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.