Live from the US Open - Bethpage June 23, 2009

SO LONG BETHPAGE!

It’s over. I’m back home. US Open withdrawal.

It was a wet, wild, exciting demanding week. I’m exhausted. Sure, we flew 3,000 miles, were up early a few days, walked miles and worked hard. That said, all volunteers work hard. The people in charge of the various volunteer committees are – well – nuts. They are great people but who their right mind would volunteer to begin work at 6 am EVERY DAY FOR 10 DAYS and end around 11 pm? These amazing people who for their efforts get a free set of tickets and a better parking space. My hat is off to our leaders Denice and Jimmy. And all the volunteers who put in their time to make it happen

Now, the people who REALLY work…

I just found out that the people who man the concession stands are volunteers. I thought for sure they were paid. It is not a job I would want and they got a ticket and a free burger for their efforts. Hats off!

The ground crews are always under the gun at golf courses – daily. What the keepers from all over Long Island accomplished last week to keep the Open going is nothing short of stunning. You had to be there to see the conditions – the water, the mud, the mess. Some of the fairways and greens were mini lakes. Good thing the island is basically a sand bar so drainage was pretty good. They not only kept the course playable they got the grounds to where people could actually attend. Some in 6” of mud but shoes and feet are washable. Hats off!

I can’t imagine the exhaustion of the players some of whom played in horrific conditions for any tournament much less the US Open. The mental and physical fatigue must have been overwhelming. No one wants to miss the cut at any professional tournament but my mind wonders if a few of those who did miss it – in their heart of hearts – were glad they did. Whether you drove your 1999 Honda to play at Bethpage or flew in on your private jet you were still beyond exhaustion. Hats off!

Last – as tired as players may have been I don’t think it comes close to their caddies. Those guys and gals are truly amazing. I hope they all got huge bonuses just for not running off into the trees screaming. I read that Lucas Glover’s caddy promised him he would buy him a corvette the next time he won a tournament. What’s with that? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Anyway, those bags weigh a ton before the rain hits. Then they have to put in the rain gear, umbrellas and heaven only knows what else. It was really difficult to walk Bethpage last week – I simply can’t imagine doing it carrying that bag. All hats off!

One last shout out to American Express! In past years they have lent card holders little mini TVs so they could follow the action on the broadcast. Very cool but they borrowed out early each day. This year the GAVE AWAY little headsets (like for cell phones) on lanyards that tuned into the Sirius radio broadcast. It enabled you to walk around, sit in a bleacher and keep tabs on the rest of the course. It was awesome. As we sat on 17 all day Monday we knew exactly what all the leaders were doing. Can’t imagine what that cost but sure hope they do it again next year.

One final thank you to Jeff who has put up with this nonsense and finally succumbed and joined the fun. He took all the great pictures we posted...hopefully more cool shots next year. If only we could get a press pass -- so many great pictures during the days of play are imprinted in my brain but the no camera rule makes them only mine to see.

And speaking of next year – Pebble Beach!!! It was my ultimate goal when I started this adventure with my simple volunteer application. Get to the Open at Pebble. Well as soon as I get my laundry done I’ll be thinking about next June. The weather will be unpredictable but then, isn’t it always? Wait until they get here – Chambers Bay – in 2015!

The whole week was a blast. Met some great people but I am pretty sure the first day’s tailgating group will be a top memory from Bethpage. Marty, Jimmy et all – you made our week. Stay in touch.

Thanks to all who took the time to read this nonsense each day – hope you enjoyed it half as much as I did writing it. Until next June…keep working on that handicap!

Live from the US Open - Bethpage June 22, 2009

FIREWORKS!!! FINALLY!

It's day 187, or so it seems, of the 2009 US Open at Bethpage and we finally get excitement. And it was pretty darn exciting from the 17th green where all kinds of things happened. Some were outstanding. Many - not so much. And the second best part - NO RAIN!!! I don't think even the worst rain could have rained on Lucas Glover's parade today. Thousands of congratulations to the last man standing - the one that did not fold down the stretch. I am so glad he won it with his play and did not back into it. What a great finish for him. No one can ever take it away - Lucas Glover, US Open Champion!

