US Open PET
Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 3:05 pm
Unfortunately they didn't allow cameras or cell phones, so this is all I have...
Anyhow...
I found out on Friday, basically out of the blue, that I could get tickets for Saturday and Sunday. And this weren't just tickets. The deal included limo service to the course and access to one of the private corporate hospitality tents with a lounge, open bar and awesome buffet all day long.
Yesterday we got there at about 11:00 am, stopped by the tent for some breakfast and then walked the entire front nine, stopping to watch whenever we saw a pair hitting their shots. We saw a lot of Weekly, Kim, Quinney and Axely, as those two groups were going at about the same speed that we were walking.
Back to the tent for some lunch at about 1:00. After lunch we went out to the back nine to find a place to camp out for the rest of the day. The 18th was already way too crowded by then, and the grandstand at the 17th green was packed with a long waiting line, like all of the other grandstands. But we found a great spot next to the 17th fairway.
The 17th is a slight dogleg left with a canyon beyond the rough on the left. No access on that side. But we got a spot on a little knoll right next to the landing zone. With the slight dogleg we could see straight back to the tee and, on the second shots, we were pretty much behind every shot. The 15th green was right behind us and you could see what was going on there if you stood up, but you couldn't see the putts because the green was a little too high. You could also catch glimpses of the 16th tee and green, and the 8th tee across the canyon.
We got there at about 2:00 and were the only people in the immediate area when we got there. There was even a tree that provided a little shade and was close enough to the ropes to use as a backrest, at least for a while. We watched the last 20 pairs (half the field) go through from there. The longest drives were Anthony Kim (by far) and Stuart Appleby. Tiger used a fairway wood and landed about 20 feet in front of where we were sitting. The rough there was fucking nasty. Several players who hit into the second cut could barely get out of it.
As the day went on, people would come and go from our little spot, but we didn't budge. As the last 4 or 5 groups got close people started filling in around and behind us. By the time Rocco (second to last group) got to the 15th green the atmosphere was getting incredibly charged. He was up by two over Woods and Westwood when he came up to 15. He had to chip up and missed his par putt so then he was -1 and the other two, in the final group, were at even.
By the time Rocco was coming up the 17th it was fucking jammed with people around us. He hit his drive right in front of where we were, and hit what was by far the best approacy of the day. It seemed to be a very pro-Rocco crowd at that point (RACK the seniors). We couldn't see the elevated green but, but he was right on the pin and by the reaction from the grandstand you could tell he was close. He apparently missed a fairly short birdie putt.
Tiger and Westwood came up next. Everybody was talking about Rocco and Tiger, but Westwood was still tied with Tiger one stroke behind Rocco. They both hit the green and missed their putts and at that point we took off and hightailed it back to the hospitality tent, because by that time it was obvious that there was no place to see anywhere near the 18th. Got to the TV just in time to see Westwood miss his birdie putt and Tiger make his.
What a fucking day. Got a little sunburned but all-in-all it was a father's day to remember.
Anyhow...
I found out on Friday, basically out of the blue, that I could get tickets for Saturday and Sunday. And this weren't just tickets. The deal included limo service to the course and access to one of the private corporate hospitality tents with a lounge, open bar and awesome buffet all day long.
Yesterday we got there at about 11:00 am, stopped by the tent for some breakfast and then walked the entire front nine, stopping to watch whenever we saw a pair hitting their shots. We saw a lot of Weekly, Kim, Quinney and Axely, as those two groups were going at about the same speed that we were walking.
Back to the tent for some lunch at about 1:00. After lunch we went out to the back nine to find a place to camp out for the rest of the day. The 18th was already way too crowded by then, and the grandstand at the 17th green was packed with a long waiting line, like all of the other grandstands. But we found a great spot next to the 17th fairway.
The 17th is a slight dogleg left with a canyon beyond the rough on the left. No access on that side. But we got a spot on a little knoll right next to the landing zone. With the slight dogleg we could see straight back to the tee and, on the second shots, we were pretty much behind every shot. The 15th green was right behind us and you could see what was going on there if you stood up, but you couldn't see the putts because the green was a little too high. You could also catch glimpses of the 16th tee and green, and the 8th tee across the canyon.
We got there at about 2:00 and were the only people in the immediate area when we got there. There was even a tree that provided a little shade and was close enough to the ropes to use as a backrest, at least for a while. We watched the last 20 pairs (half the field) go through from there. The longest drives were Anthony Kim (by far) and Stuart Appleby. Tiger used a fairway wood and landed about 20 feet in front of where we were sitting. The rough there was fucking nasty. Several players who hit into the second cut could barely get out of it.
As the day went on, people would come and go from our little spot, but we didn't budge. As the last 4 or 5 groups got close people started filling in around and behind us. By the time Rocco (second to last group) got to the 15th green the atmosphere was getting incredibly charged. He was up by two over Woods and Westwood when he came up to 15. He had to chip up and missed his par putt so then he was -1 and the other two, in the final group, were at even.
By the time Rocco was coming up the 17th it was fucking jammed with people around us. He hit his drive right in front of where we were, and hit what was by far the best approacy of the day. It seemed to be a very pro-Rocco crowd at that point (RACK the seniors). We couldn't see the elevated green but, but he was right on the pin and by the reaction from the grandstand you could tell he was close. He apparently missed a fairly short birdie putt.
Tiger and Westwood came up next. Everybody was talking about Rocco and Tiger, but Westwood was still tied with Tiger one stroke behind Rocco. They both hit the green and missed their putts and at that point we took off and hightailed it back to the hospitality tent, because by that time it was obvious that there was no place to see anywhere near the 18th. Got to the TV just in time to see Westwood miss his birdie putt and Tiger make his.
What a fucking day. Got a little sunburned but all-in-all it was a father's day to remember.
