'Now On The Tee....' NJSGA's Kevin Purcell Enjoys Time As U.S. Open Practice Starter
By Kevin Purcell, NJSGA Executive Director
“Now on the Tee…”
Spending some time on the 10thtee during the practice round of the national championship one thing becomes crystal clear, these guys are good. It’s not that they hit good shots, which they do. It’s how the ball reacts off the club. The sound is like a muffled cannon and the trajectory is like a cannon shot. One of my fellow starters made an accurate observation, “That ball gets real small, real quick.”
The USGA invited executives from the area golf associations to participate as Honorary Starters during the practice round of this year’s US Open. I jumped at the chance and my shifts were on the 10thtee of Shinnecock Hills. I partnered with Mike Moraghan, Executive Director of the Connecticut State Golf Association, welcoming the players to the tee, electronically tracking the groups so their fans knew where to find them and announcing their start. Sometimes there was a crowd of over a hundred fans and sometimes there were just two, but either way applause welcomed each player to the tee.
Amazingly there were only a couple of bad shots in my three, four hour shifts as starter. Most threw darts down the middle of the fairway, but there were a couple of soft hooks leaving the players in the left rough at the top of the hill on a hole where a straight shot finds a steeply sloped fairway and an extra fifty yards. Patrick Reed let one slip to the right into the player’s parking lot. One of the Lexus Courtesy Cars got a special kind of autograph from the Masters champ.
On Monday afternoon with the wind in their face, most players were hitting driver. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the wind shifted and we saw more irons and hybrids. The tenth is a tough place to start with a blind tee shot over a short fairway bunker to a fairway that slopes severely toward the green. A ball that finds the fairway will roll down the slope leaving only a wedge back up the hill to the green.
Practice rounds are a time for family and friends for some and solitude for others. There is a respect among the players for the task at hand. Preparation is what matters and the players are patient while it happens. Guys hit multiple balls testing various lines of play; chip and putt from various spots. Players are not bound to their tee time or group, so the tee sheet is a moving target. Most show for their time, but some don’t. Some switch with others and a few approach the tee looking for a spot. Brandt Snedeker asked if he could join a group, but the sheet listed all foursomes to come. He had just missed a threesome, so he decided to walk out and meet them on 11.
Dustin Johnson, Paul Casey and Keegan Bradley each played alone. Sergio came to the tee early Wednesday morning and asked if he could squeeze in. We were done with the morning wave and no players had turned from nine. He hit a couple of drives and walked toward the fairway when Charles Howell arrived from nine. “You want to play with me Charlie?” “Love too.” And off they went.
Monday evening was slowing down when I noticed a cameraman just off the front of the tee. He seemed to be testing angles for a later broadcast. The stands started to fill and there was a buzz of excitement. Mike and I thought the word finally got out that we were the 10thtee starters. A bridge crosses over the public walkway from the putting green to the tee. The real reason for the excitement was walking over the bridge. Steve Stricker and Tiger were heading for an emergency nine. Tiger played the front nine early and spent the day in the practice area. An evening stroll with your President’s Cup captain is a nice way to end the day.
Some guys set up matches on the tee and others conferred with their caddie or coach. Managers, player assistants, parents and girlfriends gathered around to show their support. There was an all-South African group of Els, Grace, Schwartzel and Oosthuizen. They were laughing and kidding each other in a language I’ve never heard before.
No doubt there were a lot of players enjoying the moment. Garret Rank, an NHL referee, had his brother on his bag and a few close friends inside the ropes. New Jersey’s caddie to the stars, John Doherty ,and his player, Stewart Hagestad, were enjoying another major experience.
Jacob Bergeron, one of the three LSU teammates in the field, was fully aware of the situation. He approached the tee with a big smile and a warm greeting. “You having fun?” I said, “Oh yeah.” He was about to play his practice round with the 2015 champion. His playing partner approached and said, “Hey man, I’m Jordan.” Jacob stretched out his hand and glanced in my direction with another smile. Charlie Hoffman was also on the list but I knew there was a substitute. When Dustin Johnson strolled to the tee Jacob’s smile was joined with eyes wide open and eyebrows raised.
Mike announced the group and Justin whipped an iron down the middle. D.J. was next and he followed suit. Now it was Jacob’s turn. The rising sophomore at LSU, playing with two tournament favorites, stepped to the tee and hit a solid iron right on target. Walking back to the bag he looked up at me full of relief… “Easy game,” he said, and he smiled once again.