Day 4 September 5, 2011 Monday Labor Day DBC
Final day of the DBC, our morning assignment meeting informed us that most of the big name players were clustered from 11:55am to 12:35pm tee times, including Els, Dustin Johnson, Phil, Rickie, Watney, then there was a large gap until the last 3 pairings of the day, Kelly & Scott, Steele & Reavie, and finally, Bubba Watson & Jason Day. I thought I'd be assigned to one of the earlier times, but was surprised when I wasn't called until the last group, scheduled for a 1:45pm tee-off. I was psyched although, since there were five players tied at -10, with Bubba at -11, chances were good there would be a lot of lead changes throughout the day. We'd be the last to finish, we just might not be the winning pairing.
So, had 5 hours to kill, spent eating, texting friends and family about my assignment, but with an upgrade in my usual routine of hanging out at the player practice area. Rather than sitting in the packed grandstand, I stood inside the ropes at the ball tent, out of everyone's way, as players and caddies came up to get buckets of balls, all arranged by brand name so that players could practice using their own ball. The players don't practice with ordinary range balls like the rest of us. Phil is only going to hit Callaways, for example, knowing precisely how they respond to his swing. Great atmosphere here as not only players and caddies, but also well known instructors, TV personalities, corporate staff, and various PGA personnel were milling about. Found little odd jobs to perform in this general area to help out at the practice range, making the time pass more quickly. Got to chatting with the volunteers staffing the ball tent, as well as two young female BMW representatives who were infatuated with Rickie Fowler and interested in hearing of my close encounters with him earlier in the week. They were completely star-struck.
Met up with Rick our crew leader, at the first tee, great guy, has served as a marshal at countless Travelers tournaments, as well as most DBC's since its inception. He and I organized our positioning relative to the players, each taking one side of the fairway or the other, but immediately adjacent to Bubba and Jason as we escorted them through the round. The gallery was fairly large at the start, then grew substantially as we went along, picking up everyone along the way as we were last to finish. Our round went well, although I had to feel sorry for Bubba, as it just wasn't his day to win DBC. He started well with a one stroke lead, but played poorly and developed a negative demeanor, dropping back to -6 but rebounding with a birdie on 18 for a final score of 8 under par. Jason Day gained 3 shots through the round to move to -13 but missed several crucial putts. On four separate instances, I had tricky marshaling situations with shots landing outside of the ropes. In each case I was the first marshal to arrive at the ball, just me and about 300 fans in the immediate vicinity, until reinforcements arrived from our crew and hole marshals stationed further down the fairway. One especially tough situation arose when Day's ball landed 20 yards to the right off the 9th fairway, always a very crowded section of the course near the main spectator entrance. Was a challenge making a path through the gallery back to the fairway for Day and his caddie, after which he gave me a nice "Thanks mate!"
Bubba Watson's wife, Angie, was walking along with us throughout the round, a seemingly very nice person, attractive, providing him with a supportive presence despite his difficulties. This was the first time I'd ever seen a player accompanied by a spouse or girlfriend, maybe I just wasn't that aware in prior rounds. Our gallery experienced some drop-off in size as other players moved up the leader board, which was only reinforced when the TV camera crew and NBC on-course commentator Dottie Pepper abandoned us as well. Still, as we made it through the 16th, 17th, & 18th holes, the crowd roars ahead made for an electric atmosphere. We were informed by headset that a playoff might be a real possibility, the first one in DBC history. The 18th hole was simply remarkable, packed from tee to green with over 20,000 spectators watching the final groups. In the group ahead, Chez Reavie bogied, sending him into a playoff with Webb Simpson. Even though Watson and Day weren't finished, Rick and I were immediately reassigned to go back to the 18th tee for the playoff. As we headed there, we heard the huge double crowd roars as Bubba birdied and Day eagled, but too little too late to get into the playoff. We were soon joined at the 18th tee by Simpson & Reavie, who arrived by golf cart, as well as several other carts with dignitaries including Seth Waugh. The sight of the huge crowd gathered on the hill along the entire left side of the fairway was amazing. Add to that the noise, including the blimp overhead, Roger Maltbie standing near us at the landing area for their tee shots, it was a fantastic way to finish the Championship. Every other available marshal had been assigned to form a corridor leading from the 18th green back over to the 17th tee, but Rick and our crew stayed with Simpson and Reavie, up and over the ravine bridge to the 18th green, where they both putted out for incredible birdies, still tied. This playoff situation was unique and thus being set-up on the fly. The 12th hole captain, Doug, standing at the 18th green, gave me his headset, so that I could have immediate radio contact as we accompanied the players, as this adventure unfolded. I made my way over to 17, but the players were transported by carts ahead of me and were already hitting their approach shots on this par 4, surrounded by corporate pavilions, making for a stadium-like atmosphere. My headset was continuously filled with chatter, planning for contingencies if play continued beyond 17. I hadn't even been able to make it to the green before Webb Simpson clinched it all, a thrilling end to a fantastic day. The atmosphere had been great, not quite a US Open, but still really special.
Monday
Sunday
Day 3 September 4, 2011 Sunday DBC
Later start always welcome by this stage of the Championship, 7:30am mobile marshal's meeting much easier to take than 6am. Assigned to another high-powered pairing, Rickie Fowler and Nick Watney, both up and coming golfers with plenty of fans in the galleries. They were the third to last pairing of the day, doing pretty well in the tournament standings. Our 1:20pm tee time meant I got to eat a second breakfast at the volunteer tent, then hang out at the practice range. Witnessed a funny incident where a caddie tripped over one of the large water buckets near the players as they were warming up, turning a near perfect 360 head-over-heels, not spilling his bag in the process. We all gave him a standing ovation from the grandstand. Marveled at the opportunity to watch DJ, Overton, O'Hair, Haas, McDowell, Jacobsen, Rose, Wilson, Van Pelt, Badds, Karlson, and Harrington hit every kind of shot, all in a row. My next 5 hours consisted of: getting a free swing analysis at the spectator experience concourse; checking out the media center for some folks I'd met at prior DBC's; snacking on various freebies being handed out at vendor tents; reading the Globe's lengthy sport section, (learned Keegan Bradley had missed the cut); made several phone calls from the designated calling area; passed Steve Stricker on the walkway at the practice green, exchanging greetings; tried sitting at the unshaded 9th grandstand but had to move to the 18th to get out of the sun on this humid 85 degree day; cashed in my lunch voucher allowing enough time right before we were to get started around 1:00.
