Marines are used to night maneuvers, so it was no big deal for two members of a foursome to sleep in their rigs Tuesday night in order to play Torrey Pines South two days after Tiger Woods won the 108th U.S. Open on the city's marquee municipal golf course.
K.C. ALFRED / Union-Tribune
Al Potraz was one of four Camp Pendleton Marines in a group that nabbed the first public tee times at Torrey Pines South since the U.S. Open.
|
Shortly after 6 a.m. yesterday, the four Marines – Michael Villar, Rod Lewis, Sinclair Smith and Al Potraz – took marching orders from starter Miguel Castillo.
“Sinclair said it best when he said this is like playing at Yankee Stadium the day after the World Series,” Villar said. “It's unbelievable that we can play this golf course right after our national championship was played here.”
Forklifts groaned and chugged, trucks rolled by, bleachers were disassembled and workers shouted, but none of the commotion seemed to bother the members of the public who gathered to play Torrey Pines all dressed up in its U.S. Open best.
Billy Miller and Mike West got the first reserved tee time at 7:30 through the reservation system phone line, with Miller using two phones and speed dialing.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, to play Torrey right after the U.S. Open,” West said. “I play here all the time, but we don't ever get to see it set up like this, not even after the Buick Invitational.”
Jon Maddern, newly named city golf operations manager, said he, outgoing golf operations manager Mark Woodward and golf starter John Howard arrived at a plan to allow the public back on the course when the USGA notified them it didn't need the course yesterday.
“We open it up, and the fog comes in,” Maddern said as he watched groups tee off on No. 1 without seeing where their first shots landed.
How foggy was it?
Senior citizen Sue Gibney took the wrong turn in her Toyota hybrid on Torrey Pines Road and used the service road between the two hotels to access the cart path that leads to the pro shop. Playing through in her little gray hybrid, Gibney parked on the path behind the No. 1 tee, went into the pro shop, shopped and then asked for some assistance to get back to Carlsbad.
“I just love Tiger Woods, and I had to come buy something from the U.S. Open,” she said. A concerned citizen jumped in a golf cart and led the wayward driver safely off the course and back onto Torrey Pines Road.
The pro shop was well stocked again after it was used as a hospitality suite for the Open.
“This is a new day, a new start,” said Torrey Pines pro Joe DeBock. “There's nothing on the calendar except the Junior World and the Buick Invitational. It's nice to be back to normal.”
Chris Moyer of Baltimore was in town for the big Bio Conference, but he sneaked away to try to get on Torrey Pines.
“I may have spent $125 for a U.S. Open hat,” Moyer said. “I paid $50 to take a cab here, so if I don't play, at least I'll have the hat.”
Moyer gave up and left the course at about 8 a.m. with his new $125 hat.
Former Chargers defensive lineman Leslie O'Neal joined his regular morning group of Greg Tolver, T.C. Carter and Jimmy Woods (no relation to Tiger, he said) for an early round. They played the first seven holes in dense fog. Tolver started by making birdie on No. 1. He made par on 11 but said, “Don't ask me about the rest of my card.”
Said O'Neal: “It's one thing to go to a country club and play, but to be able to come out here early in the morning and play a U.S. Open golf course, you can't beat this.”
Scores reported early were high. In the Marines group, Smith was medalist with 91. Lewis was the worst with 108.
Maddern said the North Course could open for nine-hole play shortly after July 1 and be open for 18-hole play by roughly Sept. 1. But a lot depends on how quickly the USGA gets its equipment and tents off the North Course, he said.
Ed Zieralski: (619) 293-1225; ed.zieralski@uniontrib.com
