Hello everyone…what a day! To be perfectly honest I am still attempting to process everything. I doubt this will really sink in until after I am home a few days and unwind a bit.
My intelligent mind (the very existence of which has been questioned in the past) tells me that in the scheme of things – world terrorism, the horrific oil spill, famine, hunger – this tournament is way down the list of important happenings. And I do believe this to be true. That said to those of us to whom golf is a large part of our lives the US Open is an important event each year. In my own little world because I have been able to see it in person the past four years it is quite something else. This year is – well, it is just off the charts.
The Day with Tiger…
June gloom shrouds Carmel Bay, it is cold, a little windy and it is just barely spitting. Tiger, Ernie and Lee are going off 10 at 8:04. They will be brought out from the driving range to a small practice green that has been created near the tee. Our Tiger Advance Team (okay we named ourselves that :) ) meets up by the green to wait. We watch as other players practice – Stricker, Sergio, Casey to drop a name or two.
One can easily tell when Tiger will be arriving soon. Cart after cart of the media begin to arrive to set up. Suddenly there is commotion to the left and here comes the entourage. There is no other word to describe the group that arrives with Tiger along with poor Ernie and Lee somewhere in the mix. I often wonder how the other players truly feel about the circus that is created by one Tiger Woods. There are sheriff's deputies, USGA officials, and a K-9 team with a bomb-sniffing black lab. What a beautiful animal. He has his own badge attached to his collar. I CHATTED with these fellows for awhile and they said the dog is trained in explosives and accelerants and they are convinced something up their alley will happen one day. Now how unbelievably sad is that statement? Tiger seems oblivious to all the fuss and goes about practice. An omen to the day – with the exception of one reasonably long putt not one went in that was over 3 or 4 feet.
So off we go. The crowd is larger than Phil’s the previous day but it is also a day later. Tiger chips in for birdie on 11 and the crowd is thrilled and hoping for good things to happen. I was already off the green to the next when he did this. The instant he did, half the crowd moved on for a better view on the next hole. They do the same with Phil. Most golfers would never do this. Fans do it. This one guy was running, hootin’ and hollerin’ (literally) like he had just sunk a putt to win. It was amazing…this guy showed me his t-shirt he had hand-painted the night before that said I ‘heart’ Tiger…big, huge red heart. When you see this at 8 in the morning you realize just why the security is the way it is. Some of these people are scary.
We are supposed to be invisible but it has become impossible to be outside the ropes anywhere so we stay INSIDE the ropes all the time. We would never get to where we needed to be. At the bridge the players cross I wrote of the other day the players are so close they sometimes brush us as they go by. As Stevie walked past I actually wondered what would happen if the Tiger cover slipped off into my hands. Certain death came instantly to mind.
It was apparent early, that it was unlikely Tiger was going to make a move…no fire, no eye of the Tiger. It would be nice to see him get something going to make this really interesting tomorrow but I get the feeling he is not fully engaged. I would venture his life is still very unsettled – no surprise there – and until that happens we will not see the Tiger of old. We may never again.
But there was the pull hook on 3 that hit the trees and landed as an unplayable. How on earth did he do this? I believe he was trying to go over the trees like Phil did Thursday. Only Phil hit the grandstand and left himself a pitch to the green. Since we were already down the hole we did not see the drive I only saw it on TV. Anyway, his ball landed in high fescue not in the crowd but within 15 feet of the rope. This is where our responsibilities come in. If he needed the crowd to move we would work that. So here Terry and I stand 10’ feet away while he and Stevie discuss their plight. Didn’t take long for him to decide to take an unplayable and then drop a couple of his ‘f’ bombs under his breath. Same old Tiger.
I made certain today that I got to see #7. We sit on the bank just in front of the bleachers. The short, 109 yard par 3 is pretty crazy. Sits on the edge of the world and drops over 100 feet. Easy wedge. No worries except for an ocean on two sides and traps on the other two. But if the wind blows, players have been known to hit 4 irons to this hole. Today was relatively mild, 2 birdies and a par for the group.
8, 9 and 10 – the cliffs of doom they call them. Some of the most fantastic scenery and golf holes in the world. And pray the wind does not blow to the sea. Some years ago a group of Japanese golfers were playing 8 – we are 500 feet up remember – and not paying attention drove their cart right off the edge of the cliff. Unfortunately they met their own doom that day.
Our group struggles through to 9 – Tiger and Lee both managed to get down from 40 to 50 feet above the hole in 2 – and the day is done. We have now been up and on the course at 7 am four days in row, walked many, many miles and it is only a little after 1. We head back into Carmel and find a TV (none here at the Sea View Inn) and watch the golf for awhile.
Our barkeep tells us to eat at the Mission Ranch – owned by the former mayor, Oscar winner, and golfer, Clint Eastwood. We were told they do not take reservations so we never bothered to try. Well, this week only they are doing so call and now have reservations at 6. The Ranch is very old, rustic and with acres out to the sea. It is packed with obvious locals who dine there frequently. I went to use the Ladies Room which is in another building and who is walking in but the man himself – Clint. He goes into the bar and just chats up a storm with the patrons. Of course he is standing 2 feet from where we had just spent a half hour at the bar. Our table came a little bit too early.
I know I have many more thoughts on the day and tomorrow is another. I think I have gone on and on too long so I shall close. Hoping for lots of excitement from many players tomorrow. We will be with Tiger again. Till then…
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