Made my way to the 1st tee where I met up with our co-chair David who assigned me to my preferred position alongside the players, rather than forward at the landing areas. Enjoyed walking along escorting the players, despite the heat, as the "Rickie & Nickie show" got to be very entertaining throughout the day. We eventually accumulated a gallery of 1,500, including lots of Rickie wannabes, dressed in traffic-cone orange from head-to-toe, mostly kids but an occasional 30-something adult, which looks pretty ridiculous. Had an NBC camera crew with us as we came down the 13th fairway to the spot where Rickie's ball had landed outside the ropes. Had to position the gallery to form an open lane for his shot, as well as allow the camera crew to position themselves. Later on some drunk fans got pretty mouthy at the corporate pavilions from 16 to 18, it being a hot Sunday afternoon. Not much we can do as marshals to quiet things down in these areas but I think the players don't really mind too much. Had a few instances of asking fans to stop taking pictures, most were cooperative and understanding.
Accompanied the players off the 18th green, through a sea of humanity to the scoring trailer and interview area. I was surprised at one point while I stood there waiting for them, turning around to see I was standing only 5 feet from Ernie Els as he was being interviewed by Golf Channel. Turns out we weren't needed to marshal at the autograph area so I was done for the day, completing a 12 hour shift. As I made my way home, I spoke with a few people who told me they'd been watching the TV broadcast but hadn't seen me on camera. Tough to pick me out of the crowd even when they know which player I'm assigned to, we're all dressed in identical outfits as part of the DBC Blue Crew.
Later start always welcome by this stage of the Championship, 7:30am mobile marshal's meeting much easier to take than 6am. Assigned to another high-powered pairing, Rickie Fowler and Nick Watney, both up and coming golfers with plenty of fans in the galleries. They were the third to last pairing of the day, doing pretty well in the tournament standings. Our 1:20pm tee time meant I got to eat a second breakfast at the volunteer tent, then hang out at the practice range. Witnessed a funny incident where a caddie tripped over one of the large water buckets near the players as they were warming up, turning a near perfect 360 head-over-heels, not spilling his bag in the process. We all gave him a standing ovation from the grandstand. Marveled at the opportunity to watch DJ, Overton, O'Hair, Haas, McDowell, Jacobsen, Rose, Wilson, Van Pelt, Badds, Karlson, and Harrington hit every kind of shot, all in a row. My next 5 hours consisted of: getting a free swing analysis at the spectator experience concourse; checking out the media center for some folks I'd met at prior DBC's; snacking on various freebies being handed out at vendor tents; reading the Globe's lengthy sport section, (learned Keegan Bradley had missed the cut); made several phone calls from the designated calling area; passed Steve Stricker on the walkway at the practice green, exchanging greetings; tried sitting at the unshaded 9th grandstand but had to move to the 18th to get out of the sun on this humid 85 degree day; cashed in my lunch voucher allowing enough time right before we were to get started around 1:00.
Made my way to the 1st tee where I met up with our co-chair David who assigned me to my preferred position alongside the players, rather than forward at the landing areas. Enjoyed walking along escorting the players, despite the heat, as the "Rickie & Nickie show" got to be very entertaining throughout the day. We eventually accumulated a gallery of 1,500, including lots of Rickie wannabes, dressed in traffic-cone orange from head-to-toe, mostly kids but an occasional 30-something adult, which looks pretty ridiculous. Had an NBC camera crew with us as we came down the 13th fairway to the spot where Rickie's ball had landed outside the ropes. Had to position the gallery to form an open lane for his shot, as well as allow the camera crew to position themselves. Later on some drunk fans got pretty mouthy at the corporate pavilions from 16 to 18, it being a hot Sunday afternoon. Not much we can do as marshals to quiet things down in these areas but I think the players don't really mind too much. Had a few instances of asking fans to stop taking pictures, most were cooperative and understanding.
Accompanied the players off the 18th green, through a sea of humanity to the scoring trailer and interview area. I was surprised at one point while I stood there waiting for them, turning around to see I was standing only 5 feet from Ernie Els as he was being interviewed by Golf Channel. Turns out we weren't needed to marshal at the autograph area so I was done for the day, completing a 12 hour shift. As I made my way home, I spoke with a few people who told me they'd been watching the TV broadcast but hadn't seen me on camera. Tough to pick me out of the crowd even when they know which player I'm assigned to, we're all dressed in identical outfits as part of the DBC Blue Crew.
Saturday
Day 2 September 3, 2011 DBC Saturday
One of my best ever days marshaling, an A+ day experience. I was assigned to the premier group of the day, Phil Mickelson, Gary Woodland, and Jonathon Byrd. Their tee time was at 8am so it would be a relatively short day, no long wait, plus we would have a huge gallery in comparison to the pro-am. Got a bagel and some coffee and went to the practice area where I watched Harrington, Na, Fowler, Garcia, Vegas, Moore, Toms, Haas, Watson, Poulter, Donald, & Phil warming up. Went to the 10th tee for our assigned time, groups going off both 1 & 10 in three-somes due to the vagaries of the weather. A gallery of approximately 500 people had already gathered for our grouping, this was going to be fun as it gradually grew to over 2,000 throughout the round. Had a crew of 4 mobile marshals as well as 4 ''mobile device'' marshals who were tasked to enforce the strict PGA TOUR policy of no photographs during play. We'd all been instructed to request spectators to delete pictures when we saw them using cellphone cameras. I personally had 2 patrons react negatively to this policy, and frankly, I couldn't blame them. The PGA TOUR had reluctantly agreed to allow cellphones onto the property during competition days, realizing nearly everyone was carrying one anyway, but for texting/calling purposes only, in designated areas away from the players. We'd been told in our assignment meeting that the PGA TOUR considered any pictures taken by fans as copyrighted material, and thus prohibited. A difficult policy to enforce but we were giving it our best without upsetting too many paying fans.
