John, Very good piece. I was a volunteer at the US Open at Olympia Fields this year and had much the same experience. I don't think I'll ever go to a tournament on game day. The practice rounds are much more interesting and 'laid back'.
These guys do work at their trade. Started with the driving range before the round, then the putting green before teeing off. During the round they might hit several shots on each hole and putt from various locations on the greens. After the practice round its back to the range. Its not by accident they are good. Some basic talent helps but its also alot of hard work. And as John said, most of them are pretty decent people. Carl --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Wandered around the Buick Open today and hung > out at the driving > range for the majority of the time. I was > surprised at how hard those > guys work! Fred Funk was pounding balls for a > few hours. He spent > quite a bit of the time with Callaway's launch > monitor and their new > Fusion driver (looked like a Ti face/graphite > body). He'd hit a few > with different shafts and various heads, they'd > gather round and > compare notes, try different combinations, > gather round again and > start all over. John Daly and Hank Kuehne were > giving a demonstration > for a bunch of kids and answering questions > tossed at them, very nice > guys...funny, too. Most of them seemed to > appreciate the fans and to > appreciate how lucky they are to be in the work > they're in. > When I first arrived I wandered over to the > 10th tee and Ben Curtis > was teeing off. Maybe 5 people watching him so > I followed him for a > while. Had to chuckle when one of the > tournament guys asked him > in-between holes if he'd mind posing for a > snapshot with an older > couple. He smiled for the pic, signed > autograph's carried himself > like a true champion. > Estoban Toledo was at the range banging away > with Apache > TourPrototype 65n's. As he left he did a short > interview with a local > TV stations, was signing autographs for a bunch > of kids, and a lady > asked him to sign the back of a program (which > had a Buick ad with > Tiger Woods) and he said "I don't sign Tiger > Woods stuff" and carried > on signing for the kiddies. I don't think he > realized what she put in > front of him because he seemed like a decent > guy otherwise. The lady > probably won't be a Estoban Toldeo fan, though. > It was cool to see the Tour guys > playing/testing the shafts that we > talk about all the time. I saw a lot of Apache > 65n (Tour Prototype), > Penley ETA 75's, Harmon, Aldila NV's and > Fujikura's on the range. > The Harrison guy was working very hard trying > to get shafts into > players' hands, too. Had about a doz. bright > blue shafts and he was > really working it. > Kenny Perry walked by, was struck by how > physically fit he is. > Thought he was a porker from the shots on TV, > much better shape that > TV shows. Very friendly persona, one of my new > favorites. > Charles Howell III had some crazy golf gadget > attached to his forearm > while practicing iron shots. I felt much better > about my collection > of game improvement gadgets that I get tangled > up in after I saw him. > He has a beautiful swing and seemed to be quite > friendly. Lots of > folks wandered by to say hi. Rich Lerner from > The Golf Channel was > hanging out with his note pad. He was very > respectful and waited for > Charles Howell III to acknowledge him and > invite him over to chat. > Practice day was a great experience, more fun > than an many of the > tournament's I've been to. > > > -- > Thanks! > John Muir > http://clubmaker-online.com > http://gripscience.com > http://tourpure.com > 810.923.7396 > ===== Carl Mc Kinley, PCS Certified Class 'A' Clubmaker [EMAIL PROTECTED] P T Barnum is the patron saint of expensive club manufacturers. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com
