Total Collapse Leads to Michael Campbell Victory

Cost of 1 bottle of water at US Open $2.50

Cost of Ice Cream Treat at US Open $4.00

Cost of Sandwich in Putterboy Pavilion $8.00

Spending a week in Pinehurst watching the world's best golfers .... Priceless

We went through at least 30 bottle of water, 10 ice cream treats, and 8 sandwiches, but the cost does not compare to the enjoyment of being up close and personal with all the world's best golfers was unbelievable. It was truly awesome, just as good or better than our visit in 1999.

The collapse of 3 of the last 4 golfers was wild. I thought Gore would have lost a few strokes, but never thought Retief Goosen would lose so many strokes. That cost Retief about $1,000,000. The double on 18 by Gore cost him about $15,000, but I hope we see more of him in the future. At least now he should get invited to some PGA tournaments and I'm sure he'll get a few more endorsements now. He was definitely the fan favorite this week in Pinehurst.

Tiger Woods made his charge, but 2 late bogeys cost him dearly. He tried hard, but he never put together 18 good, or even 9 good holes at one time. Michael Campbell did play the best overall and deserves the win.

We walked a few holes we had not seen much before, and sat at 18 for a while, but the long week took its toll and we left when the leaders were on 5. We stayed long enough to watch Gore get his only birdie. I wish he stayed in the hunt, but what happened happened.

It was a great week and I hope we can do the same thing in Pinehurst should it be here again.

Moving Day at Pinehurst

My wife and I went alone today about 10am. We had the plan to take our time and see every hole on the course. We entered between 4 and 5 and followed a group up the fairway. My favorite stands were completely filled as I expected. We watched several groups from the ground and watched Phil and Daly come up the 2nd hole.

We then went to stands behind 16, where you can see the approach to 16 and the entire 17th. After a short wait, Omar Uresti can through playing by himself. We then watched another group or 2. As we approached the first hole, we noticed the bleachers were half empty. So we settled down right on the tee blocks. We were right in line of the cameras, so I'm sure we were on TV at some point, but not sure anyone would recognize us.

We got their at noon and ended up staying for the last 18 groups. We saw everyone hit and it was very interesting. Fred Couples hit a fairway wood, and Tiger and Adam Scott used irons. Most guys arrived 10-15 minutes before their tee time, except for Tiger. I imagine that he causes such a commotion, that he arrives just in time.

Another late comer was VJ. It was about 1 minute before his tee time when he arrived. He then went to the little putting green next to the tee. The starter, after looking at the time, walked over to the green and picked up VJs balls and told him to get to the tee. You've got to know what you are doing to walk up to the #2 golfer in the world and tell him to get moving. The starter would also pick up any left over tees and hand them to kids in the audience.

We then went into the stands on 15 for a few groups, had lunch in the air conditioned Putterboy Pavilion, then walked home, just catching Jason Gore on 8. He had a monster drive and a decent approach. The rest of the course was empty.

Tomorrow, we'll bring our oldest daughter and head to #1 tee for a while, then watch at 18 for a spell. We'll probably come home to watch the end, it should be a great day....

Cinderella Story - Jason Gore tied for the Lead

No one else in the household wanted to get up early, so I arrived at the course at 7:10am and headed to my favorite spot on the course. My favorite spot is the bleachers next to five green. From the upper right corner, you can see the approach shot and the green of both 3 and 5. You can see the entire shot of 6 and watch the putts with binoculars if desired. You can also see the drive on 4, and if you are in the top row, you can see where it lands. This spot ranks just behind being at 18 on Sunday or in the bleachers behind 17, but these stands are much less crowded.

I was able to watch 22 of the 26 groups in the morning come through. I missed a few while making a phone call to see what the girls were up to and decided to go home at noon to spend some time with the girls so my wife could go shopping in Pinehurst.

Upon arriving, I saw the USGA cut the pin on 5. They were looking at the upper left corner when they arrived, but decided on middle right. I’m guessing upper left will be Saturday’s pin placement. On 3, the pin was tucked in the front right, near 2 bunkers. The first group through, Ogilvie, Armour, and Hedblom, performed average on 3. All 3 drives were in the fairway on 5 and all stuck shots within 10 feet, great shots. Only 1 of the group made the birdie putt. We thought the USGA messed up and made too easy of a pin placement.