Phil was getting lots of love all day, at every tee box, all along the fairways, and every green. He generally acknowledged all this love with a head nod and his permanent grin, even though he wasn't playing his best, using a belly putter to change things up a bit. I was beside the players throughout the round, including being within touching distance frequently as we escorted the players along, especially through the narrow green-to-tee roped off chutes. I actually heard someone in the gallery say, "I was this close to Phil, this is the best day of my life!" Such a nice scene to see one of the players hand his ball to a little kid waiting at the rope, just makes their whole DBC experience, mine too. One of our biggest challenges was keeping the huge gallery patient and quiet as all three players finished their shots, the tendency being for everyone to surge ahead after Phil had hit his ball. Phil and his caddie Bones even helped us out on occasion, requesting quiet from the crowd so that Gary and Jonathon could putt.
Turned out to be a bit warm, 82 degrees, so got lots of water at the teebox coolers as we made our way along, finishing up at the 9th hole. We escorted the players to the scoring trailer, but that was it for us as they were being carted back to the clubhouse, about 100 yards away. I got lunch and hung out in the shade near the practice area, resting my legs and feeling like it had been a great day. As I walked by the putting green, I saw Gary Woodland doing some post-round practice, I caught his eye and he thanked me for marshaling for his group, signing a Titleist ball for me. Nice guy.
One of my best ever days marshaling, an A+ day experience. I was assigned to the premier group of the day, Phil Mickelson, Gary Woodland, and Jonathon Byrd. Their tee time was at 8am so it would be a relatively short day, no long wait, plus we would have a huge gallery in comparison to the pro-am. Got a bagel and some coffee and went to the practice area where I watched Harrington, Na, Fowler, Garcia, Vegas, Moore, Toms, Haas, Watson, Poulter, Donald, & Phil warming up. Went to the 10th tee for our assigned time, groups going off both 1 & 10 in three-somes due to the vagaries of the weather. A gallery of approximately 500 people had already gathered for our grouping, this was going to be fun as it gradually grew to over 2,000 throughout the round. Had a crew of 4 mobile marshals as well as 4 ''mobile device'' marshals who were tasked to enforce the strict PGA TOUR policy of no photographs during play. We'd all been instructed to request spectators to delete pictures when we saw them using cellphone cameras. I personally had 2 patrons react negatively to this policy, and frankly, I couldn't blame them. The PGA TOUR had reluctantly agreed to allow cellphones onto the property during competition days, realizing nearly everyone was carrying one anyway, but for texting/calling purposes only, in designated areas away from the players. We'd been told in our assignment meeting that the PGA TOUR considered any pictures taken by fans as copyrighted material, and thus prohibited. A difficult policy to enforce but we were giving it our best without upsetting too many paying fans.
Phil was getting lots of love all day, at every tee box, all along the fairways, and every green. He generally acknowledged all this love with a head nod and his permanent grin, even though he wasn't playing his best, using a belly putter to change things up a bit. I was beside the players throughout the round, including being within touching distance frequently as we escorted the players along, especially through the narrow green-to-tee roped off chutes. I actually heard someone in the gallery say, "I was this close to Phil, this is the best day of my life!" Such a nice scene to see one of the players hand his ball to a little kid waiting at the rope, just makes their whole DBC experience, mine too. One of our biggest challenges was keeping the huge gallery patient and quiet as all three players finished their shots, the tendency being for everyone to surge ahead after Phil had hit his ball. Phil and his caddie Bones even helped us out on occasion, requesting quiet from the crowd so that Gary and Jonathon could putt.
Turned out to be a bit warm, 82 degrees, so got lots of water at the teebox coolers as we made our way along, finishing up at the 9th hole. We escorted the players to the scoring trailer, but that was it for us as they were being carted back to the clubhouse, about 100 yards away. I got lunch and hung out in the shade near the practice area, resting my legs and feeling like it had been a great day. As I walked by the putting green, I saw Gary Woodland doing some post-round practice, I caught his eye and he thanked me for marshaling for his group, signing a Titleist ball for me. Nice guy.
Thursday
The 2011 Deutsche Bank Championship TPC Boston
Day 1 September 1, 2011
Pro-Am day
The day got started at 4:30 am so I could allow enough time to take care of business before driving 72 miles to arrive in time for the 6:15 mobile marshals assignment meeting. As we assemble its great to renew old acquaintances with everyone I haven't seen since last year's DBC. Our co-chair leaders Karen and David do a terrific job at that hour getting us up to date with various PGA rules we've got to pay attention to, including the official credential color of the day. Unauthorized media photographers occasionally slip inside the ropes and have to be politely removed. I'm assigned as lead marshal for Rickie Fowler for a 1:00pm tee-time, so I have to kill roughly 6 hours until then. This is what makes for a very long day and discourages lots of my friends from signing on to be mobile marshals, but I'm just insanely psyched about the whole experience, so I find plenty to do to pass the time. After all, I'm at a PGA TOUR tournament, inside the ropes. Could you get the equivalent experience at any other athletic event?
I've perfected the process of having a Dunkin Donuts breakfast at the volunteer tent, then volunteering to marshal for 9 holes with any particular player that interests me and might draw a significant size gallery. I consult our tee sheet and see that Keegan Bradley is about to tee off so I head over to the first tee to walk along with the other marshals assigned to his small gallery of about 50 people, half of whom seem to be his extended family. He had just won the PGA and was a hot young golfer, in addition to being from New England. Seemed like a really nice kid, lots of interaction between him and the amateurs. Playing with him was Seth Waugh, CEO of Deutsche Bank, so this pro-am group was a big deal with some heavy hitter executives rounding out the five-some. Behind us was the Bubba Watson group, which made for a few fun moments when he yelled over from the 1st tee, kidding Keegan about his course management and swing thoughts.
