilities.”
Augusta National did not respond to a request for comment.
‘I read it and I read it again’
Scott’s wife, Jenny Stallings, was the first to discover the invitation by chance.
It was New Year’s Eve and the Atlanta couple had just arrived at their vacation home in St. Simons, Ga. Scott was unloading their belongings from the car, and Jenny ran to the apartment to check the mail.
When she saw the dark green envelope with the signature golf logo on it, she immediately recognized it as Masters. She eagerly opened it, thinking that she and her husband had won the lottery.
Instead, she found an invitation, printed in elegant calligraphy, “regardless” inviting Mr. Scott Stallings to compete.
“I read it and I read it again, and I like, what?” she told CBC. “So I started yelling at my husband… ‘Oh, my God! You’ve just been invited to play at the Masters!”
‘Check your mailbox five times a day’
Meanwhile, golfer Scott Stallings nervously checks his mailbox several times a day and wonders why his coveted green envelope hasn’t arrived yet.
He was pretty sure he qualified for the tournament and all his fellow golfers received theirs.
“Honestly, I think my wife has it and is doing something for Christmas,” Stallings told reporters Monday at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.
But there is no green envelope under the tree.
Then he finally got his reply in the form of an Instagram message from another Scott Stallings, explaining the confusion.
Jenny Stallings wrote the message on her husband’s behalf, she said. She doesn’t want to embarrass the golfer, so she thinks the best thing to do is contact him privately.
At first, the golfer did not seem to believe the Georgia couple. He responded with a half-laughing emoji. So they sent him some photos of the invite and gave him their phone number.
The next morning, the couple woke up to a voicemail that was none other than professional golfer Scott Stallings, who turned out to be his wife, Jennifer. Soon, the two couples spoke on the phone.
“We’re fans of Scott Stallings because of my husband. He’s followed him closely for many years,” Jenny said. “I mean, it’s so surreal.”
Meanwhile, real estate agent Instagram is exploding. Professional golfer posted a screenshot messaywith the caption: “Yes, checked my mailbox five times a day and then I got this random message yesterday.”
Since then, Georgia Stallings has been going to their local UPS store to send out invitations to the intended recipient. Jenny turned her husband when he packed the coveted green envelope into a plain white envelope.
“Okay, Scott,” she said. “Why are we at the UPS store?”
“Because I had to send the other Scott Stallings invitations to the Masters,” he replied with a mischievous scowl.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said.
“I tried,” he said. “That’s OK.”
But in fact, the real estate agent said he never considered holding the invitation even for a second. In fact, he’s checking UPS tracking information to make sure it’s on its way to the right Scott.
“We were very cautious about it,” he said. “I said [to the UPS worker]: make sure this is in the right place.”
Golfer Stallings, he said, was kind enough to invite the Georgia couple to watch a practice round at the Masters and join him and his wife for dinner.
“My Jennifer and his Jennifer, we’re having dinner Monday night,” he said. “A great date. And as far as I know, I just won the lottery.”
