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.
Diary of a PGA marshal
Sunday
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 my 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 my 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.
Monday
Day 4 September 6, 2010
Thankfully by this stage in the Championship, things get off to a later start, allowing the assignment meeting to take place at 7:30am. Got assigned to the Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott pairing, teeing off at 1:15, the 4th from last tee time of the final day of the DBC. By now I was developing a routine for killing time by hanging out on the practice tee grandstand, having one breakfast, then a 2nd breakfast, then timing lunch just right since our 18 hole round would last at least 5 hours.
Got to the 1st tee around 1:00, met up with our crew leader Tony, Brian, Dave, and Tom, all veteran marshals and good guys. We were also going to be joined by a Norton police officer for added crowd control, which was great since the afternoon Labor Day galleries were becoming pretty liquored up. Mickelson and Scott were tied at -12, the leader Charlie Hoffman at 17 under par. The gallery at the first tee was around 300 spectators, growing steadily to 5,000 as we made our way along, picking up people at every hole. Tony and I stayed parallel to Phil and Adam, while the rest of our crew worked a few hundred yards ahead on either side of the fairway. We would join up at each green and position ourselves relative to where the hole marshals were already stationed. Invariably, those marshals would thank us for bringing in the ''reinforcements'' after they saw the size of the gallery we were escorting. Making our way from each green, between the ropes down the narrow chutes to the next tee, was always a challenge, with people standing 7-8 deep, trying to get Phil's attention. At some points, I felt sorry for Adam Scott, who was virtually ignored by the crowd. This would present a challenge to us at each tee and on the greens, keeping the crowd in place until both golfers had hit. Spectators would tend to bolt as soon as Phil was done, trying to move ahead to jockey for the next viewing position along the ropes. We were constantly giving the command "Stand please" & "Hold for both players".
On hole #10 I had an especially challenging situation when Phil's drive went outside of the ropes not once but twice, requiring us to move the crowd to create an alley for him to play his shot. We have to drop the gallery rope by pulling the stakes, which involves marking the stake hole with a tee, or you never find it again and can't jam it back into the rock hard turf otherwise. Little known marshal secret! The spectators want to be right on top of Phil, who only encourages this with lots of friendly bantering back and forth. His caddie Bones was helpful in directing the crowd back the proper distance for the right shot angle. Our crew leader Tony is a master at this type of situation as well.
After finishing at 18, Tony stationed us at the scoring / interview area, which had become packed. The eventual winner of the DBC, Charlie Hoffman was in the pairing immediately behind us, which added to the tremendous crush in this whole area. Was a thrill to be in the midst of all the players at the top of the leader board as they were being interviewed, then making their way to the clubhouse. It was a long 12 hour day, after a long 4 days at the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second stage of the FedEx Cup of 2010, and I'd had some small part in making it all happen. Can't wait until next year.
Thankfully by this stage in the Championship, things get off to a later start, allowing the assignment meeting to take place at 7:30am. Got assigned to the Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott pairing, teeing off at 1:15, the 4th from last tee time of the final day of the DBC. By now I was developing a routine for killing time by hanging out on the practice tee grandstand, having one breakfast, then a 2nd breakfast, then timing lunch just right since our 18 hole round would last at least 5 hours.
Got to the 1st tee around 1:00, met up with our crew leader Tony, Brian, Dave, and Tom, all veteran marshals and good guys. We were also going to be joined by a Norton police officer for added crowd control, which was great since the afternoon Labor Day galleries were becoming pretty liquored up. Mickelson and Scott were tied at -12, the leader Charlie Hoffman at 17 under par. The gallery at the first tee was around 300 spectators, growing steadily to 5,000 as we made our way along, picking up people at every hole. Tony and I stayed parallel to Phil and Adam, while the rest of our crew worked a few hundred yards ahead on either side of the fairway. We would join up at each green and position ourselves relative to where the hole marshals were already stationed. Invariably, those marshals would thank us for bringing in the ''reinforcements'' after they saw the size of the gallery we were escorting. Making our way from each green, between the ropes down the narrow chutes to the next tee, was always a challenge, with people standing 7-8 deep, trying to get Phil's attention. At some points, I felt sorry for Adam Scott, who was virtually ignored by the crowd. This would present a challenge to us at each tee and on the greens, keeping the crowd in place until both golfers had hit. Spectators would tend to bolt as soon as Phil was done, trying to move ahead to jockey for the next viewing position along the ropes. We were constantly giving the command "Stand please" & "Hold for both players".