When you go to the last day of the US Open, as in life, there are choices to be made. Do you try to follow a group? Do you pick out a good fairway? Do you plant yourself in a grandstand? In my opinion, following a group that is in contention is not a great idea. Following a group that includes Phil or Tiger? Downright stupid because you will never see him. Fairway? Could be a great location but there is no place to sit and if you move an inch, you bird's eye view is toast. That leaves a grandstand...which one to choose.

Bethpage is divided by a road - 1, 15, 16, 17 and 18 are on one side and every other hole on the other. The other side of the road has some awesome holes but you will not see anything close to the end of the tournament. 18 is great but, like Little Eva, a one-hit wonder. (you are really old if you know what that means :) So, we opt for 17 which gives us a view of 17 (duh!) plus 15 tee, 16 green and a really, really far away look at second shots on 18.

We are there when the horn sounds at 9. Between 9 and 1ish when the last group came through, we saw all but 5 groups. It was a stellar choice in my humble opinion. We also saw one birdie - I think. We saw an awful lot of bogies too.

17 is two-tiered with today's pin on the upper level about 8 feet from the down slope. Only two players were within 10 feet - Tiger and someone else early. I forget. Sorry. If you were on the lower level to get it up to stay, you had to hit it hard. Not one player left it below the hole. One one was within three feet. Nasty, NASTY pin placement. I think the guys who choose the pin placements escaped from some nasty prison and take their frustrations out on professional golfers. I can think of many who would agree this evening.

Tiger's shot was awesome but he missed again. Bad, bad, bad putter this week. He needs to send it to behavior modification classes before the Open. More on that later...notice that the US Open is the US Open...the British Open as we call it is simply "the Open" to everyone else.

Phil gave us some serious thrills...being ever the Tiger fan it was tough but I found myself really rooting for Phil when it was clear Tiger would not win. Actually, I was secretly rooting for Phil too while Tiger was still in the hunt - I just couldn't let Tiger know it. I don't know whether Phil lost it on 15 but he definitely lost it on 17. With Phil's putting ability I was floored that he did not make 100% certain he would hit the green. Instead he went for hole high but pushed it just a tad. Goodbye US Open. Hello Amy - I'm comin' home.

David Duval - a real sentimental favorite. Welcome back! He can be really hard to root for as his demeanor and attitude can be rather troublesome. I was rooting for him because he's had eight tough years. His physical issues (back) were difficult and it looks like it is better. But Duval married a lady during these years who was/is (not sure) quite ill and he took time away from his game to take care of her and her children. That says a lot about a man. I wish he had won. I'm glad he is back and I hope he keeps it up.

A little more about Duval - if anyone remembers back to the Ryder Cup when he made some rather negative comments about it and all the hoopla, etc. Didn't mean much to the somewhat arrogant Duval who was in his prime. The Ryder Cup gets to anyone who even admits to having a heart including people who never even play or watch golf. The Ryder Cup got to Duval and he learned a big lesson about team and country. Had the guts to admit it as well. I wonder if David took the time to seek out Rory McIlroy this week to give the young man a little advice about the Ryder Cup. Hope so - Rory needed it.

Ricky Barnes didn't have it today. Nerves? Three days of great play was all he had? Who knows but he seems like a very nice young man whose time has finally come. It is always sad to see a player blow up the last day of the Open but he hung in there to finish second. Good for him that he didn't give up. Keep it up, Ricky!

Don't know a lot about Lucas Glover other than he is the 2009 US Open Champion and we had dinner together on Friday evening. Okay, he was at the next table but still...Congratulations! Nothing else to say.

