Phoenix Open

Today I was out at the Phoenix Open.  I hadn't been in a few years, when I went one Saturday with my friend Jimmy.  That seems like eons ago even though it was only 2007.  The last time before that was when I was in college, 1997 or 1998 I think, when the tournament was a lot smaller.  A bunch of us guys went and I remember chanting "ASU, ASU" at #16 when a younger, pre-major-winner Phil Mickelson came to the tee.  The vendors handed out a lot of free stuff and it was a lot of fun, even being under 21.

They've really gone all out on 16, as you can see in the photo at left.  The entire whole is a stadium.  It's long been known as the rowdiest hole in golf, and this certainly cements its reputation.  I cruised by there toward the end of the day and even then, Thursday with freezing cold weather, it was rocking.  The alcohol flows quite freely.  I watched Vijay Singh sink a par putt, then watched his group tee off from #17.  It's a shorter par 4 and one of the guys in the group (not Vijay, he was just short) drove the green from the tee.  Amazing to watch the pro's.  [17 is the only par-4 that's been aced (hole-in-one) in PGA tournament history.  That's the island green of #15 in the photo at left.  Full course map here.]

One of these days I will have to play the Tournament Players Club Stadium Course.  I played the TPC Desert Course back in the day with my dad, Uncle Jack, and Steve.  It's a good challenge too.  But having been out there today, I've got get on it for real.  In the summer when I can afford it.

I am for sure going to volunteer at this tournament or others when I'm retired.  I think it would be a blast to carry the little sign with the players' names and scores.  There is one of these with each group.  Standing around holding a QUIET sign would be okay too, I guess.  But it would be fun to walk the course amongst professionals.

A note about the cold:  I about froze my butt off.  It's probably official, I'm back to being an AZ cold wimp.  The cold tolerance I built up in OH has dissipated.  The highest it got out there today was 40.  Where I spent most of my time had no heat, just a couple little space heaters.  Some of the women were bundled in giant parkas.  It's supposed to get back to the 70s this wkend which can't come fast enough.