On hole #10 I had an especially challenging situation when Phil's drive went outside of the ropes not once but twice, requiring us to move the crowd to create an alley for him to play his shot. We have to drop the gallery rope by pulling the stakes, which involves marking the stake hole with a tee, or you never find it again and can't jam it back into the rock hard turf otherwise. Little known marshal secret! The spectators want to be right on top of Phil, who only encourages this with lots of friendly bantering back and forth. His caddie Bones was helpful in directing the crowd back the proper distance for the right shot angle. Our crew leader Tony is a master at this type of situation as well.
After finishing at 18, Tony stationed us at the scoring / interview area, which had become packed. The eventual winner of the DBC, Charlie Hoffman was in the pairing immediately behind us, which added to the tremendous crush in this whole area. Was a thrill to be in the midst of all the players at the top of the leader board as they were being interviewed, then making their way to the clubhouse. It was a long 12 hour day, after a long 4 days at the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second stage of the FedEx Cup of 2010, and I'd had some small part in making it all happen. Can't wait until next year.
Sunday
Day 3 September 5, 2010
Cold Sunday morning at TPC Boston, 58 degrees, wore DBC wind shirt to ward off the chill. At the 6am mobile marshals meeting, was surprised when I wasn't assigned to any of the player groups teeing off early in the day, which meant the later my assignment, the closer those players were to the top of the leader board. I was eventually assigned to the Matt Kuchar-Charlie Hoffman pairing, only 1 back from the leaders. Diane was again our crew leader, found out she had requested me from yesterday's crew with Phil, so I was happy I'd made a good impression. Diane was a real veteran of marshaling, having volunteered not only at DBC, but also for years at the Travelers tournament in Hartford.
Now came the hard part, what to do from 6:30am until our tee time at 1:30 this afternoon. Evidently a system hasn't been developed to assign us to our player pairings other than to have us all attend the early morning mobile marshals meeting. Since I was volunteering to get close to the players, I requested a additional morning assignment where extra help might be needed. David assigned me to the Villegas-Streelman group for 9:50, where I could walk 9 holes with them but save my legs for the full 18 holes I had later on with Kooch and Hoffman. Sat in the grandstand at the packed practice area, having my DD iced coffee and bagel, joined by Melinda, another marshal who was also part of the Hartford crew. About one-half of all the mobile marshals got their start at the Travelers years ago, including our co-chairmen Karen and David, eventually coming over to the DBC to get the mobile marshals committee going.
My 9 holes with Camillo Villegas and Kevin Streelman was pretty sedate although Villegas was new to the Tour and a hot commodity for the ladies in the gallery. I learned a few lessons in what not to do as a walking marshal during this assignment, as one member of our crew would demonstrate repeatedly. His technique was to position himself in the most prominent place imaginable on every hole, drawing unnecessary attention to himself as he signaled for quiet with raised arms. Sometimes he appeared almost as a caricature of what marshaling isn't all about, distracting the players as well as the gallery.
