OBSERVED AND OVERHEARD AT THE U.S. OPEN
Championship Week, Monday-Friday: Arnold Palmer eating dinner at Spanish Bay and graciously posing for photos with fans...David Toms and his son practicing at the driving range at Poppy Hills...17-Mile Drive closing to public traffic...Adam Scott and Geoff Oglivy eating dinner at the Tap Room the night before play started...Free public telephones for spectators at the main entrance and the 18th green because of the no-phone policy...Tiger Woods saying “It is none of your business” (with a stare) in response to a question about his personal life in the pre-championship press conference...A spectator yell- ing “It is our business Tiger, you made it our business” as world’s number one walked down the 9th fairway ...Johnny Miller giving a swing tip (“always brush the grass”) to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice be-
hind the 18th green during first-round play... Ryo Ishikawa donning a “mini-me” head- cover and his likeness on the golf ball...Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Stephen Ames and Roger Maltbie eating separately at the Tap Room Friday...Football coaching legends Don Shula and Herm Edwards walking the golf course...University of North Carolina men’s basketball coach Roy Williams sitting in the grandstand at the 18th green and then teeing it up at Pasadera over the weekend... Annika Sorenstam (with her husband) sitting in the lobby of the Lodge commenting that motherhood is “wonderful”...Tom Watson laughing when mentioning he could be the grandfather of his fellow competitors, McIlroy and Ishikawa, whose combined age is 39 (Watson is 60)...Tiger’s agent Mark Stein- berg telling ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi he would have to play it by ear if Tiger accepted the TV interview after Woods missed a birdie putt on 18 to conclude his first round... Mickelson waving to a little girl who kept yelling his name next to the ninth tee box... Steve Williams eating at Pacific Grove’s Joe Rombi’s Pizzeria with friends Friday night... Championship Weekend, Saturday and Sunday: A photographer getting thrown out during play Saturday because he lacked the proper under-the-ropes credential and had been warned twice by USGA officials... Several Pebble Beach homes coming alive with elaborate lawn parties with tablecloth- draped seating, fresh-cut flowers, glass stem wear and full wait staffs...Graeme McDowell talking on his cell phone and hitting balls one handed on the range before his starting time Saturday...Woods and Vijay Singh barely speaking to one another during their five- hour round...Mickelson signing autographs and greeting fans after a disappointing
third-round and Woods ignoring requests and quickly leaving after an exhilarating third round...Ishikawa signing autographs in Eng- lish and Japanese for the standard bearers and patiently answering all media questions from the more than 20 traveling Japanese media and later using his translator to speak with American media...Only a handful of me- dia members asking McDowell questions in the flash area even though he was in second place heading into the final round...Pablo Martin of Spain completing the final round by himself in two hours and 39 minutes...A plane flying over with a sign “Tiger, are you my daddy?” as he played No. 3 during the final round...Radio announcer Curtis Strange flubbing Dustin Johnson’s name several times during the telecast calling him Zach Johnson and Dustin Hoffman...A “let them pee” cheer erupting in the 18th grandstand as marshals tried to block fans from leaving their seats and then making them wait in endless lines to re-enter...McDowell waiting nearly 15 minutes at the third green during the final round when Johnson was looking for his errant tee shot. When a spectator asked if he wanted to grab a beer McDowell smiled and said yes...A reminiscent Watson playing in possibly his last U.S. Open shedding tears as he walked down the final hole with his son on the bag...Scott Langley and Russell Hen- ley claiming low amateur honors at 8-over 292...Gregory Havret smiling and laughing to himself after receiving applause before his tee shot on the penultimate hole...McDowell looking relaxed and speaking to the camera during his walk down the 72nd hole ask- ing the cameramen, “Are you guys having fun today?”...Golf writers sweating at the prospect of a McDowell- Havret Monday playoff... Tension between the gallery, marshals and photographers reached its ultimate level during the final round with photographers bearing the brunt of the hostil- ity from golf fans who didn’t want their view blocked and were not
afraid to be vocal....McDowell taking home $1,350,000 for winning the championship while Havret collected $810,000 for second... Spectators attempting to steal sand from the bunkers after the conclusion of play before being stopped by marshals...Pebble Beach superintendent Chris Dalhamer running around high fiving his crew after play concluded...Open champion McDow- ell celebrating with friends (including Lee Westwood), signing autographs (including the wall), playing bartender and picking up everyone’s tab Sunday night at Brophy’s Bar (pictured) in Carmel.
SUMMER 2010 / NCGA.ORG / 31
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