How I wish I had had a camera today...the scene from my seat was amazing. Bleachers overflowing, fans 10 deep on the fairways. Any place there was even the slightest elevation to stand on was taken for a better view. The New York fans finally had something to cheer about and they do love Phil. When he got to 17 tee, they forgot they were at a golf tournament and started and clapping that time-honored football cheer - Let's go Phil! It was amazing. Phil loves these fans and he gave them thrills. But disappointment is the name of the game for Phil Mickelson at the US Open. Wonder how many chances like this will come again for him...I hope at least one where he can claim the trophy that means so much to him.

There is always one hole at the Open that makes life miserable and this year it was 15. Long, long, uphill par four. It took the US Open away from Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson and numerous others. Tiger was 4 over par on 15 - 2 bogies and one double. Let's see - 0 minus 4 is 4 under par. He is tied! Phil was 2 over par on 15 - I think 2 under minus 2 is 4 under par. He is tied! Granted, others bogied it as well including Glover one day. But in the scheme of things I think 15 provided the most misery. And excitement. It was the first bleacher to fill up each day - I never sat there but wish I had for a little while just to get the excitement of it all.

It was a very exciting finish to say the least...it's time for dinner and early bedtime. Going home in the morning. Final thoughts tomorrow...

Live from the US Open - Bethpage June 21, 2009

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANA AND BOB!!!

Once again it is Father's Day at the US Open! And like last year, fathers playing and watchingcame away empty-handed. This is getting to be a habit. This year we saw none of the excitement of 2008 at Torrey Pines which is forever etched in our minds. Well, mine anyway.

Tiger had all kinds of opportunities to create fireworks but simply could not sink a putt. When was the last time Tiger missed a four-footer for birdie? When he was 4? Ended the long day with a bird so maybe that will kick start his round tomorrow.

Phil the Thrill had his moments with birdies on 16 and 18 and the crowd was beside itself. What was really cool is we were watching the giant TV since getting to a grandstand after the shift was not even an option. We could see him get ready to putt and then heard the roars before we actually saw him putt. Happened both times.

David Duval - hangin' in there. Would love for him to finish well or even win. Wonder if he has the temperment to do it though.

What to think about Lucas and Ricky...don't know. History says they will both fold under the pressure. If Ricky had gotten off well and at least parred one it would have been huge. But he went home remembering the stroke that got away and now he's tied. Lucas at least got through one. I think what will hurt them at least as much as the enormous pressure of leading the US Open is if Tiger and/or Phil get their mojo going and the roars start to rain down all over the course.

Speaking of rain, it is once again in the forecast but not until the afternoon. So round 4 should get finished. Should there be a playoff, it might be a wet one. The Golf gods went on vacation this week - shame on them!

I think anyone residing on the first page of the leaderboard, plus Tiger, have great chances. Then again, someone could do an impersonation of Johnny Miller at Oakmont. Anything can happen. It has before. It is, after all, the US Open!

Side note, mud is everywhere!!!!

Live from the US Open - Bethpage June 20, 2009

Yesterday's Photo

You should have seen these when the mud was wet

Saturday – Almost Moving Day – at the US Open!

Saturday began at 4:45 am – 6:00 am shift. And I volunteered for this?

The good news – it is not raining – the sun will shine at least for awhile. And, I have been sent to the grandstand at 15 Tee/16 Green to watch over the disabled folks that want to sit there. There is definitely no problem there for me!

6 o’clock in the morning is an interesting time – it’s quiet and there are (relatively) few in the crowd. The stands are almost empty and play is not scheduled to begin until 7:30. I have this bird’s eye view of the day’s awakening. I look over to one of the concession stands which typically have lines of 25 to 50 minutes (I’m NOT going there – yet) and three or four people are on line. This is the first early shift I have worked and I think I like it. An added plus – done at 10:30 and the day is mine to see what I want to see. Gotta love that!

