Par for the course

Last week, Wednesday-Sunday, I was a marshal at the Farmers Insurance Open, the PGA tournament at Torrey Pines Golf Course. This was my fifth year as marshal, and second as hole captain. Some of you may recall that last year’s tournament was a bit hellish, with a strong storm on Sunday requiring suspension of play and a Monday finish without spectators for safety reasons. As the photo above attests, the weather this year was much kinder. Indeed, it was Chamber of Commerce-quality — sunny and in the 70s on the weekend.

(I should point out that the title of this post has no relation to my play of golf. I might achieve par on a hole or two, but the closest I’ve ever come to “par for the course” was an 86 and that was long ago.)

I was assigned to the par-3 8th hole on the North Course, Wednesday-Friday. Last year, I was on #17 North, which is the same hole. ?? The North Course was redesigned last year by Tom Weiskopf and, in the process, the nines were switched. So hole #1 became hole #10, etc., thus #17 became #8. On the weekend, I served on #8 South, also a par 3.

Those of you who are golf fans likely know that this year’s tournament featured the return to the field of one Tiger Woods. He played in Wednesday’s pro-am, where amateurs pay big bucks to play alongside the professionals. Wednesday is also the day when cameras are permitted.

The photo above is of the green on 7 North. Tiger, center, is about to putt. Another feature of the pro-am is occasional opportunities for food. Par-3s are especially popular for those, because there is frequent backup of players, hence more time for food. We had a vendor who provided fish tacos. Many gave them praise, but we worker bees were not permitted to indulge. At right, Tiger gives an autograph to a young man, whose dad worked at the stand. The kid, named Isaiah, just about got every player’s autograph.

Golf fans also know that Tiger did not make the cut and didn’t play on the weekend, much to the chagrin of tournament sponsors. Tiger brings eyeballs to the broadcasts and feet to the course, all adding up to money. That might seem crass, but all profits from this tournament go to local charities, and his absence, as well as that of several other big-name players who failed to make the cut, hurt. He is far less a player than he once was, but he remains the most popular figure in the field.

The vast majority of players in the field attract a quite small number of fans who walk along the course with them. The two most common questions tournament marshals receive are “Where’s Tiger?” and “Where’s Phil (Mickelson)?” The answer always is “Look for the crowds.” Below was the scene as Tiger left the 8th tee during the pro-am, when attendance overall was the smallest.

For those who enjoy the scenery as much as, if not more than, the golf, 8 North was nice. This was the scene in late afternoon.

Hole captain is essentially an administrative position. You provide information to the marshals assigned to your hole, manage their individual assignments, call in lunch orders, request transportation when the round’s over, keep track of who shows up, etc. I lucked out this year with four gentlemen I had not met before, of whom three had not marshaled before. Each was different as a person, of course, but all were dependable, hard-working, and amiable.

In the obligatory, it seems, small-world department, one marshal, Steve Orenberg, had moved to La Jolla just last summer, from Boston’s North End. Even smaller world, he had grown up in Brookline, where younger daughter Julia and I lived 2000-08, and had gone to the Devotion School in Brookline, same primary school Julia attended.

I mentioned the nice views from 8 North, the tee of which may be the highest point on the course. Spending the weekend on 8 South was equally nice in terms of view (photo at top of post), and better in terms of warmth. I had told my newbie marshals that the environment on the South Course, compared to the North, was not unlike the difference between Little Italy, the mecca for young professionals in San Diego, and Fallbrook, where I live, which is more “horse country.” The South Course has the corporate tents and “watering holes” and, as a consequence, the crowds.

8 South was adjacent to the 19th hole, sponsored by Grey Goose. Each morning, at 9:30, the doors of that facility would swing open and a crowd of viewers, with drinks in hand, would come out to the stands to watch the golfers. While somewhat raucous at times, the crowd was generally well-behaved. Often the most noise came when people betting on which color bib worn by the caddies stepped on the green first were encouraging their choices. “Come on, Red!” “Hurry up, Blue.” “Yay, White!” I could see handfuls of cash being exchanged. As you might guess, the noise increased as the day wore on.

Below is an aerial view of #8 South. It’s just a photo of what they showed on TV. Tee is at lower left.

The biggest name left in the tournament on the weekend was Phil Mickelson, who lives in nearby Rancho Santa Fe. He ended up tied for 14th. Late in the final round, it appeared likely the tournament would require a playoff, as several players were tied for the lead and others one stroke back. But Jon Rahm, a 22-year-old graduate of Arizona State, from Spain, shot a 30 on the back nine, finishing with a 60-foot putt for an eagle on #18, to break it open and win by three strokes. It was his first title and he is the youngest to win the Farmers. I was driving home at the time, and watched it later on TV. Still pretty exciting.

Here’s a three-minute collection of final round highlights, and it includes scenes from #8 South.

Just so you know the players were not the only ones active on the course, the “Health” app on my phone tracked my movements. (I only learned about its presence on my phone a short time ago.) Over the five days, I walked a total of 41,957 steps over a distance of 16.7 miles and the equivalent of 42 stories. That is substantially above my normal pace of activity. Time for a rest!