Sights and sounds from the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines GC
I woke up in a fog.
Such is life when you rise before the sun.
The cloudiness still hadn’t cleared by the time the first groups were scheduled to tee off Thursday morning at Torrey Pines in the opening round of the 2021 U.S. Open.
Fog here is fickle.
It appeared the start would be delayed by only a few minutes when it began to lift shortly before 7 a.m.
The USGA’S Mike Davis and
Stu Francis even made opening remarks — including saying how much everyone missed Tiger Woods being here and wishing him well in his recovery from February’s car accident — while the first tee announcer cleared his throat.
Sahith Theegala, Edoardo Molinari and Greyson Sigg were spotted at the edge of the tee box, acknowledged with a golf clap, then abruptly turned heel when the fog came rolling in again.
Another hour passed before the threesome re-emerged.
Theegala, a 23-year-old Pepperdine graduate from Chino
Hills, is 13 months into his pro career. He was especially excited for the opportunity to return to Socal after winning a playoff two weeks ago in a qualifier in Springfield, Ohio.
“I think we’re going to have a pretty decent-sized crew out,” Theegala said on the eve of the tournament. “I’m so excited to have my whole family out there to see a local event.”
Indeed. Of the 100 people in the grandstands awaiting Theegala to get things started, at least a dozen of them were family and friends, some wearing T-shirts with his name on the back.
Theegala’s father beamed with pride and thanked everyone for coming out in support. He served as a Torrey tour guide of sorts, using the 90-minute delay to explain the course layout for seemingly every hole.
He even knew the distances to the fairway bunkers on the first hole.
Most of the stands emptied when another in a series of delays was announced.
When spectators gathered again, two seasoned citizens grabbed some back-row bench space in front of a photographer, who they excitedly discovered was shooting for Sports Illustrated.
“I’ve subscribed for 60 years,” said one. “I guess that kind of dates me.”
The other guy had a question. “What happened to February?” he asked. “No Swimsuit edition. That’s the only one I keep.”
“I have a stack that’s this high,” he added, holding one hand a foot above the other.
Fortunately, the tee cleared before he started counting back cover models from here to Cheryl Tiegs.
Theegala striped his drive and the Open was open.
Silence is golden
It was a full-on crowd scene later following the group that included San Diegans Phil Mickelson and Xander Schauffele.
Max Homa completed the threesome that started on the 10th hole. Max is from Valencia, which is better known as the home of Magic Mountain than Homa’s home.
The gallery surrounding the group approached 2,000 to 3,000 fans by the time the players made their way to the 12th or 13th hole.
It was at the 13th that a spectator along the rope line forgot to turn off the ringer on his cell phone.
The guy’s phone interrupted Mickelson not once, not twice, but three times as he prepared to take his second shot from just off the fairway.
Coach in the crowd Former Chargers head coach Norv Turner accompanied some buddies from the The Grand Del Mar and joined the gallery that followed Mickelson, Schauffele and Homa.
“The one thing I appreciate after being around some of these golfers and talking to them,” Turner said, “is the difference in winning and losing. It’s one swing. It’s half a stroke.
“They do it under pressure. It’s not a Sunday round with your buddies. We all know what’s at stake. I’ve got a great appreciation for their talent.”
Turner said he has had the opportunity to play with Schauffele.
“He’s so talented,”
Turner said. “The ball just explodes off his club.”
Asked if he sought Schauffele’s counsel for tips that would make the ball explode off his club as well, Turner laughed and
said, “No, he didn’t waste his time with me.” X marks the spot
After watching players putt at the picturesque third hole, Ron Chiles, a retired educator from Sacramento, located a shade tree just below the first tee box, popped open his folding chair and watched player after player smack drives into the distance.
“This is all I expected it to be, and maybe a little bit more,” said Chiles, visiting Torrey Pines for the first time.
Chiles and a friend played a couple midweek rounds at Mt. Woodson. Couldn’t get a tee time at Torrey this week. He said playing the course is on his bucket list.
Add Chiles to the growing list of Schauffele fans.
“Xander’s got game,” he said. “I just like his demeanor, the way he carries himself. He seems like a really down-toearth guy who just goes about his business.”