I was very lucky with my assignment. I got see ¾ of the field go through including all the biggies – Tiger, Phil, Jim, Rocco, Vijay. Oh, forgot. This year’s biggies are Ricky and Lucas, David and Azuma. As for last evening’s question – I did find out who Azuma Yano is. I’m pretty sure everyone else is going to know who he is by the end of the 3rd round if not the 4th.

As the minutes went by more and more people arrived. All of a sudden, the stands were almost full; the lines were back and all was right and proper. The grandstand marshals started telling people to fill up spaces because a lot of people would be showing up shortly. Phil was getting close.

14 is a par 3 across a road and up a pretty steep hill. I can see people are just everywhere over there. As the group playing in front gets to 15 you wait for the noise. A small roar for the tee shot. Must not be close. By the time they get to the green you hear either roar and raucous shouting (birdie) or roar and groan. This time – a groan. A big, huge cheer as Phil arrives at the tee. People are everywhere. As soon as he leaves so do half the fans to follow him. Always makes me feel badly for those that follow.

A couple of hours later, we go through the same scenario, including the groan from 14, for Tiger. Phil may be the darling of the New Yorkers who want desperately for him to win but the crowd for Tiger was far and away bigger. It was just amazing to look up 15 – a literal sea of human beings. 15 goes up (another bogie for Tiger) and 16 comes right back down to our same grandstand. Tiger misses his relatively short birdie putt. Empty the grandstand! Including me. My shift is over, it is raining and I’m heading out. TV coverage can work for me the rest of the day.

And speaking of the rest of the day…the start of the third round at almost 6 pm. You might not believe this but I’m not old enough to remember a few of the earlier Opens. I sure don’t remember anything like this. Wonder what the players thought. If you had tickets for Thursday, you were SOL. If you had tickets today and were tireless, you saw an amazing day of golf. Half of one wave, all of the other, the course changed, mowed, cups relocated, sun, rain and three or four holes of the third round. You can go home and tell a great story that may have never been told before. Were I Ryan Seacrest I would say – THIS is the US Open!

Ricky Barnes shot an Open two-day record 8 under par – 132. Congratulations! Josh Brock (even more unknown than Ricky Barnes) who I am certain started with week with the same hope and desire to win the Open shot a 162. 30 strokes – perhaps many of them under 3 feet or 3 inches – the difference between hero and last place. Much better luck next time to those who went home tonight. I can’t help but wonder how much guys like Tiger and Perry and Cabrera who need multiple miracles to contend much less win wish they on their way to a warm, dry home.

By the way, it is pouring rain once again and they are expecting one to two inches. Anyone’s guess if we go tomorrow morning. Till tomorrow night when we may or may not have a US Open winner – a good night.

Live from the US Open - Bethpage June 19, 2009

Shoes…the subject of the day. Golf is secondary.

There were torrential rains yesterday. Today Bethpage Black, in particular the places where players were not, was a mud hole. Truth be told, the people who are responsible for the course are miracle workers. The course itself was in unbelievable shape after yesterday’s weather.

That said, what shoes would YOU wear if you were attending the US Open today? The vast majority wore some sort of athletic/tennis shoe. Those people including us get a C+. The really, really smart people wore boots that are made for mucking horse stalls. They looked a bit silly but einsteinien nonetheless. I know that is not a word but it looks really cool. Those people get an A+ for being very, very smart. And guess what? Every single person wearing boots was a woman!

Then there are the total failures – an F- for them. There were a lot of people who wore sandals, flip-flops and the like. The people were sinking up to 5 inches into the mud. What on earth were they thinking when they got dressed this morning? About a day at the beach in Hawaii apparently. And some of those sandals were really, really nice leather…too bad.
If you had the sense to wear sensible shoes, you still had an amazing mess to walk around if at all possible. When we left this afternoon they had put straw out on the walk paths to the buses…wonder what they were doing this morning.


Weather looks really dicey the next two days… no one knows what is going to happen. Today was really nice – sunny, very warm with fluffy clouds…a perfect day.

What to say about the golf?