Subsequent groups were not as lucky. To hold the green, you almost always needed to be in the fairway. Those in the rough either came up short, or hit hot balls over the green into the swale around the green. The shots needed to land in a 10 foot circle it seemed. Past the circle and the ball went over, even from a shot from the fairway. In front of the circle, the ball would roll off the green, even a decent looking shot, to the dismay of many players.

The bad holes tend to stick in my mind, twice on 5 and twice on 4. On 5, the first is the play of Miguel Angel Jimenez. He hit into the rough on his drive and then hit is approach in the bunker far in front of the green. His third shot hit the front of the and rolled in the bunker. His next shot hit the green and I think he then 2 putted for a 6. Frank Lickliter was in the front bunker after hitting the green (I think). He then pulled a shot any one of us could pull, the hit a flyer out of the bunker, 40 feet over the green onto the pedestrian trail between 3 and 5. He did put his next on the green and either 1 or 2 putted.

On 3, Angel Cabrera was the first person I saw all week who actually hit the green with his drive. He was 50 feet or so from the pin. His first put was extremely short and he missed the birdie putt and had to settle for a par. The next was Sal Spallone, who sold his sponsorship for the tournament on eBay. His 2nd shot on 3 went into the front bunker, but just barely. He could not get a club on the ball and advance it to the hole, so hit sideways to the fairway, but hit it too hard and went into the deep rough. His next shot was also too strong and he ended up into the trap behind the pin. He then put a decent bunker shot up, but missed the putt and 2 putted for a 7. I did see John Daly make a nice putt on 3, but then miss his third consecutive birdie on 5. I then saw him just miss again on 6. He is playing well, just not well enough. He will play with Phil Mickelson on Sunday, and interesting pairing. I then went home at noon.

About 4:30, my daughter and father in law went and went to my favorite spot. We were practically the only people in the bleachers, so we could get the top corner seats. We just missed Retief Goosen’s group, but were able to see Jason Gore come by 5. It was great to see a Cinderella story on top of the leader board. I wish him all the luck in the world over the weekend. There was at least 1 or 2 people in the last 5 lonely groups who had the chance to make the cut. Very few people were around and I think they appreciated our clapping. Eric Meichtry, who ended up missing the cut, handed a ball up to a young fan in the bleachers, a very nice act.

Many people prefer to follow their favorite player, but I like to watch the players come to me. My wife and I will spend the day together on Saturday and I think we’ll visit several different sets of bleachers and see who arrives. I’d like to get behind 17, but I’m sure it will be packed most of the day. The play starts at 8:10am and since 83 made the cut, the last group will not tee off until 3pm, making for a very long day. Have a great weekend...

PInehurst No. 2 First day of Competition

The temperature dropped a few degrees, the humidity dropped, and a slight breeze blew, making the day much better for the players, fans, and volunteers for the first day of competition. The number of fans attending seemed to nearly have doubled the number of the practice rounds. There were lines for nearly everything and the stands were packed, especially when someone “big” came through (Tiger, Ernie, Phil, VJ). Prior to the arrival at a hole for the big players, the entire fairway seemed to suddenly pack with people 3 or 4 deep. When they actually arrived, they were stacked about 8 deep all around.

Tiger started on the 10th, so he finished on 9, which is out in the middle of the course. My wife, oldest daughter, and I were walking up 8, and there was a steady stream of people, nearly 10 wide, coming from the vicinity of Tiger. They kept coming for a good 5 minutes. There must have been 10,000 people following Tiger, or at least it seemed like it.

Instead of following 1 player, I decided to sit in the stands and let the players come to me. My first stop at 7am at Pinehurst No. 2 was the green at hole 3. This was the 2nd easiest hole on the course today and is a 336 yard par 4. 95% or more of the players would use an iron and lay up about 90 - 100 yards out. Everyone in the first 5 groups layed up. Then Ryan Moore, the reigning Amateur Champion was already 2 over par, so he pulled out a Driver. From my vantage point and a good pair of binoculars, I could see what they were using, and would announce to the guys around me in the stands what was coming. Ryan sliced it deep into the woods, but luckily had a clear view of the green.

Amateur Matthew Every was next with a driver, and then Pro James Driscoll. Driscoll was lucky in that he hit a fan, which dropped his ball straight down and out of trouble. Some of the shorter hitters also used woods, but not really to reach the green. Tiger also pulled out the driver and went right also. He also was very lucky and hit something and bounced towards the green and into the rough. I think he left with a bogey.

