Yesterday, I had the amazing opportunity to film Day 3 of the 43rd US Open at SentryWorld as a member of the media. I had never attended a golf tournament as a member of the media before and wanted to share my thoughts and some of the 2,000+ photos I took throughout the day.
Take it all in
To start, more than two years of preparation for this tournament is immediately apparent when you walk onto the field. Perfect green vegetation, thick grass and stark white bunkers create the perfect backdrop for this event. While I’m sure players appreciate the conditions of the course, I’m also sure they swear by their breath on the thick rough that seems to swallow golf balls mercilessly. The scoreboard reflects this level of difficulty as well, as players struggle to get to the bottom level for the first few rounds. These tough conditions mean there isn’t much roaring from the crowd, but I bet the birds feel that much sweetness.
Childhood heroes
The US Open soccer arena is filled with so many names that bring up flashbacks of watching golf with my dad in my youth. Immortal and legendary players like Ernie Els, Vijay Singh and Padraig Harrington continue to attract loyal fans and autograph seekers. It was surreal seeing these legends in person still playing the game they love and interacting with their fans. The kinship between the players was constantly on display too, seeing friendly hugs, smiles and genuine respect for each other all day long.
The boys are back in town
Day three of the pairing featuring Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker got a lot of attention from the Wisconsin crowd and TV crew.
Watching the herd follow the Wisco Boys I felt the support that helped motivate them to run in pursuit of the tournament leader, Bernard Langer.
The camaraderie between these two was constantly evident as they walked together down the aisles cheering enthusiastically on each other.
The next afternoon in Wisconsin
I spent most of the afternoon following the Stricker/Kelly pairing and couldn’t help but be amazed at their accuracy on the tee and good approach shots. Their bats were a little cold, however, and I watched them struggle with birdie chances, missed threes, and pace control. This didn’t seem to affect them just because many players I watched fell victim to lightning fast greens in SentryWorld.
An unlikely hero
A little known fact among Stricker fans, but an interesting one nonetheless, is that his briefcase is carried by none other than his wife Nikki. I heard as much cheering for her as I did for the players competing. She always answered with a polite smile but remained focused on the task her husband was doing around the track.
The biggest crowd cheer I heard all day came when Nikki sprinted down the aisle, bag and all, to nab the group after they trashed their stash in the aisle.
You’ll notice that Nicki wears Steve’s clubs in a custom Vessel carrier bag that looked super sharp on the track. I can’t recommend Vessel bags and gear enough – they’re a favorite with WiscoGolfAddict, PGA, LPGA and Champions Tour teams.
You can check out one of the latest cruise bag reviews here:
Final image!
The crowd swelled around the 18th hole as Kelly and Stricker approached the last green of the day. Both had long birdie putts and were desperate for some momentum going into the final round.
As silence fell on the crowd, Kelly gave his ball a roll first. He grinned and bowed as he tumbled towards the trophy, but after what seemed like an eternity, a solid fist pump and roar from the crowd ensured Birdie was crowned with a three-under round of 68.
Stricker flailed his shot several times, determined not to be outdone and to keep the crowd electrified. With a smooth stroke and a confident look, he matched Kelly and rolled another fine birdie putt to make his third round 68.
Check out these videos of Paul taking his back-to-back jumper putt on the 18th. The massive crowd ate it up as our homegrown champions rose to the occasion and put themselves in a tough contest against Langer in the final round of our country’s Grand Slam. For players over 50 years old.
Check out the gallery for my view of the action captured from down the aisle:
The buzz in the air was evident yesterday as Wisconsin natives celebrated our greatest players and their outstanding performances in an incredibly challenging setting.
With Kelly and Stricker finishing second and third respectively, day four is shaping up to be an incredible duel with neither of them still able to get past first. I know I’m rooting for one of our fellow cheesemongers to come up with a Francis de Ouimet glass at the end. Go get them guys!