• Where did Tiger go the last four holes this morning? His body hung around but his mind went shopping. Hope it was worth it because he is seriously behind the 8-ball.
• And his playing partners – Harrington and Cabrera – same or worse. So much for the major winners. (don’t count them out quite yet)
• Phil the Thrill had it going for awhile – I hope he gets the mojo back tomorrow. He is still in good shape
• Where did Lucas Glover come from? Wasn’t he on the last President’s Cup team? He was also at the little Italian restaurant where we had dinner tonight.
• Mike Weir was scary good – without that double he would have finished at -8! What a great round.
• Rocco – he’s hanging around – wouldn’t that be special if he could pull it off this year? The crowd is really behind him – chants of “Rocco, Rocco” are everywhere he goes. Brought forward from last year at Torrey Pines.
• Nick Taylor – amateur from University of WA and British Columbia…you go Nick! Great job!
• And who is Azuma Yano? Who cares? He's two under!
• And David Duval -- what an amazing showing he is having. He’s had his share of physical problems along with his wife’s medical problems…the best to him!

No one knows what will happen after tomorrow – assuming the the first two rounds are completed. Don’t count any of the usual suspects out but at the moment, it looks like anyone can win. That is the cool thing about the US Open - anyone can win.

It is time to say goodnight and go to bed…the 6 a.m. shift awaits. Whose idea was that? Not mine but I had no say. Have to leave at 5 so off to dreamland…let’s hope the weather behaves itself. Sweet dreams...

Live from the US Open - Bethpage June 18, 2009

CAN YOU SAY RAIN?

Rain is a nice word for today's mini-monsoon here at Bethpage. Noah would have been right at home here on Long Island...good thing he got the animals way back when. Unfortunately they probably all drowned this afternoon. I'm sure you saw the TV photos of the Black which needs to be renamed Black Lake. It has rained here in NY all but three of the last 30 days (in Seattle we have had 29 days WITHOUT rain) so the course was already really wet. With today's 2" +, it is now just obscenely soaked.

When watching, see if you can see 1 and 18 which run parallel to one another. One is a steep downhill and 18 is a steep uphill to the green. The walking (crowd) paths on all sides were already wet, muddy and slippery the other day. There simply is no way in my opinion they will be walkable tomorrow. On 18, if you are not in the grandstand, you might not be there at all. Just too bad for all. Then again, these USGA guys and greenskeepers do create miracles.

It did occur to me the other day that kids would have a stellar time around the course because it could be a slip 'n slide extraordinaire. I remember what a couple of my backyards looked like years ago.

So, hoping for clear weather but forecast is showers tomorrow, rain again Saturday, showers again through Tuesday. Clearly, it could go to Monday. I think it might be to go back to years past when the final 36 were always on Sunday. That would separate the men from the boys don't you think?

Random thoughts...

• What on earth is wrong with Padraig Harrington?
• Who chooses Henrik Stenson's wardrobe? Those pants! See photo at right.
• Bob Costas is a terrific announcer of all manner of sports. He is arguably quite a small man which is okay. Why would NBC choose to sit him in this Renaissance-looking chair that made him look like a little boy in a suit? Good grief!
• Is it normal operating procedure? Looking for a better tip? But in every place where we had been out to eat, at least one drink has been missing from our tab. This never happens to us anywhere else we go.

NEW WEATHER ALERT -- Dry and maybe some sun tomorrow :) Rain again Saturday :( Showers and dry on the final Sunday := and maybe Monday. Might be a good thing we are returning Tuesday.