After cashing in my lunch voucher at the concession stand, I met my afternoon crew members at the 1st tee, Diane, Tom, and Brian, all veteran marshals. Was surprised that the gallery wasn't larger for Kuchar, maybe 50 people at the start of his round, building to a couple hundred by the 10th, then close to 1000 by the 18th tee. Heard countless calls of "Kooooch"and "Go Chuck" for Matt and Charlie Hoffman, especially coming from the corporate pavilions starting at the 15th tee. Found out its nearly impossible to ask for quiet anywhere from tee to green along the 16th hole at the DBC, you just give-in to the open bar atmosphere. Roger Maltbie was even getting a fair amount of shout-outs ("ROGAH"!!) as the NBC on-course commentator walking along with us. Despite this controlled chaos, got the impression our presence was very helpful as player escorts. After Kuchar and Hoffman putted out on 18, Diane and I accompanied them down the narrow chute through the immense crowd, into the interview and scoring areas. Passed close by Stricker and Donald being interviewed by Gary Koch of NBC and Steve Sands of the Golf Channel. After Kuchar exited the scoring trailer, accompanied him to the autograph area nearby, just behind the clubhouse. This area is technically for kids only, and is blocked off by crowd barriers; its our job as marshals to stand beside the player to fend off some of the older "kids" who have snuck into the autograph-seeking crowd standing 5 deep. Matt was in high demand and politely signed for 15 minutes. Told Diane afterwards I'd had a great time, especially in my first experience of finishing at 18, followed by being right in the middle of all the post-round excitement.
Cold Sunday morning at TPC Boston, 58 degrees, wore DBC wind shirt to ward off the chill. At the 6am mobile marshals meeting, was surprised when I wasn't assigned to any of the player groups teeing off early in the day, which meant the later my assignment, the closer those players were to the top of the leader board. I was eventually assigned to the Matt Kuchar-Charlie Hoffman pairing, only 1 back from the leaders. Diane was again our crew leader, found out she had requested me from yesterday's crew with Phil, so I was happy I'd made a good impression. Diane was a real veteran of marshaling, having volunteered not only at DBC, but also for years at the Travelers tournament in Hartford.
Now came the hard part, what to do from 6:30am until our tee time at 1:30 this afternoon. Evidently a system hasn't been developed to assign us to our player pairings other than to have us all attend the early morning mobile marshals meeting. Since I was volunteering to get close to the players, I requested a additional morning assignment where extra help might be needed. David assigned me to the Villegas-Streelman group for 9:50, where I could walk 9 holes with them but save my legs for the full 18 holes I had later on with Kooch and Hoffman. Sat in the grandstand at the packed practice area, having my DD iced coffee and bagel, joined by Melinda, another marshal who was also part of the Hartford crew. About one-half of all the mobile marshals got their start at the Travelers years ago, including our co-chairmen Karen and David, eventually coming over to the DBC to get the mobile marshals committee going.
My 9 holes with Camillo Villegas and Kevin Streelman was pretty sedate although Villegas was new to the Tour and a hot commodity for the ladies in the gallery. I learned a few lessons in what not to do as a walking marshal during this assignment, as one member of our crew would demonstrate repeatedly. His technique was to position himself in the most prominent place imaginable on every hole, drawing unnecessary attention to himself as he signaled for quiet with raised arms. Sometimes he appeared almost as a caricature of what marshaling isn't all about, distracting the players as well as the gallery.
After cashing in my lunch voucher at the concession stand, I met my afternoon crew members at the 1st tee, Diane, Tom, and Brian, all veteran marshals. Was surprised that the gallery wasn't larger for Kuchar, maybe 50 people at the start of his round, building to a couple hundred by the 10th, then close to 1000 by the 18th tee. Heard countless calls of "Kooooch"and "Go Chuck" for Matt and Charlie Hoffman, especially coming from the corporate pavilions starting at the 15th tee. Found out its nearly impossible to ask for quiet anywhere from tee to green along the 16th hole at the DBC, you just give-in to the open bar atmosphere. Roger Maltbie was even getting a fair amount of shout-outs ("ROGAH"!!) as the NBC on-course commentator walking along with us. Despite this controlled chaos, got the impression our presence was very helpful as player escorts. After Kuchar and Hoffman putted out on 18, Diane and I accompanied them down the narrow chute through the immense crowd, into the interview and scoring areas. Passed close by Stricker and Donald being interviewed by Gary Koch of NBC and Steve Sands of the Golf Channel. After Kuchar exited the scoring trailer, accompanied him to the autograph area nearby, just behind the clubhouse. This area is technically for kids only, and is blocked off by crowd barriers; its our job as marshals to stand beside the player to fend off some of the older "kids" who have snuck into the autograph-seeking crowd standing 5 deep. Matt was in high demand and politely signed for 15 minutes. Told Diane afterwards I'd had a great time, especially in my first experience of finishing at 18, followed by being right in the middle of all the post-round excitement.
