Moving Day at Sahalee

It was an exciting day at Sahalee with huge crowds this afternoon at Sahalee. The leaders were teeing off when I was already deep into the back nine. The roars for Freddie were coming early as he rattled off a 31 on the front.

It was a cool, cloudy morning, 55 degrees when I got to the course at 7:15. I wore my long sleeve sweater all day today. I was walking up many fairways with my hands in my pockets - downright chilly! I had a very nice day with two guys who unfortunately struggled. Bill Britton and Jon Feidler are both very good players, but this course will expose any weakness that a player shows. They hit a lot of good shots, but a few loose ones that added up to 78 for each of them. I didn't have anything in the way of rulings other than to have each ask me about the optional ball drop when they both rinsed it from the tee on the par-3 5th.

We had Craig Stadler and Dan Forsman playing directly in front of us. There were a few nice cheers for those two. A nice thing about this week besides the people really coming out to support the tournament is that the crowds are knowledgable, too. They're not just out to follow celebrity golfers. there are a lot of virtual no-names here this week, and I have heard a lot of hearty applause for some of these guys when they play a great shot or hole a nice putt.

I'm staying at a Marriott right in the heart of Redmond, WA - Microsoft country. They're obviously a big part of the community. I saw on TV where Microsoft's new seach engine, Bing, is sponsoring the Seattle Seahawks training camp that is just about to get under way.

Bob Ruby and I are flying out first thing Sunday morning for the long trek back east. Bob is a USGA committe member who has worked several US Senior Opens in addition to the Women's Open. He's also coming back tis way in a few weeks to officiate at the US Amateur at Chambers Bay which will host the US Open in a few more years. Bob and I are going out to dinner tonight with Dave Miller, a Charles River member and MGA official who is also a USGA committee member working his first Senior Open. Joining us will be our fearless leader, Jim Farrell, USGA staffer who announces the players on the 1st tee all four days.

Looks like a battle royale tommorrow between Freddie and Bernhard who both sit tied at 5-under par and five clear of Tom Kite. With Fred growing up in Seattle, the big crowds are rooting for one guy only tomorrow. And even though I will be in the air flying when these guys are out grinding, I'm rooting for Freddie, too.