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.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
US Senior Open @ Sahalee
Yesterday was a very nice day walking with Jay Haas, Hale Irwin and Paul Trittler. I can almost guarantee that I was more nervous than the players on the 1st tee. I spoke to my walking scorer and standard bearer. Our group had two walking marshalls for crowd control because it was a notable group. We even had a forward observer, Bill Katz, a USGA Executive Committee to help out. I introduced myself and shook hands to the three players who were all very cordial. USGA staff member and New England Regional Director, Jim Farrell, announced our group and we were off. It took me a few holes to calm down before I started to feel comfortable.
Fortunately it was an uneventful day and there were no rulings, but I stayed on my toes and tried to anticipate what might happen on each shot by each player on every hole. I was a ble to watch some ver nice golf by world class players. It's tough to appreciate how difficult this course is playing unless you see it up close. It's playing very firm and fast and the hole locations are extremely challenging. A course like this will expose weaknesses in a player's game fromt he very first hole which is why you see the names you do at the top of the leader board - Langer, Cook, Watson, Couples. Look all the way down the leader board and there are very few unfamiliar names. These are mostly battle tested tour players who are incredibly good.
On Friday I walked with three unhralded players, Tom Herzman, Rod Spittle and Bob Niger. I had never heard of any of them, but Rod and Bob each made the cut which fell at +10. I had one minor ruling about determining Bob's nearest point of relief for a ball that had come to rest near a putting green. Otherwise just a nice walk in the park. The only wrench in the day for everyone was the 2 hour+ fog delay that occurred about 7:45PM, just a half hour after play had begun. It made for a long day, but fortunately everyone finished. Good thing it doesn't get dark in Seattle until 9PM.
I have a group to walk with today, Saturday. After the cut to the low-60 players and ties, players will play in groups of two today. I am with Bill Britton and Job Fielder at 8:34 local time. I don't know Jon other than I've seen his name. I know Bill is a former PGA Tour player from the early '90's. During my brief two-year stint caddying on Tour, Bill had a couple of good years winning his sole event in Florida at the 1990 Centel Classic if my memory serves me. I will mention it to him today. He won't remember, but I was paired in his group several times back in those days.
Cloudy most of the day today. The weather out here - 70's and low humidity - has been a welcome break from the weather back home. Maybe by the time the TV telecast comes on it will be sunny for the leaders.
Fortunately it was an uneventful day and there were no rulings, but I stayed on my toes and tried to anticipate what might happen on each shot by each player on every hole. I was a ble to watch some ver nice golf by world class players. It's tough to appreciate how difficult this course is playing unless you see it up close. It's playing very firm and fast and the hole locations are extremely challenging. A course like this will expose weaknesses in a player's game fromt he very first hole which is why you see the names you do at the top of the leader board - Langer, Cook, Watson, Couples. Look all the way down the leader board and there are very few unfamiliar names. These are mostly battle tested tour players who are incredibly good.
On Friday I walked with three unhralded players, Tom Herzman, Rod Spittle and Bob Niger. I had never heard of any of them, but Rod and Bob each made the cut which fell at +10. I had one minor ruling about determining Bob's nearest point of relief for a ball that had come to rest near a putting green. Otherwise just a nice walk in the park. The only wrench in the day for everyone was the 2 hour+ fog delay that occurred about 7:45PM, just a half hour after play had begun. It made for a long day, but fortunately everyone finished. Good thing it doesn't get dark in Seattle until 9PM.
I have a group to walk with today, Saturday. After the cut to the low-60 players and ties, players will play in groups of two today. I am with Bill Britton and Job Fielder at 8:34 local time. I don't know Jon other than I've seen his name. I know Bill is a former PGA Tour player from the early '90's. During my brief two-year stint caddying on Tour, Bill had a couple of good years winning his sole event in Florida at the 1990 Centel Classic if my memory serves me. I will mention it to him today. He won't remember, but I was paired in his group several times back in those days.
Cloudy most of the day today. The weather out here - 70's and low humidity - has been a welcome break from the weather back home. Maybe by the time the TV telecast comes on it will be sunny for the leaders.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The Busy Season
Yes, we are in the throes of our busy season and we are chugging along. If it's possible to have 'blog guilt' then I have it. Despite promises to myself that I would post an entry at least weekly, here it is the end of July and I haven't chimed in since the Curtis Cup in early June.
The championship season at the MGA has been going well and we have been much more fortunate with the weather compared to the early part of last season. Wellesley Country Club did a beautiful job in hosting the 101st Mass Open in late June. I don't think it could have gone much better. And congratulations to Wellesley as the celebrate their centennial season this year.
