The Eighteenth Green

THE EIGHTEENTH GREEN
Farmer’s Insurance Open at Torrey Pines
January 26-30, 2011 by Dennis Ginoza

I always wanted to be a marshall at the golf tournament, but I couldn’t, I had to work. Finally, after I retired, I got my chance.

On Sunday, January 23, Joe Skoglund and I attended the Party with over 800 volunteers. At the meeting for marshalls, I got my cap, jacket, and assignment. Chris Christlieb, captain at the 18th green, earlier told me to request to be on his team. I was.

As marshalls, our essential job is to hold the crowd, keep them quiet with signs that say, “Quiet Please!” We raise both hands until the ball is driven or the putt is made. I worked at the crossways with the ropes, on the tee, down the fairway and at the green. It didn’t take me too long to catch on.

On Wednesday, it was the Pro-Am, five amateur golfers with a professional. Each golfer pays $6,500 to be privileged to play, I was told. It was a fun day, but a long one. The last group was teeing off as the sun was dipping. At 5:30 p.m. they were hitting the green. That’s when my day was done.

I thoroughly enjoyed visiting with the crowd. Chad works for Farmer’s Insurance and he told me he was asked to represent Farmer’s and walk with Phil Mikelson’s group. He said, “Phil is the friendliest guy. He talks to you.” This is not the case with all golfers. I met folks from Pittsburgh, Akron, Orlando, Yakima, Vancouver (Canada), Billings, Helena, Boise, Cortez (Colorado), and heard their golf stories.

Right after I had my lunch, I was walking back to the 18th on the sidewalk along the 17th. Something hit me in the back. What in the world? It was a golf ball. I turned around, the amateurs were on the fairway driving the ball. I learned right away, “Watch out for the amateurs.” I stayed there with the ball until another marshall from the 17th came. As marshalls we are to spot the ball, and guard it. I joked about how I would make a claim on my injury.

On the first three days, with the amateurs on Wednesday, the full list of pros competing on Thursday and Friday until the cut, both the north and south courses are utilized. When the cut is made, the top 72 chosen, then the competition is at the south course where we were.

Early on, we could see that John Daly wore his fancy pants, checkered yellow pants or green or red as was his last day. He had an entourage following him. Phil Mikelson had his entourage, being a San Diego native and favorite. Then there was Tiger Woods; he brought out the crowds.

On Friday, I worked the tee. When Tiger came, the crowds followed. The course around the tee, the fairway along the ropes, all the way to the green, was filled. As one of the marshalls told me, “He is a phenomenon.” He is. We waited until the gallery was filled, people waiting with excitement, at the 18th, par five, 570 yards to the pin, a waterway in front of the green. This was Friday, the second day; Tiger shot a three under the day before. There was anticipation and an intensity that has been unique only with Tiger. Soon after Tiger and his group finished their drive, the crowd moved like an ocean, toward the fairway and the green.

Every morning, as we gather for the day, we are given our assignment, our lunch ticket, and our pairing sheet. We have a schedule to follow. Being a rookie, as they call us first year guys, I had a lot to figure out myself, the closest restroom, where hospitality is, how to get to the 10th green or to the north course, how one catches the shuttle. When I didn’t know the answer, I told people: “I’m like the Sears guy, I know about refrigerators, but I don’t know about lawn mowers.” “But, I’ll know tomorrow.” Often I’d get a laugh. The golf crowd is generally nice, friendly, and patient.

On Saturday and Sunday, Captain Christlieb assigned me at the green, in front of the grandstand, just left of the CBS tower with its camera. Chris said, “Dennis, I will put you on the hill.” I could see every pro-golfer close-up. To my right was a bunker, to my left a ways, two other bunkers, in the front the beautiful green, just ahead of it, the treacherous waterway. On Saturday, the pin was a little to the right side, but on Sunday, it was moved to the center, and closer to the waterway. Remember, these are pro-golfers, the best in the world.

On Sunday, the last day, these were the pairings. Tiger was in group 12 with Brendan Steele and Greg Chambers. Saturday Tiger Woods slipped to a 74, two over while Thursday and Friday, he did better, 69 and 69.

The last two groups were the contenders, Group 2: Bubba Watson, Anthony Kim, and Jhonattan Vegas (the Venezuelan who had just won the Bob Hope Classic). In the last, Group l, were Phil Mikelson, Bill Haas, and Hunter Mahan.

On the hill where I was, all the cameras started to come around. What I learned, it was the prize spot. There must have been over 15 cameras to see the final putt. The gallery was crowded, the grandstands, the one in front of me, the one to the right of the CBS tower, and the third one just to left where I was, were full. It was fascinating drama.