After 9 holes I left Keegan and company to save my legs for an additional 18 holes later on. At this point I got an iced coffee and went to the practice range area, sitting in the grandstands and taking a few pictures of players.
Afterwards, I cashed in my lunch voucher and sat in the volunteer tent with Darren and Tom, my crew for this afternoon with Rickie. We eventually headed over to the 1st tee to get set for our round, Rickie arrived by cart and ended up standing near us. After greeting him, I asked about his filming a PGA Tour commercial featuring him riding a dirt bike around a golf course and performing various stunts, including knocking a ball into a hole. He said he did most of the stunts himself, but wasn't allowed to do the final one due to liability restrictions. I was once again impressed with how approachable he was, willing to interact with us all, not in the least bit arrogant. As it turned out, everyone in his gallery got a chance to get an autograph or picture with him as the pro-am pace of play was glacially slow, with lots of time waiting on each tee box. We did have some extra excitement later in the round as two women joined our group of amateur players, walking in high heels inside the ropes in the middle of the fairway, definitely against PGA regulations. I spoke with them and politely requested that they remain outside of the ropes, which lasted about 2 holes, then they reappeared. Evidently, they were "the rules don't apply to us" types. I radioed ahead to our chief marshal Maureen, who met with them as we were exiting the 9th green, a Norton Police officer beside her, offering to escort them from the property if there were any further infractions. They were quite indignant, saying they were bored with all that walking anyway and would meet their amateurs at the Grey Goose pavilion. As it later turned out, Rickie's gallery petered out by 5pm on this warm Thursday afternoon, so we were relieved of duty by the 14th hole. But just as we were leaving, the girls returned. I asked them to behave themselves for the rest of the round, which I'm sure they did!
Day 1 September 1, 2011
Pro-Am day
The day got started at 4:30 am so I could allow enough time to take care of business before driving 72 miles to arrive in time for the 6:15 mobile marshals assignment meeting. As we assemble its great to renew old acquaintances with everyone I haven't seen since last year's DBC. Our co-chair leaders Karen and David do a terrific job at that hour getting us up to date with various PGA rules we've got to pay attention to, including the official credential color of the day. Unauthorized media photographers occasionally slip inside the ropes and have to be politely removed. I'm assigned as lead marshal for Rickie Fowler for a 1:00pm tee-time, so I have to kill roughly 6 hours until then. This is what makes for a very long day and discourages lots of my friends from signing on to be mobile marshals, but I'm just insanely psyched about the whole experience, so I find plenty to do to pass the time. After all, I'm at a PGA TOUR tournament, inside the ropes. Could you get the equivalent experience at any other athletic event?
I've perfected the process of having a Dunkin Donuts breakfast at the volunteer tent, then volunteering to marshal for 9 holes with any particular player that interests me and might draw a significant size gallery. I consult our tee sheet and see that Keegan Bradley is about to tee off so I head over to the first tee to walk along with the other marshals assigned to his small gallery of about 50 people, half of whom seem to be his extended family. He had just won the PGA and was a hot young golfer, in addition to being from New England. Seemed like a really nice kid, lots of interaction between him and the amateurs. Playing with him was Seth Waugh, CEO of Deutsche Bank, so this pro-am group was a big deal with some heavy hitter executives rounding out the five-some. Behind us was the Bubba Watson group, which made for a few fun moments when he yelled over from the 1st tee, kidding Keegan about his course management and swing thoughts.
After 9 holes I left Keegan and company to save my legs for an additional 18 holes later on. At this point I got an iced coffee and went to the practice range area, sitting in the grandstands and taking a few pictures of players.
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| Justin Rose |
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| Dustin Johnson |
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| Jason Dufner |
Sunday
US Open
Day 4 June 19, 2011
We got an earlier start so we would be assured of getting to Congressional in time for Jim's 10:15 assignment at the media gate. We split up at the clubhouse, where the nearby 10th & 18th greens are situated down below, the area already thronged with fans. I was scouting out an observation area for us to go to after my shift ended this afternoon. The grandstands and hillside here were arranged to form a giant stadium-like atmosphere. I could only imagine what it would look like by the end of the tournament.
I reported to the first tee grandstand for my 12:30 shift, found the place had been packed most of the day, with very few vacancies opening up. The crowd was very polite and respectful of the players standing so close below. We at times were tempted to close the grandstand, which would have allowed us to turn away those waiting in line on the entry stairs, but no authorization was given by our area coordinator. Got some more texts from my wife and family once the the TV cameras came on, noticing me up on the grandstand. The crowd reaction for the players was outstanding as each was introduced by the USGA official at the podium on the tee box. Not only were we all cheering from the grandstand, but spectators were lined 20 deep on the adjacent clubhouse cart path, making some serious noise as well. It then became our job to restore order as best we could for the players to tee off in relative quiet. By mid-afternoon Jim joined me up on the grandstand, were I declared him an honorary marshal, immediately assigned to signal quiet to the throng below while we focused on our crowd in their seats. After tournament leader Rory McIlroy teed off, our job here was done. As our grandstand emptied, countless fans thanked us for our efforts in helping to manage the 1st tee area under some trying circumstances. As a volunteer, you feel so blessed to have the opportunity to be so close to the action. Hearing their words made it that much more of a grand experience.