• The local restaurants have been great – including the $.10 wings the other night. Okay, okay, it is New York but it's not the City. Everyone we ask has a recommendation on where to eat which is good. Always want local input...anyone out there have a great suggestion? Post a comment or email me.
• I wouldn't wish Phil Mickelson's situation on my worst enemy. He needs to be here for himself and he needs to be here for Amy. That is what she wants. And the fans here just adore him and Amy's health just makes them love him more. They want to be supportive but I wonder as they yell out their support of Amy hundreds of times a day if that doesn't just make matters worse for him. When we followed him yesterday we were pretty close several times and we could see the stress and the guarded smile for the fans. I may not be his greatest fan but I give him major props for putting himself through this. He didn't have to. But I think he needed to be here for his fans. What a gift to all should he pull it off this weekend!
• There is not a single set of ladies' rain gear left on all of Long Island. I know. I looked.
• Chi Chi Rodgriguez checked into our hotel this afternoon. How fun is that? Hope to catch a glimpse and maybe get a photo op. Got his autograph 2 years ago...seems like a very nice man.
• I hope one of the amateurs or club pros pops up and does really well...would make it exciting. Nick Taylor, WA Huskie, would be a great choice. Seems like a very nice young man.
• Missing playing golf - our season isn't long enough and here I am in the rain. I know, I know...don't even think it :)
• Just watched the replay of Torrey Pines Saturday when Tiger went off the charts...wonder when there will be another three days to equal Saturday, Sunday and Monday 2008.
• Part of me - ever the Tiger fan - still wishes Rocco had pulled it off. Go get it this year Rocco!
• That said, today’s replay coverage which I saw numerous times, was pretty much all Tiger. When Tiger is playing I want to see his play. BUT! I also want to see other players – lots of them. I will give ESPN and NBC that there wasn’t much else going on but still…

I have babbled on long enough - gosh I get to go to bed early tonight since my blog is done. Wish it weren't so. Hopefully there will be all kinds of fun things to talk about tomorrow night. Till then...have a good one.

Live from the US Open - Bethpage June 17, 2009

Me and my trophy - I let him hold it!

Happy Birthday to my dear sister, Pam who is celebrating 29 - once again!

Wednesday...last day of practice...twice as many on site. The weekend will be over the top with people and noise. Let's hope the rain comes and goes quickly.

Bethpage is quite hilly...TV and I cannot possibly do it justice. It and its sister courses are beautiful and perfect. New Yorkers are pretty darn lucky to have five such amazing courses. One day I want to bring my clubs and play a couple of rounds. Just so you know, word is you have to prove you are a 15 or under to play the Black. Not bad reasoning I'm thinking. Carts are not allowed. I have a long way to go to be able to tee off on Black.

So, here's the deal. Good weather - long with scary greens. Bad weather - stupid long...not sure about how the greens will hold. They might be able to shoot for the pins but it might be with their third shots on par fours. Balls will likely die in the fairways if it really rains tonight/tomorrow. Some par fours - #7 - 525 yards, #10 - 508 yards, #12 - 504 yards. Three of the four par 3s are over 200 yards. #13 - 605 yard par 5...today it was into the wind. Second shots were about 360. Needless to say - no one went for it. 7,426 yards is a long walk and if you get into the long grass - see the picture - you will be very lucky to find the ball. Today Quiros hit into the grass next to the green right where the marshall was standing - never found it. Okay, enough depressing stuff :)

Tiger and Phil both were in view today. Tiger did not play but practiced where were caught him on the driving range. If you see way more people than normal it is either Tiger or Phil. No question. Phil played 18 and we followed him for a few holes. He looks good, the crowd is 100% in his corner. New Yorkers love the man and with Amy's health issues, they are even more vocal with support. It is pretty cool for him. He obviously appreciates it.

As I write about Tiger and Phil it occurs to me that I along with pretty much everyone else put too much emphasis on them. One would think they are the only golfers in the world and that is so far from the truth. There are 140 other men playing this weekend and on any given four days most of them have the talent to win. Will they? Probably not. As usual with US Opens one of two things will happen...one of the usual suspects with the proper credentials will walk away with the trophy - Woods, Mickelson, Furyk, Ogilvie, Cabrera, Singh, Els. Or, someone will pull an Orville Moody or Andy North and come out of the ether to steal the prize not to be really heard from again. Only time will tell how the story will be told but I'm excited to find out how it ends.