The players which landed in the fairway of 3, would nearly always spin the ball back after landing. Those in the first cut of rough would have a little spin, which would cause the ball to stick on impact. Those in the rough had a tough time sticking it, and some went over and some short. The USGA got their wish in that those in the rough would be penalized.

I had left the 3rd stands to make a few phone calls and saw Ernie Els drive 50 yards past Justin Leonard on the 2nd. When I went back to 3, everything was packed because of Ernie and Tiger on the way. I watched Tiger from 6 deep. After Tiger left, I was able to reclaim a spot in the stands.

The other hole I spent a couple of hours watching was at the green of 10, the 607 yard par 5. Most players would take 3 to reach the green. With a left edge pin placement, nearly 20% of the players ended going over the green on their 2nd shot. A very narrow green from front to back, it caused many some trouble. Charles Howell III was the only player, that I saw, to reach the green, but he ran off the back and ended with a par.


Based on the Golf Channel and NBC coverage, the players all seemed to think the course was set-up fair. The USGA and the grounds crew have done a great job. Without any rain in the forecast, we’ll see how things are on Saturday and Sunday. On Friday I will sit in the stands next to 5 green, which also has a perfect view of the 3rd, but is in full sun. The temperature will continue to drop, so tomorrow will be another great day…..

The Last Practice Day Weds June 15

It was another hot, blazing day at Pinehurst. Not a cloud in the sky nearly all day long. Luckily there was a gentle breeze which provided some relief. About 75 golfers teed off between 7am and 9am, but only a handful, maybe 25 or 30 teed off at noon – 1pm. For the thousands of people who arrived late morning to early afternoon, it must have been extremely disappointing to see only a few guys sweltering in the afternoon heat.

I spotted Phil Mickelson on the putting green and chipping area, but he never played in the afternoon, unless it was very late. Since he played on the weekend, I’m not sure he played Monday, so Tuesday may have been his only full round. I don’t think Ernie Els played either and I never spotted him at the range or on the putting greens

Tiger was out every morning at 7am. The usual 10,000 people seemed to follow him every step he took. We watched him on 18 from the Grandstand. His first drive went left, deep into the rough. His second landed in the Fairway. From there, he put one within 5 feet, but he missed the putt by 1” on the low side, to the dismay of many fans. He started on 10 and went to the driving range after playing just 9 holes. He played 18 the other 2 days, plus played each day on the weekend. He also played twice for 36 holes for one day the previous week. Tiger is definitely taking this Championship seriously.

Also while sitting at 18, Fred Couples hit the flag stick from way out. He seems to be playing well also.

It was rumored that John Daly teed off about 3pm on the back nine. There may have been other golfers playing later in the day

My daughter got 9 autographs in total, just missing David Toms and Sergio Garcia, a case of being at the wrong spot at the wrong time. A special thanks to Shaun Micheel for signing and spending a few moments to actually talk to my daughter, a very classy act. I did get Thomas Levet to sign my Latrobe Country Club hat at the putting green. He spent a great amount of time walking down the fence and signing anything sent his way. I also spotted Frank Lickliter signing autographs, spending a good 5 minutes signing anything and everything. After teeing off on 17, Fred Funk had one of the Marshals collect hats to sign. He then threw them like a Frisbee back to the crowd.

I gave up my pass to the air conditioned Putterboy Club so that my brother-in-laws’ girlfriend could go inside with wife and daughter for some lunch. They do not let anyone in without the proper credentials. I found a shaded part of the bleachers by 8 green and started talking to some guys taking in the cool shade. I talked about all the pictures I took over the 3 days, over 500 of them. I explained that my camera would take a burst of 9 shots and I would capture the players hitting their tee shots from start to finish. It ends up that these guys either own or are executives of a publishing company. They requested that I send them a disk of all my shots and they would print and bind them into a book at no cost! They would give me a half dozen or so copies and keep a copy for themselves. It was an offer I could not refuse. Now I will be under pressure to organize and clean-up those +500 pictures. I was hoping to work on my websites after the open, but will now work on this task.

Unfortunately, due to a lack of high speed internet, I have not posted any new pictures on the website. I may try tomorrow night, but no promises. Also on the agenda today was a visit to the Merchandise tent. 50,000 square feet of very over priced merchandise. Luckily my wife did not find anything suitable, except a hat for my daughter. I’ll wait and start hunting on eBay for those who want to get rid of their treasures for a discount.