Bubba Watson sank his 12 foot putt putting him 16 under. Vegas took a risk, went for the pin and hit the waterway. Then all eyes were on Phil Mikelson. Just 40 minutes earlier, we had a cloud burst. Cloud covered and chilly, the Farmer’s insurance Blimp just above, Mikelson knew he had to hit an eagle to tie with Bubba for a sudden death play-off. He had his caddy stand at the flag, and he strove for the eagle he needed. With a back spin, it landed on the green, rolled back but failed to drop. No eagle. He was very very close but as the crowd sighed an “Ohhh,” he was one short for a run off. Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union describes it this way, after Bubba heard on the radio, Mikelson didn’t make his shot, “Bubba Watson’s eyes began to water.”

What a privilege it was for me to witness this final round, being right there, watching putts fall in, putts stopping just short by inches, and seeing the crowds respond with cheers, on one hand, and with disappointments on the other.

I was told prior that you don’t speak to pro-golfers unless they speak to you first. When Paul Stankowski from Flower Mound, Texas came to the 18th, to his ball in the bunker right in front of me, he walked toward me and said, “How’re you doing?” I smiled and said, “Best to you!” I put an asterisk next to his name. As he pitched from the bunker and drove his putt, in my mind, “I was wishing him well.” In golf, unlike many sports where cheering coincides with the action, golf has the quiet moments as the crowds wish the best for their favorites.

On the hill, as golfers moved on, the people yell out, “Ball! Ball!” One golfer threw the ball to a young girl, it hit the side wall so I went down to retrieve it. I gave it to the little girl. It was a moment, I am sure, she’ll remember for a long time.

When Mikelson, hit a spectator in the gallery, he checked to see if he was okay, autographed a glove, walked over and gave it to him. The goodwill brought smiles all around. At the 8th green, not far from the 18th, a woman was excited and said to me, Mikelson endorsed the Arithritis Society and she came to support him. From my perspective, believing that whatever our profession, we need to reach out with benevolence, there were heart-warming moments on the golf course.

In a final report, some 150,000 people attended the event. When Tiger Woods and Phil Mikelson announced that they were competing, it brought excitement and a large response to the Farmer’s Insurance Open. Tiger Woods didn’t fare well. Someone asked me if there were any jeers from the crowd, I said, “I didn’t see any.” In conversations with different people, we generally agreed that Tiger is an incredible golfer, the best in our time. However, he has much to overcome, he needs to set his life straight, and make up for his falling.

As a marshall, we are given a guest pass. I invited some friends to the tournament. They added some insights. Morgan Cadmus and Dawn Shaper told me that they took the bus at the Rancho Santa Fe Polo Grounds at no cost. (Buses are also provided from Qualcomm Stadium.) Dale Carlson followed Tiger Woods and he saw Tiger signing autographs for little kids; a good gesture. My neighbor Tiffany’s dad, Barry Oliver from New York, is an avid golfer and really wanted to go. He went down with me on Sunday and later his friend called him and said, “I saw you on television.”

When the tournament began, a young 18 year old by the name of Anthony Paolucci, was an unknown. He is a senior at La Jolla Country Day. He is an amateur who played with the pros and he did well. He was one of 18 golfers who didn’t have one round over par (70, 71, 72, 72), three under par. He has a pro-career ahead of him. He said, “I had a blast!” He’s not a pro yet so won’t collect the $33,814, but he will be remembered for his game.

THE TOP FIVE
Bubba Watson (71, 65, 69, 67) -16
Phil Mikelson (67, 69, 68, 69) -15
Dustin Johnson (69, 69, 68, 68) -13
Jhonathan Vegas (69, 69, 69, 68) -13
D.A. Points (73, 68, 68, 67) -12

At the closing ceremony, Bubba Watson was presented with a plaque, and new surf board (he has never surfed before but said, he might go out one day and paddle), and he received the winning check for $1,044,000. What I witnessed with golf, since the early days, it has become not just a game of skill, of mental attitude and concentration, but also a game of power. In the 18th, Bubba drove the ball 334 yards before approaching the green for his final shot.

Also at the ceremony, all the volunteers were thanked and Kathryn Mix was acknowledged for her 49 years of service. She plays golf every day and shared her motto: “Get up, get dressed, and get out.” She is 92 years old.

Life is a game, it has rules, it has challenges, it has rewards, it has accomplishments, it requires work, it needs goodwill, and it is what we make of it. In the years I have learned, winners believe they can win and they work and compete to the last second.