And speaking of Wellesley, two-time club champ there, Dan Head, made it to the finals of the Mass Amateur at Myopia Hunt earlier this month. Untested at the state level, Dan got on a roll and played some beautiful golf en route to the final match. He took 2008 champ, John Hadges, to the 35th hole before John finally prevailed. It was a great final match - no one was ever more than two up the final way. I think John was waiting for Dan to fold, but he never did, giving John all he could handle.
Brian Higgins was disappointed to be knocked out of the Amateur in the quarter-finals, but these past two weeks have been quite the consolation for him. First winning the New England Amateur at Yale last week and then qualifying for the US Amateur this week at Boston Golf Club. Congrats, too, to Scott Congdon who also qualified with Brian and Harvard's Tony Grillo who captured the medal at the US Amateur qualifier in Rhode Island at Potowomut Golf Club.
The Junior Amateur is wrapping up today at Foxborough CC. The club has done a wonderful job of hosting. We really appreciate the cooperation of the membership and all the help provided by pro, Lou Rivers, and superintendent, Mike Poch.
Unfortunately I am not at Foxborough this week. As I type this I am in Redmond, WA just outside of Seattle for the US Senior Open which began this morning. I've been here since Tuesday and toured the course the past two days. It's been a welcome break from the heat and humidity back home. The weather this week is morning clouds followed b sunny and upper-70's high temps. Nice. The golf course, Sahalee CC, is a beautiful, lush layout with towering pine trees everywhere. It is without question the tightest golf course I have ever seen. Think bowling alley with 100-foot pines on either side.
All of us rules officials sat in on an hour-long rules meeting yesterday afternoon complete with PowerPoint slides to go over specific situations on the golf course. Each group today will have a walking referee and I was very fortunate to draw the group that includes Jay Haas and Hale Irwin. The third player is an alternate who got in to replace Nick Price who withdrew. Am I a little nervous? Yes, but I will stay out of the players' way and be there if they need me. And if I can't figure something out then I will call a rules rover on my trusty radio. Looking forward to my afternoon which starts at 12:50PM local time.
The championship season at the MGA has been going well and we have been much more fortunate with the weather compared to the early part of last season. Wellesley Country Club did a beautiful job in hosting the 101st Mass Open in late June. I don't think it could have gone much better. And congratulations to Wellesley as the celebrate their centennial season this year.
And speaking of Wellesley, two-time club champ there, Dan Head, made it to the finals of the Mass Amateur at Myopia Hunt earlier this month. Untested at the state level, Dan got on a roll and played some beautiful golf en route to the final match. He took 2008 champ, John Hadges, to the 35th hole before John finally prevailed. It was a great final match - no one was ever more than two up the final way. I think John was waiting for Dan to fold, but he never did, giving John all he could handle.
Brian Higgins was disappointed to be knocked out of the Amateur in the quarter-finals, but these past two weeks have been quite the consolation for him. First winning the New England Amateur at Yale last week and then qualifying for the US Amateur this week at Boston Golf Club. Congrats, too, to Scott Congdon who also qualified with Brian and Harvard's Tony Grillo who captured the medal at the US Amateur qualifier in Rhode Island at Potowomut Golf Club.
The Junior Amateur is wrapping up today at Foxborough CC. The club has done a wonderful job of hosting. We really appreciate the cooperation of the membership and all the help provided by pro, Lou Rivers, and superintendent, Mike Poch.
Unfortunately I am not at Foxborough this week. As I type this I am in Redmond, WA just outside of Seattle for the US Senior Open which began this morning. I've been here since Tuesday and toured the course the past two days. It's been a welcome break from the heat and humidity back home. The weather this week is morning clouds followed b sunny and upper-70's high temps. Nice. The golf course, Sahalee CC, is a beautiful, lush layout with towering pine trees everywhere. It is without question the tightest golf course I have ever seen. Think bowling alley with 100-foot pines on either side.
All of us rules officials sat in on an hour-long rules meeting yesterday afternoon complete with PowerPoint slides to go over specific situations on the golf course. Each group today will have a walking referee and I was very fortunate to draw the group that includes Jay Haas and Hale Irwin. The third player is an alternate who got in to replace Nick Price who withdrew. Am I a little nervous? Yes, but I will stay out of the players' way and be there if they need me. And if I can't figure something out then I will call a rules rover on my trusty radio. Looking forward to my afternoon which starts at 12:50PM local time.
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