Jim and I cashed in our lunch vouchers and plotted our next move. We decided our best option was to volunteer our services to the hole captain at #10 to see if we could get inside the ropes and see some action on the back 9 as well. The captain was ecstatic and stationed us down at the 10th green, trying to manage the crowds walking along the cart path. Our timing was perfect as Rory was just making the turn and the crowd moving along with him was enormous. It seemed like all 50,000 of the gallery were perched on that hillside cheering him on. After he putted out and moved on to 11, we went along the ropes toward the nearby 18th green. Jim could not believe our luck at being positioned about 100 feet from the 18th green, with a terrific unobstructed view while we marshaled the crowd. The 18th hole captain commandeered us to move about 100 yards up the 18th fairway for extra crowd control, which actually was a better position to see each pairing as they made their approach shots to the peninsula 18th green. Our view was unbelievable, like something you'd see in a photo of memorable US Opens with the finishing hole surrounded by a huge gallery surmounted by the majestic Congressional clubhouse above. Unfortunately, we were eventually reassigned further up the 18th fairway to take charge of a carts-only crossing, manning the ropes for about an hour, not nearly as exciting. When McIlroy finally came along, a rope was stretched across the fairway to allow the gallery to gather behind him after he'd gone by. Since Jim and I weren't actually reassigned to man this rope, I moved us alongside Rory, mobile marshal-style, as he made his approach to 18. We got to within 125 yards of the green to participate in quieting the assembled masses as he putted out to win the US Open. We had a perfect view of the entire thing, an incredible moment. We both agreed that it doesn't get much better than that.
Day 4 June 19, 2011
We got an earlier start so we would be assured of getting to Congressional in time for Jim's 10:15 assignment at the media gate. We split up at the clubhouse, where the nearby 10th & 18th greens are situated down below, the area already thronged with fans. I was scouting out an observation area for us to go to after my shift ended this afternoon. The grandstands and hillside here were arranged to form a giant stadium-like atmosphere. I could only imagine what it would look like by the end of the tournament.
I reported to the first tee grandstand for my 12:30 shift, found the place had been packed most of the day, with very few vacancies opening up. The crowd was very polite and respectful of the players standing so close below. We at times were tempted to close the grandstand, which would have allowed us to turn away those waiting in line on the entry stairs, but no authorization was given by our area coordinator. Got some more texts from my wife and family once the the TV cameras came on, noticing me up on the grandstand. The crowd reaction for the players was outstanding as each was introduced by the USGA official at the podium on the tee box. Not only were we all cheering from the grandstand, but spectators were lined 20 deep on the adjacent clubhouse cart path, making some serious noise as well. It then became our job to restore order as best we could for the players to tee off in relative quiet. By mid-afternoon Jim joined me up on the grandstand, were I declared him an honorary marshal, immediately assigned to signal quiet to the throng below while we focused on our crowd in their seats. After tournament leader Rory McIlroy teed off, our job here was done. As our grandstand emptied, countless fans thanked us for our efforts in helping to manage the 1st tee area under some trying circumstances. As a volunteer, you feel so blessed to have the opportunity to be so close to the action. Hearing their words made it that much more of a grand experience.
Jim and I cashed in our lunch vouchers and plotted our next move. We decided our best option was to volunteer our services to the hole captain at #10 to see if we could get inside the ropes and see some action on the back 9 as well. The captain was ecstatic and stationed us down at the 10th green, trying to manage the crowds walking along the cart path. Our timing was perfect as Rory was just making the turn and the crowd moving along with him was enormous. It seemed like all 50,000 of the gallery were perched on that hillside cheering him on. After he putted out and moved on to 11, we went along the ropes toward the nearby 18th green. Jim could not believe our luck at being positioned about 100 feet from the 18th green, with a terrific unobstructed view while we marshaled the crowd. The 18th hole captain commandeered us to move about 100 yards up the 18th fairway for extra crowd control, which actually was a better position to see each pairing as they made their approach shots to the peninsula 18th green. Our view was unbelievable, like something you'd see in a photo of memorable US Opens with the finishing hole surrounded by a huge gallery surmounted by the majestic Congressional clubhouse above. Unfortunately, we were eventually reassigned further up the 18th fairway to take charge of a carts-only crossing, manning the ropes for about an hour, not nearly as exciting. When McIlroy finally came along, a rope was stretched across the fairway to allow the gallery to gather behind him after he'd gone by. Since Jim and I weren't actually reassigned to man this rope, I moved us alongside Rory, mobile marshal-style, as he made his approach to 18. We got to within 125 yards of the green to participate in quieting the assembled masses as he putted out to win the US Open. We had a perfect view of the entire thing, an incredible moment. We both agreed that it doesn't get much better than that.
Saturday
US Open
Day 3 June 18, 2011
I figured out what was different about a US Open versus the Deutsche Bank Championship and it wasn't anything more complicated than realizing everything was bigger. Everything about it was on a grander scale, the number of players in the field, the Congressional course itself, the stadium atmosphere at the combination 10th & 18th greens beneath the stately clubhouse, the high-roller crowds, the grandstands at every hole, the thousands of volunteers, even the mansions in the surrounding Bethesda neighborhood where people were paying $80 to park on someone's front lawn. The atmosphere had a sense of grandeur to it. DBC is a big deal, as the field of 100 vying for the FedEx Cup testifies, but this was an even bigger deal.
Jim and I got to Congressional later than expected on account of traffic, so we begged a cart from our buddy at the cart barn, allowing me to drive Jim over to his new assignment at the main admission gate. The course was packed with spectators on the cart paths, seemingly double from yesterday. A bit tough making it through so we got off the path and improvised a new route, seeing parts of the course no volunteer had ever seen before.
Once I dropped Jim off, I returned the cart by a still different route, getting to know the Congressional course fairly well by this point. Had to pass a little time before my afternoon shift at the 1st tee grandstand so I used my lunch voucher and sat at the player practice chipping / putting area next door. Great venue, getting to sit in a comfy Adirondack chair in the shade, up close to where the players were warming up. Overheard some British caddies nearby talking about their plans for the Open Championship next month at Royal St. George's, including what pubs they would be hanging out in, pretty earthy bunch it sounded like. So fortunate to be assigned to this area of the course where I could be immersed in all the action, rather than way out on a distant grandstand.