Saturday
Day 2 September 4, 2010 Saturday
It was the second day of competition at the DBC, and it was going to be my first inside the ropes next to the players as a mobile marshal. To make it an even more unique experience, we had just weathered Hurrcane Earl on Cape Cod, winds roaring all Friday night into Saturday morning but winding down by 4am. I got up at 4:45 to check the weather, but more importantly to check on the status of the Sagamore bridge leading off the Cape; there had been conjecture on Friday that the State Police were going to close the bridge if conditions were unsafe.
No problem driving up to TPC Boston as it turned out, but the weather meant I was delayed and missed the 6am mobile marshals assignment meeting. When I caught up to Karen and David, they informed me I was assigned to the Phil Mickelson, Ben Crane, & Jeff Overton group, considered the #2 group of the day, (Tiger being #1). I was really surprised to be placed in such a high profile group as a rookie mobile marshal. I had an hour to kill so I got breakfast and headed up to the practice tee, getting a cart ride from a marshal's support guy. Found a bit of golf heaven at the practice area, the place was packed with 25 of the top 100 players in the FedEx cup standings, all going through their warm-up routines, each slightly different from one another. The atmosphere was already electric, then went up another notch entirely when Phil walked on to applause from the hundreds of spectators in the grandstand and along the ropes.
Made my way to the 10th tee for our 7:48 tee time, joining Diane our crew leader, plus four other mobile marshals, nice guys all. Diane's style was excellent, letting us each choose where we wanted to be stationed as we walked 18 holes with Phil's group. I chose to stay parallel to the players, other marshals went ahead at 100 and 200 yard positions. We started out with a gallery of around 200 people at that morning hour, which eventually grew throughout the round to between 3000 to 4000 on the last 4 holes (6 through 9). I quickly saw the value in the mobile marshal concept as several holes had only 2-3 hole marshals and would have been swamped with the size of our gallery without our added 5-marshal crew. I was inside the ropes virtually every step of the way, keeping alongside the players, standing only a feet away in lots of cases. One key concept I learned is to be unobtrusive, not blocking the galleries' view, but also being visible as the crowd watched the players. Spectators take their cues from the marshals as to when to remain quiet and respectful of the play going on. We on the other hand don't want to act as if the gallery must remain quiet or stationary unnecessarily, so we're constantly assessing each player's shot routine to signal for quiet at just the right moment.
Seeing a player of Phil Mickelson's stature over the course of 18 holes gave me a fuller appreciation of his professional nature which makes him such a crowd favorite. I could not believe how many people in the crowd were compelled to shout his name or words of encouragement, literally thousands of times. Phil seems to acknowledge each one, with a smile, a nod, a tip of his cap or his trademark thumbs-up. I'd be going nuts with that much constant distraction, but Phil is ''on'' every step of the way, all 18 holes.
Our final hole was incredible. The right side of the 9th fairway is adjacent to the main spectator entrance to TPC Boston, so the first thing everyone does on arriving is to stand at this fairway to see who is coming along. The midday crowd was like nothing I'd ever seen, people must have been standing 20 deep, the noise was amazing. All we had to do as marshals was to get them to be reasonably quiet and motionless! About the best we could do was to get things settled down to a dull roar. A tremendous experience. Phil was having a spectacular round, starting the day at minus 3 and finishing at 8 under par, a wonderful display of great putting. Afterwards, Diane gathered us together off the 9th green and told us we'd worked ''perfectly'' as a crew. I really felt such an integral part of the action, as well as having a small part in enabling the tournament to take place as part of the volunteer Blue Crew. To top it off, I was later cutting through the players courtesy car parking lot on my way to the practice range when I ran across Phil getting into his courtesy BMW. He looked at me, and nodded, seemingly recognizing me from having just walked 18 holes with him. (Or so I'd like to think!).
