Live at the US Open - Olympic - Tuesday June 12, 2012

View up the 8th to the Clubhouse

Tuesday, practice day, is done. It was a beautiful day – blue sky and sunshine all over the peninsula. Even though we did not have a shift until 3 pm we arrived early.

Tiger was walking off the 8th green and into the ether as we got to the green. And I think it was about 9:15. So much for Tiger.

We decide to just wander the course a bit…we run into McIlroy, McDowell, Westwood and Karlsson. A good group. A big crowd following this group. It was my opportunity to get Rory to sign my Congressional flag. Huge failure! He did not appear too happy, looked away from the fans, never smiled, kept on moving. There were a lot of young fans that were waiting for him that were disappointed. Bummer.

While Jeff is on the phone being hassled by customers I’m hanging at a green and lo and behold! There is Phil playing with three relative unknowns. He likes to do this I guess. He was helping the guys he was playing with or it appeared so. What was most strange was what wasn’t there – an adoring crowd. That was surprising.

Ran into Rickie Fowler who was also playing with unknowns and there was a huge crowd following him. He was a vision in royal blue…when is he going to shave?

I spent a lot of today looking at the course. It is absolutely gorgeous with incredible, old cypress trees. It is built on a hillside – a steep hillside. I was told by a member that the San Francisco Golf Club turned down the property way back when and built its course across the lake – Merced I think. They deemed it to be too steep to be a proper course. SF Club is said to be rather nice itself. So much for those visionaries, however. Olympic is the championship course that has hosted multiple US Opens.

I do not have the picture yet but there are two grandstands at 18 green. Usually there are two or three that surround the green. Here – there is 1. But there is a second stand that is at least 100 feet above the green. It is the first nosebleed section of a US Open. As I said, the course is built on a steep hillside. Tomorrow the plan is to get a photo from that stand…it is pretty crazy.

At 3 we begin running people up and down the hills…most need the lift – some do not. About 4 the fog rolls in and the wind starts to come up and the temperature drops 15 degrees in a hurry. I have four layers on and am freezing…my poor fingers have turned white for lack of circulation. And there are people – well women – that are in skirts, shorts, sleeveless shirts, sandals. I do not know how they do it. When the men are cold you know it’s cold. How I wish I had gloves with me. Oh, and this is about the time the leaders will be on the back 9 on the weekend. Makes me cold to think about it.

Two highlights of the day…

I’m sitting in my cart near the clubhouse and Webb Simpson walks up and asks for a lift to the players’ parking lot. How cool is that? He was the nicest guy. We talked about the first 6 holes that everyone is talking about. He agreed they are pretty hard but wasn’t over the top about them. When he got to his car, i.e. Lexus, he asked my name and thanked me for the ride. Which was pretty nice since it is my job. I will say that his ridiculously bright green slacks were a bit much. (FYI, the players’ parking lot looks like a Lexus car lot…bet you are surprised that Lexus is a huge sponsor.)

I go right back to the same spot and an older man asks me to take him to the Limo/Taxi exit. Since his friend was saying thank you and a bunch of stuff I looked at his badge and he is Robert Trent Jones, Jr.! In case you do not know, he is one of the premier golf course designers in the world. He followed in his father’s footsteps. He designed Chambers Bay which will host the 2015 US Open. We talked a bit about that when he heard I was from Seattle. He said it was a bit strange to be tweaking one of his courses that is only 5 years old. He also said that Olympic made changes to #8 for this Open that his father had recommended some 40 years ago. Meeting him was pretty special.

A trip to Whole Foods for wine, beer and salads for dinner and we are done for the day. As always we know we are blessed to have this experience. I love sharing it with you. Good night…