When my shift started, it was a bit awkward as there was a 2 hour overlap with the prior shift, somehow caused by some players not finishing Friday's round until this morning. Basically we had 6 marshals trying not to get in each other's way where 3 marshals was the ideal number. The 1st tee grandstand was even more packed today, if that could even be possible, being at the center of all the action. Once fans got a seat, they didn't leave for hours on end, resulting in a huge line at our entry stairway. I turned down multiple cash offers for seats, there were just none to be had. After each player pairing exited the teeing area, we would see if any fans made for the exit stairway. If no one moved, we would tell those waiting to hang tight, maybe next time. Everyone was terrific though, the crowd mood was great, we received lots of thank you's from patrons complimenting us on the job we were doing keeping the grandstand in quiet order, so close to the players and USGA officials literally less than 20 feet away. It helped that we had a uniformed police officer on the grandstand with us, keeping things in order. Nice guy, talkative, said he'd heard the paid attendance for this Saturday was 47,000! That didn't include the 500 cops/FBI/ATF personnel, as well as all the USGA staff, volunteers, etc. Was glad the cop was with us when a medical emergency occurred on the clubhouse pathway immediately beneath us, briefly halting play on the 1st tee as EMT's rendered assistance to a fainting patron.
The atmosphere at our location kept building throughout the afternoon until the final pairing of Mickelson and Yang. From my position on the grandstand, I was on-camera for the TV coverage a few times, this I knew from texts I was receiving from my wife Mary and sister-in-law Marge watching back home. At first, only the lower half of me was visible up on the grandstand, but they said they immediately ID'd me by my distinctive hairy legs. Some claim to fame!
Day 3 June 18, 2011
I figured out what was different about a US Open versus the Deutsche Bank Championship and it wasn't anything more complicated than realizing everything was bigger. Everything about it was on a grander scale, the number of players in the field, the Congressional course itself, the stadium atmosphere at the combination 10th & 18th greens beneath the stately clubhouse, the high-roller crowds, the grandstands at every hole, the thousands of volunteers, even the mansions in the surrounding Bethesda neighborhood where people were paying $80 to park on someone's front lawn. The atmosphere had a sense of grandeur to it. DBC is a big deal, as the field of 100 vying for the FedEx Cup testifies, but this was an even bigger deal.
Jim and I got to Congressional later than expected on account of traffic, so we begged a cart from our buddy at the cart barn, allowing me to drive Jim over to his new assignment at the main admission gate. The course was packed with spectators on the cart paths, seemingly double from yesterday. A bit tough making it through so we got off the path and improvised a new route, seeing parts of the course no volunteer had ever seen before.
Once I dropped Jim off, I returned the cart by a still different route, getting to know the Congressional course fairly well by this point. Had to pass a little time before my afternoon shift at the 1st tee grandstand so I used my lunch voucher and sat at the player practice chipping / putting area next door. Great venue, getting to sit in a comfy Adirondack chair in the shade, up close to where the players were warming up. Overheard some British caddies nearby talking about their plans for the Open Championship next month at Royal St. George's, including what pubs they would be hanging out in, pretty earthy bunch it sounded like. So fortunate to be assigned to this area of the course where I could be immersed in all the action, rather than way out on a distant grandstand.
When my shift started, it was a bit awkward as there was a 2 hour overlap with the prior shift, somehow caused by some players not finishing Friday's round until this morning. Basically we had 6 marshals trying not to get in each other's way where 3 marshals was the ideal number. The 1st tee grandstand was even more packed today, if that could even be possible, being at the center of all the action. Once fans got a seat, they didn't leave for hours on end, resulting in a huge line at our entry stairway. I turned down multiple cash offers for seats, there were just none to be had. After each player pairing exited the teeing area, we would see if any fans made for the exit stairway. If no one moved, we would tell those waiting to hang tight, maybe next time. Everyone was terrific though, the crowd mood was great, we received lots of thank you's from patrons complimenting us on the job we were doing keeping the grandstand in quiet order, so close to the players and USGA officials literally less than 20 feet away. It helped that we had a uniformed police officer on the grandstand with us, keeping things in order. Nice guy, talkative, said he'd heard the paid attendance for this Saturday was 47,000! That didn't include the 500 cops/FBI/ATF personnel, as well as all the USGA staff, volunteers, etc. Was glad the cop was with us when a medical emergency occurred on the clubhouse pathway immediately beneath us, briefly halting play on the 1st tee as EMT's rendered assistance to a fainting patron.
The atmosphere at our location kept building throughout the afternoon until the final pairing of Mickelson and Yang. From my position on the grandstand, I was on-camera for the TV coverage a few times, this I knew from texts I was receiving from my wife Mary and sister-in-law Marge watching back home. At first, only the lower half of me was visible up on the grandstand, but they said they immediately ID'd me by my distinctive hairy legs. Some claim to fame!
Friday
US Open
Day 2 June 17, 2011
Strange start to the day in getting to Congressional, some nut had placed a ''suspicious package'' at the Pentagon, causing a massive traffic jam throughout DC. We arrived on course at 10:30 to a gorgeous sunny 85 degree day, still a couple hours before our respective shifts were to begin. We sat at the 2nd hole, watching Poulter, Garcia, the Molinari brothers, and Jimenez pass through. Definitely a different vibe than what I'd experienced at the Deutsche Bank Championship. It would take awhile before I could put my finger on what it was exactly.
Made my way to the 1st tee grandstand, where I was assigned as crew leader for this 6 hour shift. Met the two other marshals assigned, as well as getting my headset radio set-up. We coordinated our plan for managing the grandstand, assigning one guy to each of the stairways and one to serve as usher, locating vacant seats. The 1st tee is a very popular place, and the small size of the grandstand meant we were packed all afternoon. We had a sizable line built-up at our entry stairway all day, letting people in only when other seats were vacated. Lots of people camped out in our grandstand for extended periods once they scored some seats. One of our main responsibilities was to restrict crowd movement to those moments when players weren't teeing off, as the grandstand is a metal framed bleacher and it makes a lot of noise when people walk on it.
