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On the Road at the US Open
By Eric Yaillen, OGA Director of Marketing & Communications
My trip was very spontaneous. I hadn't made the decision to make the 750+ mile trek from Woodburn to Monterrey until the day before the Open. In many ways, I probably shouldn't have gone. I have lots of things on my plate (as does everyone else at the OGA).
Being in golf administration, play time is in the off-season. And next week begins the busiest time of the season for the Oregon Golf Association. Beginning the day after the US Open, the entire staff will just be slammed including not only those on the road handling our events but the valiantly left behind to hold down the fort while the rest of us are away.
That Monday, we have the U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier at Emerald Valley in Creswell, Ore., the U.S. Girls Junior Amateur qualifer at the OGA Golf Course in Woodburn, Ore. and the first round of the 101st Oregon Amateur at Willamette Valley Country Club in Canby, Ore.
The following day, we finish the stroke play portion of the Oregon Amateur and cut to the top 32 women and top 64 men for match play. Also, we have round one of the Peter Jacobsen Junior Challenge (which simultaneously serves as a qualifier for the Callaway Junior Worlds in San Diego, Calif.) at Emerald Valley with more than 220 kids competing in seven different divisions (for Oregon Golf) and a completely different set of four divisions for the Junior Worlds.
Wednesday is the conclusion of the junior event, and the field at the Oregon Amateur pairs down quickly...so the rest of the week is relatively easy including the 36-hole championship finals of the Oregon Amateur on Saturday. BUT! Then the Oregon Junior Amateur (again with more than 200 kids) begins just wo days later at Pumpkin Ridge - Witch Hollow, North Plains and that day we also administer the U.S. Senior Open Sectional Qualifier at Creekside Golf Club in Salem, Ore.
The Junior Amateur is a real beast of an event. There's one round of stroke play qualifying, but unlike the adults where only some advance to match play...every single kid advances. The difference is they are assigned to flights. For instance, of the 64 Juniors (Boys 16-17) that will tee it up in the stroke play qualifying stage, 32 will be placed in a championship flight, the next 16 will be placed in tne next flight, and the remaining players will be placed in the last flight. Then, instead of going home if they lose their first match...they don't. If any kid loses their first match, they "drop" down to a consolation match! Actually, this is a great thing (for them....not us!). Junior Golf is all about learning, and we guarantee every kid at least 3 rounds of golf...one stroke play and two match play to help them learn the competitive elements of the game. Only those that lose two matches do not advance, but for those that keep winning...well, on the final day of the championship we'll be awarding championship runner-up trophies to more than one-fourth of the field.
Even when this run of events is over, we won't be resting just yet. The following week, we have the 54-hole Oregon Junior Stroke Play Championship and the 36-hole Oregon Mid-Amateur Championship. Much of the rest of the golf season is like this (but not so much in one condensed period). Lets also not forget that we also administer the OGA Tour series. Needless to say, our staff is very very busy this time of year.
What the heck was I thinking!!
Oh yeah...one more thing, this spontaneous trip involved the 11-hour drive (not including pit stops) to and from the Championship with no confirmed logding upon my arrival. Too bad I'm too old to use the cliche of being "young and stupid." But, I went and did in anyway. And I am actually glad I did.
Thanks to modern technology, however, I was able to work much of the time during the drive...actually corresponding by email as well as editing and uploading files and posts to our websites. Ain't it amazing what can be accomplished with a laptop and an air card?
I didn't leave Woodburn until nearly noon, and I arrived well after 1am in Salinas where I did find a hotel room. I couldn't just fall asleep, so I stayed up another two-and-a-half hours doing some more work. After a brief four hour power sleep, it was up and off to the U.S. Open.
Salinas is about 15 miles from Monterrey, but the drive to the Specatator Parking lot was a little over 30 minutes. We parked and walked to the buses when I decided in might be a good idea to ensure that I could get into the event with my camera and computer since I also never really obtained my media credentials (the right people did know I was coming....really!). I was promptly instructed to go to the volunteer lot instead...so it was back to the car.
Finally on the right bus, the trip from the volunteer lot to the entry area at Pebble Beach is another 30-40 minutes. Then I still needed to find the media tent. Almost immediately I began running into people I know, and so it was soon thereafter I had my official badge and could be on my merry way. But, that Media operation is impressive. Hundreds of print and broadcast folks, booths for radio broadcasts and more. I've been to lots of events, but most of the USGA events I've been to typically have a space not more than 1000 square feet. This media center, not including all the broadcast trucks and equipment includes two buildings, an interview room and a main area that easily exceeds 50,000 sq. ft.
The Media Center at the U.S. Open (just the front half of the room!)
Today my focus was simple. Hope to catch either of the two players that hail from Oregon...Ben Crane or Jason Allred. I had met Allred at our Sectional Qualifier last week and I also noticed that Matt Richardson from England, another of our three qualifiers, was also playing just in front so I went immediately to the 18th hole to await their arrival...picking out my spots so that I could hopefully get some good photos. (Click here to see my photos). I definitely felt Allred had the potential of being the better story. After round one he was near the top of the leaderboard.
Allred is a former high school, Oregon Junior Amateur and a US Junior Amateur Champion. He had made it to the big show but lost his tour card after the 2008 season. He's all about his family, and really wants to give back to the game and support Oregon golf. Hindsignt is always great, and he was a great choice. Crane didn't make the cut, and the medalist at our sectional didn't either. But both Richardson and Allred did.
Richardson, who once made the cut at the British Open (2006), finished T48 at 6-over par. Allred, finished T16 at 3-over. If it wasn't for that one bad shot on 17, he would have finished the day at even par and in a tie for 6th!
I went to the scoring area after his round to get his reactions. He said he was really nervous...hands shaking all day. He'd never been in this position before. In fact, he never had performed well at Pebble in the past. He didn't make to to match play when he played here in the US Amateur and he never made the cut at the AT&T. Even more daunting for a journeyman pro, he never made the cut at a major either. The following video is what he had to say.
I have one more day at the Open before heading back in time for all our events on Monday morning...but I'll fill you in on what happens on moving day!
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