For Anthony Chapman, nothing is more important than the blades of grass at En-Joie Golf Club in Endicott.

As supervisor of the course, his job becomes especially important this week. Professional golfers from all over the world will take over the tees starting Friday for the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open Champions Tour.

On a typical day, close to 250 people play this course, leaving Chapman with a lot of work ahead of him. But it’s a challenge he welcomes, especially after the tournament was canceled last year.

“You do all of this work here, you want the challenge of having these guys come here and playing your golf course. You see them playing all throughout the world on these really nice golf courses, and they come here to little old Endicott, they play this course and they say, 'wow,' and that makes us all feel pretty good,” said Chapman.

Along with his daily duties, Chapman takes time to check on his crew.

One group spent the day pulling weeds from bunkers and making sure they were in tip-top shape for the pros.

Maintenance crew members like Andrew Segrue take pride in knowing legends like John Daly and Vijay Singh soon will play on this very course.

“It feels good. I think it’s big for the community. We’ve had a rough year. I think it’s great that we can have a lot of people here. I’m glad to do it, really,” said Segrue.

This year, En-Joie celebrates 50 years of professional golf on a course that once featured the likes of Tiger Woods.

Chapman says a simple component from a pro makes his job all worth it.

“These guys are all over the place, all over the world on these private, beautiful courses, and yet sometimes, this is the one they look forward to playing, and a lot of that has to do with the way we maintain this place,” said Chapman.

It’s that dedication that’s kept En-Joie a top course in the region since it opened back in 1927.

This year's tournament is capped at 5,000 fans per day.

Attendees must provide either a negative COVID test or proof of vaccination.