I’ll be heading to the course at 7am or so tomorrow to take in the early rounds. I’ll try to find a spot in the bleachers in the shade, probably near 3 and 5 green and 4 and 6 tee. I’ll enter on that end, so I hope to get a good seat. No cameras are allowed, so I can sit back and enjoy the show. Until tomorrow, so long from Pinehurst…..

Tuesday was family day, but the 5 year old did not have a good day, and the day ended without much golf viewing. It was incredibly hot, +95. We did see Ernie Els, VJ Singh and a few new faces. Phil Michelson played early and started on #10. My brother-in-law saw him, but I think he dropped out of his group by the time we arrived on holes 4 and 5. You would think a guy from the desert could take the heat, but he must have had other plans. My goal for tomorrow will be to get his swing on camera.

The rough is still nasty. One player threw a ball into the rough, looked at it, then decided to hit from the fairway. I was 15’ away, but there was no sign of the ball what so ever. The greens and aprons are shaved close and the fairways look spectacular.
The fans really poured into Pinehurst today. There were lines at all concession stands and all the drinking fountains. Most of the bleachers seem to be in the sun, so they were not very populated. Most people seemed to follow their favorite players around the course.

My 9 year old got 2 autographs. Thank you Steve Elkington and Robert Gamez. They players can’t help but sign for a young fan.

I hope to spend more time on the course tomorrow…..

Pinehurst Practice Round Day 1 - June 13

We arrived about 7:20 at the back entrance between 4 and 5 green. There was no one through yet, very few fans and the army of marshalls. We walked up 4, the par 5 on the first side. When we arrived on the 3rd green, there was a group in the fairway, it was Tiger. He was paired with Euan Walters of Australia and Conrad Ray. Ray is golf coach at Stanford and played with Tiger at Stanford. I took a ton of pictures of Tiger. The best is on the website, it shows Tiger putting with his bag in the foreground.

Tiger seemed in control of his game. He was on target with his irons, but I did not follow him around to see how well he was driving, but the rough is dangerous. It is not really that high, but the balls nestle down very easily. We saw one guy who was in the rough and about 220 to the 5th green, the hard par 4. His ball only flew about 160 yards from the rough, not a pretty site.

Another guy who was on top of his game today was John Daly. He birdied 5 with little effort. A drive down the middle, an iron to within 7 feet of the pin, and then drained the putt. I only saw him on 1 hole, but he was playing well.

We watched Lee Janzen work with Butch Harmon for at least an hour on the driving range. He seemed to hit it very well, but was working intensely on swing mechanics with Butch.

Many guys played all 18, but it seemed that just as many played 9, teed off on 10, then headed back to the Clubhouse. The heat and humidity must have been getting to them, or maybe they went to the driving range to work on their games.

Around the greens, most used putters, while a few experimented with drivers and 3 woods. If you have never been to a practice round, these guys take their time. If they don’t like their drive, they hit another. Sometimes if they hit in the rough, they’ll pull it out and hit from the fairway. They will experiment with different techniques around the greens and will putt all over the green, guessing where the pins might be during the Open. It is interesting to watch. They players are much more relaxed and do joke around a bit and talk to the crowd from time to time.

The players were signing autographs, but mostly with kids. The fans were waiting between the green and the next tee and the players would stop and sign. A hot spot for signing is between 10 and 11. I will strategically place my kids in this area to pick up a few souvenirs.

The weather looks to be incredibly hot tomorrow and Wednesday, but a cold front is moving in for the tournament, bringing the temperature down to around 80. It will be much better to watch the Open without the blistering heat. I would think that it would help the players tremendously.

Another interesting thing is watching the guys who qualified to play, but don’t play on the tour. One younger guy, Derek Brown, was at the range with his caddy. They were both in their lower 20s. We overheard the caddie talking to some friends in the stands, mentioning how excited they both were. We found him on the course playing with non other than John Daly. It may have been a bit intimidating, but it must have been the thrill of a lifetime. Derek is a local and is touring on the Atlantic Coast Tour. He was the Qualifying Medalist from the sectional in Atlanta. I’d look for him on the PGA tour in the future.

We’ll see what tomorrow brings…..