As the title of this blog suggests, i.e., plural "Opens", sure enough there were two Opens this year. Normally that is business as usual every year. The difference this year was that both Opens were played at the same venue, back-to-back on the same course, the famed Pinehurst #2. And it had been totally rebuilt by Ben Crenshaw and another golf designer (forgot name) to look as it did back in the thirties shortly after Donal Ross built the course. I say shortly, when in fact it was probably 30 years or so after he designed and built it. Above, me and Nancy in front of the refurbished club house at the 18th green. Our volunteer duties were part of the evacuation team. We were located at a trailer site at the hole 2 green.
Main spectator entrance gate...
Main merchandise tent, all 40,000 square feet of it...and a Putterboy statue to the right..
Rory Mclroy practicing out of a trap at the #2 green...
Rory at his fast pace...
A crowd favorite, "Kooooch", Matt Kuchar...
Another crowd favorite (tongue-in-cheek of course), me...resting in 90 degree heat under the longleaf pines taking in some first day action on hole number 6, just behind our trailer. Nancy's chair to my right...
Miss Nancy on her way to our trailer Friday morning during the men's Open...
And the constant hum of the Goodyear blimp over head all week (men only), sorry gals...
One of the girls teeing off on number 9...they get to wear shorts and the men don't! What's wrong with this picture I ask?: Not a thing! :-) Some ladies opt for slacks or skorts however.
Did I mention the heat?
Michele Wie I believe, who won the ladies Open.
The caddies are so accommodating, and well paid I'm sure.
These gals are GOOD!
Paula Creamer I think...
These gals are driving the ball up to 290 yards! Wow! They drive farther than my friend Bill Cochran (former friend) in Virginia Beach. :-)
This is the little 11 year old Korean girl who qualified for the Open, Lucy Li, but resides in California. She didn't make the cut, but did manage to shoot two respectable 78's. I couldn't shoot 108 on this layout. Even from their tees....
Not sure who this is...sorry
Natalie Gulbis making some notes on the #3 tee box...
I can almost see some of her secret notes...
She was writing some serious notes, perhaps on the #2 green as well, or perhaps some reminders on what do back at the house this evening, like do the laundry, get groceries, vacuum the carpet, you know the things...big smiley face :-)
Mixing up some energy in a cold bottle of Aquafina...
On the #3 tee choosing a long iron as the traps come into play with anything longer and it is very narrow out there at 240...
It was nice and coooool in the trailer...
Graham McDowell and caddy...
JB Holmes I think...
Big boy, Kevin Stadler, son of long time PGA tour player, Craig Stadler, aka, The Walrus.
Of course I couldn't make a putt...what's new!?
#2 fairway...note the brown edges of the fairways...most were like this, i.e., soft and green down the middle, and brown & crusty on the edges, just like Mr. Ross would have wanted it. The sprinklers, by design are right down the middle only. Only Mother Nature waters everything else (except the greens & tee boxes).
A view of #2 midway down the fairway...
Martin Kaymer, eventual winner of the Open...(men) :-) He destroyed the field, by 8 shots I think. And then several weeks later, he won the Players Championship, which we were volunteers at, in a squeaker.
A view of the #2 green from our perch under a tree on the ropes. Note the brown native grasses in the foreground, which were basically large waste bunkers full of native, little-maintained grasses. Just the way Mr. Ross would have wanted it.
Francesco Molinari...a fierce competitor, and a little guy, about 5'8"...
And here are a few pics of paintings I snapped that were actually large murals on the side of the giant merchandise tent.
Note the "sand greens", not grass but sand; and they "roller boys" that would roll each green after a group putted out.
Well, I have many more pics I could share, but enough for now. So, that's a wrap on our trip to the Opens at Pinehurst. From Marquette, Mich, Sept 4, RVing Beach Bums signing off.
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