Among the additional benefits of volunteering at a professional golf event is meeting people who are just as nuts about the whole experience as you are. One of the marshals on my crew that day was a 22 year old kid named Phil who lived only 10 minutes away from Congressional, attended Harvard, and is now working in international investment banking in New York. Nice guy with a single digit golf handicap in high school. We talked about our golf games, his student life at Harvard, living in the Boston area, volunteering, work. Very mature and well spoken guy. He served as our grandstand usher all day, climbing up and down the center aisle endlessly scouting out seat vacancies as we tried to squeeze in as many folks as possible.
Got to experience a rain delay as I was informed over the headset that lightning was spotted nearby. The officials blew the horn signaling stoppage of play, I then had to make the announcement to vacate the grandstand and direct patrons to seek the nearest shelter. Unfortunately it's basically every man for himself as there was no designated lightning shelter for the spectators. We found cover under a small tent at the clubhouse entrance, where we waited out a deluge that was thankfully over in 5 minutes. I was then informed via headset to prevent patrons from returning to the grandstand until play resumed, roughly 45 minutes later. I guess the USGA didn't want folks sitting on what was essentially a giant metal framed lightning rod as long as there was a threat of lightning. Some people weren't happy that we were denying them access for their own safety. Eventually the weather cleared and it was business as usual until the final group of golfers teed off.
Day 2 June 17, 2011
Strange start to the day in getting to Congressional, some nut had placed a ''suspicious package'' at the Pentagon, causing a massive traffic jam throughout DC. We arrived on course at 10:30 to a gorgeous sunny 85 degree day, still a couple hours before our respective shifts were to begin. We sat at the 2nd hole, watching Poulter, Garcia, the Molinari brothers, and Jimenez pass through. Definitely a different vibe than what I'd experienced at the Deutsche Bank Championship. It would take awhile before I could put my finger on what it was exactly.
Made my way to the 1st tee grandstand, where I was assigned as crew leader for this 6 hour shift. Met the two other marshals assigned, as well as getting my headset radio set-up. We coordinated our plan for managing the grandstand, assigning one guy to each of the stairways and one to serve as usher, locating vacant seats. The 1st tee is a very popular place, and the small size of the grandstand meant we were packed all afternoon. We had a sizable line built-up at our entry stairway all day, letting people in only when other seats were vacated. Lots of people camped out in our grandstand for extended periods once they scored some seats. One of our main responsibilities was to restrict crowd movement to those moments when players weren't teeing off, as the grandstand is a metal framed bleacher and it makes a lot of noise when people walk on it.
Among the additional benefits of volunteering at a professional golf event is meeting people who are just as nuts about the whole experience as you are. One of the marshals on my crew that day was a 22 year old kid named Phil who lived only 10 minutes away from Congressional, attended Harvard, and is now working in international investment banking in New York. Nice guy with a single digit golf handicap in high school. We talked about our golf games, his student life at Harvard, living in the Boston area, volunteering, work. Very mature and well spoken guy. He served as our grandstand usher all day, climbing up and down the center aisle endlessly scouting out seat vacancies as we tried to squeeze in as many folks as possible.
Got to experience a rain delay as I was informed over the headset that lightning was spotted nearby. The officials blew the horn signaling stoppage of play, I then had to make the announcement to vacate the grandstand and direct patrons to seek the nearest shelter. Unfortunately it's basically every man for himself as there was no designated lightning shelter for the spectators. We found cover under a small tent at the clubhouse entrance, where we waited out a deluge that was thankfully over in 5 minutes. I was then informed via headset to prevent patrons from returning to the grandstand until play resumed, roughly 45 minutes later. I guess the USGA didn't want folks sitting on what was essentially a giant metal framed lightning rod as long as there was a threat of lightning. Some people weren't happy that we were denying them access for their own safety. Eventually the weather cleared and it was business as usual until the final group of golfers teed off.
Thursday
US Open June 2011
Congressional Country Club Bethesda, MD
Volunteering to be a marshal at a US Open begins 16 months in advance of the actual tournament date, going onto the USGA website and applying for one of the spots, which then places you into a lottery. There are thousands of applicants vying for the available assignments. Not only do you then hope you'll get lucky and be selected, but also that you'll be assigned to your first choice from all the various volunteer categories. I was eventually notified by late summer of my selection, then some months after that of my assignment to be a grandstand marshal at the 1st tee. Great! I had also convinced by buddy Jim to apply for a marshal spot but he wasn't selected initially, getting onto a waiting list. He subsequently got chosen for an assignment in spectator hospitality, checking tickets at one of the entry gates to Congressional.
Our road trip from Cape Cod to Bethesda, original estimated travel time: 8 hours. After serious traffic jams in NJ and DC: 12 hours! We were graciously hosted by Jim's daughter Alyssa at her condo outside of DC for four nights. She turned out to be a terrific conversationalist on any subject, especially with regard to her job in Washington.
Day 1 June 16, 2011
After a surprisingly restful night on an air mattress, we made the 40 minute drive to Congressional. Washington DC traffic wasn't too bad, GPS took us to the main gate where Jim had to get a temporary day pass to enable him access into the Open. He had not received his official credential in advance due to being chosen off the volunteer waiting list so late. My credential allowed me entry but only at a gate on the opposite side of Congressional from where Jim would need to go to pick up his credential at the will-call booth. At the volunteer pavilion, an official heard our dilemma and recommended we get someone at the cart area to drive us across the course to will-call. The only attendant at the nearby cart barn said he couldn't leave his post, but after hearing of our situation, decided we could take one of the half-dozen carts, "Just be sure to bring it back", he said. Of course, volunteers are prohibited from driving carts on-course, unless specifically authorized to do so on their volunteer credential, which we weren't. So, we'd been at the US Open for literally 15 minutes, and here we were bending USGA rules, trying to drive a golfcart along unfamiliar cartpaths jammed with spectators, no clear idea how to get to our destination, Jim behind the wheel, me with map in hand trying to direct him. Marshal lesson: always project a air of confidence and act like you know what you are doing, and that you belong in the situation. Eventually we made it to gate 5 where Jim would spend the next 5 hours scanning tickets and chatting with patrons. He's in retail sales so this was in his wheelhouse: official greeter.
