The Amateurs, The Volunteers and The Golf Course

Friday was a perfect day at Crooked Stick. The weather could not have been better. It's the second coolest July on record in Indiana which I'm sure is not a disappointment to the players. I was expecting 90-95, but it's been low-80's all week and the humidity has been relatively low. I had my own group to officiate yesterday - the 2:30 tee time off #1. Jim Dent withdrew prior to the round with a bad back so it was only a twosome with Dave Eichelberger and John Ross.

I wasn't familiar with John Ross. Apparently he was a longtime mini-tour player who recently got his Champions Tour card. I am certainly old enough to remember Dave Eichelberger. He was a four-time winner on the PGA Tour and six-time winner on the Senior Tour including the 1999 US Senior Open. Dave has a relatively short swing. It doesn't look classic in any way but it's efficient, repeats and has stood the test of time. John Ross' swing is very short, quick and handsy. It was a fairly uneventful day out there. Both players were grinding all day. Eichelberger started at +3 and Ross started at +2.

Once we made the turn it looked like both players would have to shoot around even par on the way in to make the cut. Dave hit a few of the classiest shots during the round that I'd ever seen but he made a few bogeys coming in and shot 75. I think he might have just ran out of gas. He is 66 years old and still plays great golf. He retired last year from full-time play. Ross, on the other hand, seemed to find a nother gear on the back. He made a couple of late birdies and posted a two-under 70 to easily make the cut which fell at +3. I was impressed with his course management a couple of times when he found a little bit of trouble. On two occasions he turned a potential big number into a par.

My main thing yesterday was to just stay out of the way and shepherd the walking scorer and standard bearer who were standing in the wrong spot a few times. My heart only got going one time. On the 9th hole, a reachable par-5 with several treacherous bunkers fronting the green, John Ross went for it in two, but he came out of the shot with his hybrid club and sent the ball right. I thought it might end up behind behind the grand stand, a TIO. I didn't actually see the ball land, but I immediately got on my radio. 'Back-nine rover near number nine green, this is Joe with the 2:30 group. I have a player who just hit his second shot wide right - might have some TIO trouble.' The reassuring voice that transmitted into my earpiece said, 'OK, got it - be right there.'

I followed the player up a steep bunker bank around the green. I thought we'd still be wallking, but his ball had come up well short of the grand stand. It was perched atop the grass on one of the bunker banks, somewhat blocked by a tree limb. But no TIO which made me happy. I spotted the rover nearby, PGA Tour official Brian Claar. I ducked under the ropes and walked over to his cart. 'I think we're all set,' I said. 'Thanks, Brian.' He gave me the thumbs up, said 'have a good one' and drove off.

Amateur Hour

The story of the day is obviously the leader, amateur Tim Jackson who's leading by one at 11 under-par. What a crazy game - Tom Waston at 59 almost wins the British Open and now an amateur leads the US Senior Open. There were actually 25 amateurs in the field, a pretty amazing number that speaks to the quality of amateur golf around the country. I actually know six of the amateurs in the field quite well, five of them through the Northeast Amateur and one, Craig Stechowych of New Hampshire, through his competing in New England Golf Association events. I was able to catch up with all of them to say hello and chat - Bert Atkinson, Frank Ford, Danny Green, Buddy Marrucci, Craig and, of course, Tim Jackson.

I saw Tim about an hour before his tee time on Thursday. He introduced me to his wife and son who is caddying for him this week. Tim is a mild-mannered, true southern gentleman from Germantown, Tennessee. He is a classy guy, CPA by trade, who has won two USGA Mid-Amateur Championships. I think it might be a lot to expect Tim to win this weekend, but I hope he hangs in there.

3,000+ Volunteers From 6 Countries

That's right, you read that correctly. There are more than 3,00 volunteers here who paid $125 each for their uniforms for the right to put in long hours at some very unglamorous jobs. It seems like there are a dozen or more volunteers on every hole. I've gone out of my way to say hello to many of these folks. The tournament can't really happen without them. That's the old cliche that you hear in acceptance speeches, but it's absolutely true. They all think we rules officials with our USGA shirts are big shots walking with the players. I don't think of it that way. To me it's a privilege to be doing what I'm doing this week and everybody needs to thank these volunteers.

Perhaps the most dedicated volunteer might be a white-haired, stocky gentleman named Mike Cook, the head of transportation here at the Radisson Hotel. He sits at a desk inside the front door and coordinates all the shuttle rides to and from the hotel, airport, etc for all the officials, USGA staff and others. There are scores of drivers who work in shifts to take us to and from the course in fancy new Lexus vehicles. The drivers don't work all day, but Mike does. He has been at his post from 6AM until 9PM every day since last Monday and will continue to be through Monday morning. He will not see a single golf shot except on TV. My hat is off to Mike.

Pete Dye Country

This golf course, Crooked Stick, is really good. One of Pete Dye's earlier designs, it is a great test of golf with a nice variety of holes. There are the usual railroad pilings in places, but not like some of his later works. As demanding as the course is for this champinship, it's a course that members can enjoy provided they pick the right set of tees. Pete Dye walks around like a god here. Players talk to him, USGA staff conferes with him, fans seek his autograph. I even had him sign the back of my rules badge. He's in his 80's but still sharp as a tack. You can tell how much he's enjoying the week. The large, VIP tent is called the Pete Dye Club.

The golf course is getting very firm and the greens are getting extremely crusty. I don't think they're putting a whole lot of water out. It should be an exciting weekend of golf on TV. I go at 1:00 today as a Rules Observer with USGA Executive Committee member, Jay Rains, as the referee. Our group is Jim Thorpe and Scott Simpson.