Trivia - what letter of the alphabet has the most players (last names)? Not surprisingly - 'S' with 19. Next is 'M' with 16. Letters not represented - 'U', 'X' and 'Z."

So it is late and time to go. Lots more to come - look at all I've said and nothing has really happened as yet. Unfortunately, no more cameras and that's a bummer. But have a few more good photos in the next day or so. Thanks, as always for checking in with me.

PS - here's shout out to my new best friends, Jimmy and Marty from tailgating yesterday. Ran into them again today which is really amazing. They and their friends really appreciated yesterday's blog with their picture. Hope to see you two again - we'll yell up to UBS this weekend to see if you are there.

PPS - Joy pointed out to me that yesterday's post about our tailgating party perhaps made it sound like we were driving disabled people around right after...not the case - we worked the late shift which was hours later...no US Open DUIs for us...thanks Joy for letting me know.

Live from the US Open - Bethpage June 16, 2009

New Yorkers are the bomb!!!

So I went to the US Open this morning and a tailgate party broke out! It is, um, prior to noon shall we say? We drive into our parking lot and this black Lincoln Navigator is next to us with 7 guys standing behind it. As soon as we got out of the car, they wanted to know if we wanted a shot. I personally had not even gotten out of the car and someone who shall remain nameless had already joined in the fun. These guys - Jim, Martin, Carl, "Cocks" and 3 other fine gentlemen - made us feel right at home. They had beer, wine, Bushmills Black...what IS this world coming to? A party, obviously...

I, of course, rarely drink :) but I don't do shots of whiskey or drink beer outside of Lake of the Ozarks prior to noon anyway. Somehow I managed to do both - hadn't eaten a real meal since Sunday evening - and was still sober. Maybe eating is overrated. Anyway, to our buddies with the Navigator - thanks for the memories - it was a blast!

Now, where was I? Oh yes - at the US Open. I digressed...

Lots going on - took a walk. A very long, long, long walk. Bethpage Black is one of those courses that goes out 9 and in 9. You find yourself out at 9 and remember you have to walk all the way back. There are three par 4s over 500 yards! One of the par 4s is longer than one of the par 5s! Who designed this course I want to know - the Marquis de Sade? By Sunday afternoon there will be many a pro who will attest to that and probably in his own blood.

Example - #5. Par four slight dog leg left. If you do not place your tee shot to the right hand side of the fair in EXACTLY the right place, one of two things happens. You can't see the green if you are left - even in the fairway. Or, if you a just a teensy, weensy bit short right, you are in the crap and haven't got a chance. The green is highly elevated with major trappage. And this is after one of the longest par 5s I've seen with fairway bunkers that are certain death. The interesting thing is that men make it their life's goal to come to this tournament. Craziness!

Who did we see today? Vijay and Rocco on the range - Cabrera, Zach Johnson, Paddy, Soren Hansen on the fairways. At dinner at a cool pasta place - Zach was sitting at the table next to us. Only to find out after they left that Nick Taylor was with them. Nick is a WA Huskie and would have been fun to say hi. Didn't see a lot on the course because we had been delayed in the morning - had to high tail back to our actual jobs.

Actual job is with Disabled Services which means we drive folks who have physical issues back and forth. Might not sound too exciting but let me tell you...there were so many wonderful people with physical problems that would have kept most people at home who got themselves out to the course, into motorized wheels chairs or had DS drive them to handicapped viewing areas, it was amazing. (sorry Pam - bad sentence but too tired to figure it out:)

There were younger folks that had had strokes, older folks well into their 80s that could barely walk who came out to watch...well it makes one think. Hard. We who walk around each and every day without a thought to just how lucky we are to see, hear, walk, live. We take so much for granted. Doing this "job" is fantastic...having the ability to give back just a little bit is worth every moment, every penny spent. Next time you have the opportunity to assist a disabled person - in any way - do it. It will make you happy. It will bring a smile to both your faces. It will bring you back to the reality of just how lucky you are.