At the first tee grandstand, I found the captain Larry, and got introduced to the other marshals, Kamal, and Ken working this assignment, all nice guys and veterans of multiple USGA events. I found out later that some marshals literally spend every vacation traveling the country year after year marshaling. The job of a grandstand marshal is to basically act as part-usher and part-marshal for crowd control as players tee off. The 1st tee grandstand was surprisingly small, holding 150 spectators when fully packed. This was great for it was easy to keep such a small crowd under control and quiet during the crucial moments. We were able to chat with the spectators all day long, answering questions, and serving as USGA ambassadors. The grandstand location was exceptional, at the hub of all the action immediately next to the palatial Congressional clubhouse. Beside the grandstand were the practice chipping and putting areas as well. In addition, most of the grandstand was shaded all day, which was not the case at many locations throughout the course. I had an excellent view looking directly down on the small tee box area, including the podium which the USGA uses for the formal introduction of each player as he tees up. Lots of official blue blazer wearing dignitaries in attendance. Interesting perspective watching all the players getting prepared for that first tee shot, lots of visible jitters on display. I can only imagine how nervous I would be, the US Open for heavens sake!
After my shift, Jim joined me at #1 and we then acted like spectators, walking around the course, checking out the 35,000 square foot merchandise tent, (over 50 official US Open hat styles!), and tried to gain entry to the clubhouse, where we were politely, but firmly turned away. Jim was excited about his first day at a professional golf event, was hoping to see more golf as the week went on, maybe even get to ''marshal'' a little bit, more on that later.
Congressional Country Club Bethesda, MD
Volunteering to be a marshal at a US Open begins 16 months in advance of the actual tournament date, going onto the USGA website and applying for one of the spots, which then places you into a lottery. There are thousands of applicants vying for the available assignments. Not only do you then hope you'll get lucky and be selected, but also that you'll be assigned to your first choice from all the various volunteer categories. I was eventually notified by late summer of my selection, then some months after that of my assignment to be a grandstand marshal at the 1st tee. Great! I had also convinced by buddy Jim to apply for a marshal spot but he wasn't selected initially, getting onto a waiting list. He subsequently got chosen for an assignment in spectator hospitality, checking tickets at one of the entry gates to Congressional.
Our road trip from Cape Cod to Bethesda, original estimated travel time: 8 hours. After serious traffic jams in NJ and DC: 12 hours! We were graciously hosted by Jim's daughter Alyssa at her condo outside of DC for four nights. She turned out to be a terrific conversationalist on any subject, especially with regard to her job in Washington.
Day 1 June 16, 2011
After a surprisingly restful night on an air mattress, we made the 40 minute drive to Congressional. Washington DC traffic wasn't too bad, GPS took us to the main gate where Jim had to get a temporary day pass to enable him access into the Open. He had not received his official credential in advance due to being chosen off the volunteer waiting list so late. My credential allowed me entry but only at a gate on the opposite side of Congressional from where Jim would need to go to pick up his credential at the will-call booth. At the volunteer pavilion, an official heard our dilemma and recommended we get someone at the cart area to drive us across the course to will-call. The only attendant at the nearby cart barn said he couldn't leave his post, but after hearing of our situation, decided we could take one of the half-dozen carts, "Just be sure to bring it back", he said. Of course, volunteers are prohibited from driving carts on-course, unless specifically authorized to do so on their volunteer credential, which we weren't. So, we'd been at the US Open for literally 15 minutes, and here we were bending USGA rules, trying to drive a golfcart along unfamiliar cartpaths jammed with spectators, no clear idea how to get to our destination, Jim behind the wheel, me with map in hand trying to direct him. Marshal lesson: always project a air of confidence and act like you know what you are doing, and that you belong in the situation. Eventually we made it to gate 5 where Jim would spend the next 5 hours scanning tickets and chatting with patrons. He's in retail sales so this was in his wheelhouse: official greeter.
At the first tee grandstand, I found the captain Larry, and got introduced to the other marshals, Kamal, and Ken working this assignment, all nice guys and veterans of multiple USGA events. I found out later that some marshals literally spend every vacation traveling the country year after year marshaling. The job of a grandstand marshal is to basically act as part-usher and part-marshal for crowd control as players tee off. The 1st tee grandstand was surprisingly small, holding 150 spectators when fully packed. This was great for it was easy to keep such a small crowd under control and quiet during the crucial moments. We were able to chat with the spectators all day long, answering questions, and serving as USGA ambassadors. The grandstand location was exceptional, at the hub of all the action immediately next to the palatial Congressional clubhouse. Beside the grandstand were the practice chipping and putting areas as well. In addition, most of the grandstand was shaded all day, which was not the case at many locations throughout the course. I had an excellent view looking directly down on the small tee box area, including the podium which the USGA uses for the formal introduction of each player as he tees up. Lots of official blue blazer wearing dignitaries in attendance. Interesting perspective watching all the players getting prepared for that first tee shot, lots of visible jitters on display. I can only imagine how nervous I would be, the US Open for heavens sake!
After my shift, Jim joined me at #1 and we then acted like spectators, walking around the course, checking out the 35,000 square foot merchandise tent, (over 50 official US Open hat styles!), and tried to gain entry to the clubhouse, where we were politely, but firmly turned away. Jim was excited about his first day at a professional golf event, was hoping to see more golf as the week went on, maybe even get to ''marshal'' a little bit, more on that later.
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