24 Hours in San Diego
January 26, 2005
Recently I was able to escape the sub-zero temperatures of Montreal for a meeting in San Diego for a few days. That would have been enough until I saw my lodging arrangements and noticed I would be staying at La Jolla Torrey Pines, along the 18th fairway of one of the most recognized golf courses in the world. Again, this would have been enough until I learned we would be there the week the Buick Invitational would be held at Torrey Pines. Luckily, I wasn't leaving until Thursday afternoon, and was able to catch my first ever glimpse of a professional golf event, which featured four of the top six players in the world. My experience starts the night before.
9:45pm, Wedenesday Night - After a full day of meetings that has dragged into the evening, my boss and I debrief in the lobby of our hotel. As he is talking, I catch sight of a guy that looks really familiar to me. Oh wait, it's just Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated, one of my favorite writers. On my way back to my room, I see him checking in and approach him. I tell him I am a big fan of his writing. He's gracious and makes small talk, as I nervously speed from the scene.
10:15pm - Call Parents to gloat. Realize as I dial it is 1:15 Eastern. Don't care.
11:00pm - Check Tee Times for the morning. All the good pairings are on the famous South Course. Scribble down the groups I want to see.
11:15pm - Ponder whether I should change my 1:40pm flight the next day to the read-eye leaving at 9:45pm. Naa, that would be nuts.
11:18pm - Confirm my change with US Airways to the red-eye leaving at 9:45pm.
11:45pm - Sleep.
7:00 am, Thursday Morning - Wake up. Realize the red-eye later in the evening is going to be a major kick in the pants.
7:30am - Checkout of the hotel and leave my bags with the "Bell Captain". Off to the course.
7:45 am - Even though the hotel is along the 18th hole, I still have to walk almost a mile to get the the main entrance, where they slap on a hospital-looking bracelet and send me on my way.
8:00 am - Peruse around the putting green, where I realize that golf is the only sport where the players look the same size on TV as they do in real life. Except for John Daly, who actually looks smaller than you would think.
8:15 am - Follow the herd of people over to the driving range, where Tiger is heading.
8:17 am - Watch in amazement as 25 or so guys hit golf balls and no one tops it, shanks it, or mishits it...ever. Here a loud metallic sound. It is Hank Kuehne hitting a driver. It softly bounces once, right over the fence. He goes on to do this about 25 times, then promptly shoots 80 later that day.
8:30 am - Get a prime seat at No.1 for the first few tee times of the day, which include home-town boy Phil Mickelson.
8:45 am - Mickelson's group tees off in front of maybe 100 people. I wonder where the rest of the crowd is.
8:46 am - Start the long walk to find the Tiger Woods, Justin Leonard, Shigeki Maruyama group, who started on the back nine.
8:55 am - Catch up with them on the 11th hole. Vijay Singh and Sergio Garcia are on the green ahead. Found the rest of the crowd.
9:15 am - Go ahead of the group to get a good spot along the fairway. Tiger promptly tees off and the ball lands about five feet from my feet, in thick rough.
9:20 am - Tiger rips the ball out of the rough, and I swear I feel it go right past my face. Realize I would never stand this close to a regular golfer hitting out of the same place.
12:00 pm - After watching for the first nine holes, I break off to find another pairing from my crib sheet. John Daly, Fred Couples and Mark O'Meara. Find another huge crowd.
12:25pm - Watch John Daly tee off on a Par 5. His swing seems to defy the laws of human physiology.
2:30 pm - After walking all day and imbibing a hot dog or three, I settle in to the bleachers along the 18th green to watch several groups finish.
3:30pm - Daly goes for the green in two from 250 yards or so with an iron. He misses long in the bunker. Plays a beauty and makes birdie.
4:15 pm - Walk the course a little more and then hit the Torrey Pines golf shop. They are seriously pushing their US Open gear. The Open will be held at the south course in 2008, so I figure it can wait.
5:00 pm - All play has finished for the day, and after watching at the range and putting green for a time, I start the trek back to the hotel.
9:45 pm - US Airways flight 100 goes wheels up headed for Philadelphia. I was asleep before we left the gate.
Filed under Life in General, Sports
Comments
Dad says:
Great trip!
Lucky dog, I've never been to one live. And none of those "Daly" boys are as big as they look!! Right Brad???
Love,Dad
John Hickert says:
Wow! Sounds like a great time. To watch those guys hit the ball is quite impressive, especially for those of us who hack away.
I was fortunate enough to attend the Bay Hill Invitational in 2002 and followed Mickelson and Woods around all day. It was amazing watching the shots those guys make.
Anyway, take care.
Comments are closed for this entry
Kevin Collins says:
It sounds like you had an awesome time at the tourney. I didn't realize you had never been to a PGA event before, great one to go to. I have never been to Torrey Pines, but we walked some of Pebble Beach on the honeymoon and folks have told me they are similar. You're right, Daly is actually smaller in person, the last time I saw him I was with Bass at Hooters in Augusta during Masters week, but that's another story....
Tiger really is unbelievable, I was glad to see him win the thing, I think he is on track for a big year. One of the greatest memories I have of Tiger was at The Masters.....I was walking up #9 and Tiger was in the fairway, Steve hands him the pitching wedge, he is going to play a little punch shot into the green, sets up, looks like a great swing, blades the p-wedge into the crowd behind the green.....made me feel pretty good about my game.
Hope to see you in the ATL soon man....How 'bout those Jayhawks?
GO HEELS
KC