Another fabulous day at the Open is in the books and the blog. Weather was cool with late sun. Some sun tomorrow and rain scheduled for all four days of play. Hoping that does not happen but it is looking ominous. If I am a pro - don't know which I want. If it is hot and dry the greens will be stupid fast. If it rains, balls will drop and stay put which will make these unbelievably long holes even longer. It is definitely possible that some will have to lay up on par 4s. That will be a sight!

A wonderful evening to all...til tomorrow...good night.

Live from the US Open - Bethpage June 15, 2009

Hello New Yawk!

So that is the first thing that hits one here on LonG (with a hard ‘G’) Island…the accents along with the decibel level. Welcome to New York!

Last night we arrived at NY La Guardia airport – does anyone remember Firoella La Guardia? Anyway, our hotel was in Flushing/Queens. Had a fantastic Thai dinner at the Green Papaya. It was pretty amazing to walk around Queens and realize we were the only Caucasians in sight. The people that spoke English did not do it well. Easily could have been in Hong Kong or Tokyo. We are still the melting pot of the world without a doubt.

This is the first time I have been at the Open on a Monday. It was pretty quiet truth be told. We arrived at a gate at the 15th hole…15 reminds me a lot of 13 at Torrey Pines. Long and a HUGE elevation to the green. Once again scoped a grandstand to hang at when not working which avails a view of 16, 17 and 18. Getting a seat on the top row of that bleacher will be a test of wills that is for sure.

Tomorrow is walk the course day before shift at 3. Will give me a better insight to the course to talk about. This is what I know from today …. The fairways are like walking on a new carpet. Absolutely unbelievable that this is a FAIRWAY! Most greens are not in this condition. (Please keep in mind that this is a public course that residents play for $50. There are six courses at Bethpage – Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange (I think) and of course, Black) Doubtless I will not be able to put these dainty little feet on a real green so I will not be able to attest to their wonderfulness – but the fairways – oh my goodness! Truly amazing.

That said – let us discuss the rough. The cut – can’t really call it first and second – is graduated. You really don’t notice that it is rather short at the fairway and suddenly it if 5 inches deep. And if you are there – you are one lucky golfer because next to that is 3’ of fescue. The chances of finding your ball are minimal. The chances of hitting it out of there are slim, none and fat! That fact that thousands of men try to qualify for this punishment is amazing.

The weather is apparently going to be a bit dicey. One would think we were in Seattle! It should be hot and humid and it is in the 60s and 70s and will rain most days. Hopefully no day of competition will be rained out. With rain – softer greens. Could be low scores. Who knows? Still two days until competition.

There were many players out practicing today. No - no Tiger. No Phil. But Paddy and Sean and Steve and lots of qualifiers dreaming the dream. This is IT – the big show for many of these pros and a few amateurs. We’ll try to keep watch on them as well as the usual suspects. Who knows? Maybe there will be a big surprise.

Still trying to recover from jetlag…off to dreamland…more again tomorrow.

Introducing "At the US Open Blog"

Dear Friends and Family,

It is US Open time once again – I’m pretty sure I am more excited about it than anyone. Bethpage – nutty New Yorkers everywhere!!!

We are off tomorrow to NY and once again you can indulge me and read my meanderings at your leisure. Some of you crazy people seem to truly enjoy it – who knew two years ago when I did this US Open thing on a lark.

To make it easier for everyone – especially me! - I have started a blog – see below. This way you can check it out anytime and I don’t have to worry about getting emails to go out of the hotel. Remember there have been issues in the past. I can also post pictures which I can take before things really get underway on Thursday.

So, if it suits your fancy, make the blog one of your favorites. Look for the first post Monday night or Tuesday morning depending on how much of a night owl you are.

Thanks for all your support – Go Tiger! Okay, may the best man win!!!

www.attheusopen.blogspot.com