Live from the US Open - Torrey Pines - June 13, 2008

Moving Day…
Dear heaven – where to begin? Do we LOVE the 13th hole at Torrey Pines? It is THE place to be this week…such craziness is rarely seen.

Tiger? Phil? Rocco? Lee? Getting into the PLAYERS’ hospitality?

Lee Westwood – He seems like a very nice young man and has certainly haunted the US Ryder Cup team for several unhappy sessions. (does anyone else miss Darren Clarke these days?) He apparently has been sick of late. Guess he should be sick more often. I wish him well tomorrow because he certainly will have most of the crowd rooting for Tiger. There are those who would root for anyone other than Tiger and they will be cheering for Lee. May the best man win!

Rocco Mediate – This nice man has been around a long time. He lurks at a lot of majors only to fall back. Kind of like the back nine today. I hope he stays with it tomorrow and has a chance to truly compete for the title. Those in the know say he is as nice as he appears. He’s struggled with injury if memory serves so lots more luck to Rocco.

Phil Mickelson – What to say about Leftie? Another US Open meltdown only this time on Saturday at that now-storied 13th hole. I heard he had a 9 on 13 before…problem is, he was 8 at the time! Phil has unbelievable talent and can do amazing things with a golf club (see the second shot on 13 on Thursday) but something is missing a lot of the time. He said he is just going to have fun out there tomorrow. Damn Gina – that is NOT what the US Open is about. At least PRETEND to us that you are beside yourself, that you are grief-stricken that you are not playing in the final group tomorrow, that you really care…something. Thank you very much.

Tiger Woods – For certain, it takes a heck of a lot more talent than I have to discuss Tiger’s round today. But hey, you aren’t paying for this nonsense, are you? I am not a golf historian and I am too tired to look it up but I do know that not too many players have had two eagles on the back nine on Moving Day at the US Open. Add the chip-in from ankle-deep rough after missing the fairway for birdie and it is, well, mind-blowing. Love him or hate him, you cannot help but love the intensity, the always possible fireworks and the sense of awe that you in the presence of something/someone very special. I don’t know if you watched/paid attention to/saw the Nike commercial with a voice-over from his Dad. When it comes back on again – listen. It explains a lot about the man Tiger is today. Good luck to Tiger tomorrow – need it or not!

Remember when Johnny Miller threw that 63 at Oakmont? And the USGA swore that would never happen again? (Remember Winged Foot?) There is always the chance that someone will do just that tomorrow – wouldn’t that be exciting? Seems unlikely and tomorrow could be a foregone conclusion. But, we never know and that is what keeps us coming back for more. Aren’t we lucky?

I tell you what – there people who think that watching golf is like watching paint dry or that it is a good walk ruined (Mark Twain). Those of you who know me know I follow a lot of sports. I love football, baseball, volleyball, soccer to name a few and heaven knows there is over-the-top excitement in all of them. In my opinion golf can create the greatest moments in sport and can be amazing to watch and experience. This IS, just my opinion and at the moment, it is all that counts J

On the lighter side…what I would give for the profit of just one single hour at the Merchandise Tent. I wonder at times if some of these people actually see any of the golf. They walk into the tournament and go directly to the tent. Then they spend from $6 for a lanyard to hold their ticket (which by the way already has a string on it) to hundreds and hundreds of dollars on other stuff. I am in the Satellite Tent (ready that ¼ the size of the main tent like last year). Then they have all this stuff to walk around with all day or they have to walk over a mile to the main area to check their bags.

I got off my shift at 4:25 (from 11 am) and things were just heating up. The leaders were on the middle of the front 9 and people were leaving in droves. What in the world is up with that? I know most of you would give lots of important body parts for a ticket to the Open and yet these folks are long-gone before the excitement begins. Call me clueless, I just don’t understand.

Tidbit – a manager of one of the food concessions told me her stand did $65,000 on Friday. Now that is a lot of burgers, dogs and beer. See why I would like an hour of merchandise?

I told you yesterday Jeff was going to be at the Players’ Hospitality today. I watched Tiger on the 13th – on TV at the Volunteers’ Tent, I admit. When I got off shift I had to eat and trying to get NEAR the 13th would have been beyond stupid so I got a sandwich, watched the 16th for awhile and headed to a TV so I could be sure to watch the leaders play 13. For good reason, obviously. Then I headed for the “behind the scenes.”

I actually was planning to just check in with Jeff but his Supervisor, Brillo, took me into the Players’ tent which was pretty cool of him. So, I just sat there and watched the last few holes and watched players like Retief, Andres Romero, Stewart Cink to name a few wander in and out. Have to say, that was pretty cool. Players, their families and guests only get in there. If their caddies try to get in, they are asked to leave. Plain and simple. If anyone, and I mean anyone, other than a player tries to get into the locker room, they are barred. No exceptions. Padraig Harrington’s Dad tried to follow him into the LR and Jeff had to tell him he could not. Not easy. The locker room is the only sanctuary the players have.

This was such an amazing day I could go on and on but I am tired and probably so are you from reading this. Some of you have responded to say that you are enjoying my ramblings and I appreciate that. I am glad that you are enjoying this along with me.

Tomorrow will doubtless bring lots more fun and fireworks. I can’t wait. Just know that I realize how very lucky and blessed I am to be here and have this experience. Maybe that is why I started doing this last year…I just want to share my good luck with my friends and family.

Till tomorrow – Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there.

Mel