It was the second day of competition at the DBC, and it was going to be my first inside the ropes next to the players as a mobile marshal. To make it an even more unique experience, we had just weathered Hurrcane Earl on Cape Cod, winds roaring all Friday night into Saturday morning but winding down by 4am. I got up at 4:45 to check the weather, but more importantly to check on the status of the Sagamore bridge leading off the Cape; there had been conjecture on Friday that the State Police were going to close the bridge if conditions were unsafe.
No problem driving up to TPC Boston as it turned out, but the weather meant I was delayed and missed the 6am mobile marshals assignment meeting. When I caught up to Karen and David, they informed me I was assigned to the Phil Mickelson, Ben Crane, & Jeff Overton group, considered the #2 group of the day, (Tiger being #1). I was really surprised to be placed in such a high profile group as a rookie mobile marshal. I had an hour to kill so I got breakfast and headed up to the practice tee, getting a cart ride from a marshal's support guy. Found a bit of golf heaven at the practice area, the place was packed with 25 of the top 100 players in the FedEx cup standings, all going through their warm-up routines, each slightly different from one another. The atmosphere was already electric, then went up another notch entirely when Phil walked on to applause from the hundreds of spectators in the grandstand and along the ropes.
Made my way to the 10th tee for our 7:48 tee time, joining Diane our crew leader, plus four other mobile marshals, nice guys all. Diane's style was excellent, letting us each choose where we wanted to be stationed as we walked 18 holes with Phil's group. I chose to stay parallel to the players, other marshals went ahead at 100 and 200 yard positions. We started out with a gallery of around 200 people at that morning hour, which eventually grew throughout the round to between 3000 to 4000 on the last 4 holes (6 through 9). I quickly saw the value in the mobile marshal concept as several holes had only 2-3 hole marshals and would have been swamped with the size of our gallery without our added 5-marshal crew. I was inside the ropes virtually every step of the way, keeping alongside the players, standing only a feet away in lots of cases. One key concept I learned is to be unobtrusive, not blocking the galleries' view, but also being visible as the crowd watched the players. Spectators take their cues from the marshals as to when to remain quiet and respectful of the play going on. We on the other hand don't want to act as if the gallery must remain quiet or stationary unnecessarily, so we're constantly assessing each player's shot routine to signal for quiet at just the right moment.
Seeing a player of Phil Mickelson's stature over the course of 18 holes gave me a fuller appreciation of his professional nature which makes him such a crowd favorite. I could not believe how many people in the crowd were compelled to shout his name or words of encouragement, literally thousands of times. Phil seems to acknowledge each one, with a smile, a nod, a tip of his cap or his trademark thumbs-up. I'd be going nuts with that much constant distraction, but Phil is ''on'' every step of the way, all 18 holes.
Our final hole was incredible. The right side of the 9th fairway is adjacent to the main spectator entrance to TPC Boston, so the first thing everyone does on arriving is to stand at this fairway to see who is coming along. The midday crowd was like nothing I'd ever seen, people must have been standing 20 deep, the noise was amazing. All we had to do as marshals was to get them to be reasonably quiet and motionless! About the best we could do was to get things settled down to a dull roar. A tremendous experience. Phil was having a spectacular round, starting the day at minus 3 and finishing at 8 under par, a wonderful display of great putting. Afterwards, Diane gathered us together off the 9th green and told us we'd worked ''perfectly'' as a crew. I really felt such an integral part of the action, as well as having a small part in enabling the tournament to take place as part of the volunteer Blue Crew. To top it off, I was later cutting through the players courtesy car parking lot on my way to the practice range when I ran across Phil getting into his courtesy BMW. He looked at me, and nodded, seemingly recognizing me from having just walked 18 holes with him. (Or so I'd like to think!).