Game Time Decision

I'd bought a ticket to the Travelers Championship a few weeks ago. The Connecticut Ag Education Foundation was selling them as a fundraiser, and a number of people I work with serve on the board. At the time, I didn't know if I'd be going, but it was only $20 so I'd see how the week shaped up and make a game time decision.

I'd spent Saturday with my four year old son Will and thought about taking him down that afternoon, but the weather was a question and thought better of it. Sunday afternoon freed up, the weather looked OK and the leaderboard looked interesting, so I made the 40 mile trek to the TPC at River Highlands in Cromwell, about 15 miles south of Hartford.

I got there just after the leaders teed off and while some like me were still arriving, others were beginning to leave. I was able to catch up quickly as I'd been to the tournament the previous year and had actually played the course two years ago. I bolted to the far end of the course and caught the leaders at the 481 yard par-4 fourth, probably one of the stoutest holes on the course. I decided would follow the last groups a few holes on the front nine and then find a choice spot on the final few holes.

I watched the second to last group, David Toms and Casey Wittenburg come through, with Wittenburg making bogey from the greenside bunker and Toms making a routine par.

Co-leaders Kenny Perry and Paul Goydos were in the final group and both misfired on their approaches. Goydos was wide right, and stubbed his chip, but made a lengthy putt for par. Perry flew it right over the flag back left and it rolled through a chipping area on to a downslope in the heavier rough. Though close to the hole it was a tricky spot and being in the rough I was surprised he used his putter. Though he left him self a 10-footer, he too rolled in his par putt.

From there, I skipped the par 3 fifth and headed to the par 5 sixth. In a tip of the hat to my father-in-law Jack, I was wearing a red, white and blue outfit, which he often does around the fourth of July. With a red Cornell shirt, and a blue Travelers hat I'd gotten the previous year, I looked like one of the volunteers (who all had red shirts too).

The sixth green is right near a back entrance so I grabbed a pairing sheet and found a nice spot on the left of the green. Wittenburg hit a great second shot just short of the putting surface and had an easy two-putt birdie. Toms had laid up and just missed his 12 footer for birdie.

Along side the sixth green, a fellow spectator made an interesting observation. He wondered if players ever used the "shot link" GPS info that flashes on the huge scoreboard behind the green. From where he was, I'm sure David Toms could have seen that he was 83 yards from the pin -- who needs a caddy?

Perry went for the green and short sided himself in the front left greenside bunker while Goydos laid up. Goydos put it to about eight feet and lipped out his birdie. Perry hit a tremendous bunker shot to about five feet and cashed in for the bird. The sixth green is a good viewing spot in a convenient location. Back in the trees behind the green, it's shaded and you have a great view of the approach shots, especially when players lay up. It's also a place where you could park about 50 yards from your seat (provided you bring your own) if you parked on a lawn right outside the gate. I noticed a number of older folks with limited mobility, who were probably there for that very reason.

I watched Goydos and Perry both tee off seven, where the course begins to make a seven hole outer loop. I decided to go back over to 15 through 17, which is really the heart of the course.

Having been at the US Open the previous week the golf experience couldn't have been more different. At the Travelers, the crowds were laid back, sort of half paying attention to the golf. While the US Open had the feel of a critical business meeting, the Travelers had the feel of a fantasy football draft. As a fan I enjoyed the change of pace, so I can only imagine what a nice change it was for the players.

There was one key similarity in terms of the layout of the final few holes. Both Bethpage and River Highlands, have holes 15-17 in close proximity to each other with 18 off on its own leading back to the clubhouse.

At River Highlands, holes 15-17 form a natural ampitheather surrounding a large lake, and with the par-4 15th being a driveable par four, 16 a par-3 over water, and 17 a par-4 along and over the lake, so it has the potential for some exciting golf. With the whole area being bowl shaped, it's pretty easy to find a good spot to watch. The toughest thing for me was picking one, so in typical fashion I moved around a bit.

I cut over through a field of poison ivy (picked the wrong people to follow) between the fourth tee and the area behind the 17th tee and 16th green. While I waited behind the 17th tee to watch Justin Leonard and Bob Heintz tee off, Greg Chalmers hit to about a foot on 16. Leonard hit a nice tee shot but Heintz rinsed one in the lake on the right, which I recall is exactly what I did when I played the hole.

I cut behind 16 green and watched a couple more tee shots from DJ Trahan and Kevin Streelman and then moved toward the 15th tee and walked along the 15th fairway. I love the 15th as a driveable par 4, but it's one of the few spots in the ampitheater where it's hard to see the other two holes. There's a bit of a bottleneck up near the green too, but I set up temporary camp there before I decided if I would stay.

The timing of my arrival was good as newly minted US Open champ Lucas Glover had just arrived, playing with Zach Johnson. Glover hit a great tee shot, popping it into the tier that separated the front and back of the green, which slowed it up enough that it stayed on the upper tier where the pin was. He had about 30 feet for eagle, and though he left it short, it was a good birdie and he got a great ovation from the crowd.

Bryce Molder and Michael Allen were next and Allen, a senior tour player, hit a suberb shot. He ran his tee shot into the back left corner where the pin was (the water is on the left side too) and was just in the fringe about 20 feet from the hole. Like Glover, he didn't scare the hole for eagle and settled for a tap in birdie. Molder got up and down from the front right for his birdie too. I remembered fondly the birdie I made at that hole when I played it (since you were wondering).

I circled back behind the 15th green, in front of the 18th tee (which is right next to it) and behind the 17th green which is surrounded by corporate skyboxes. Behind it was the Subway fan zone, which I checked out for future reference in terms of bringing Will. There wasn't a lot of kids activities (though the climbing wall and mini-golf course were in a different area) but I picked up a few knick knacks for Will and a free Travelers t-shirt.

I spent the rest of my time along the 17th fairway. While you can't see anything up close, you can see 15th green across the lake, and all of the 16th, and it really provides a nice view of the whole 17th hole. I timed my visit to the fun zone well as Glover and Johnson were approaching 17 green. Both had hit it close at 17 and both made birdie, much to the delight of the crowd. Given he'd just won the US Open, Glover really had a nice showing in the tournament, tying for 11th.

I saw a few more groups come through, and in consecutive groups saw players put it in the water on their second shot -- I think there was more wind into them than they could feel. Bryce Molder came up short in the lake as did Chris Riley, who had laid well back in the fairway. Both made double.

From my original spot I moved closer to the 17th green to have a scoreboard behind me so I could keep tabs on the leaders (Perry was maintaining a three shot lead through most of the back nine). As I relocated, I saw a lot of people leaving for the day, to beat the traffic and watch the end at home -- clearly not the US Open.

In the next group was Ryan Moore, who was only four back made a nice up and down from in front of the green to save par, while his partner Jarrod Lyle made bogey from long left.

Even in a normal year, this course gives up some low scores, but the 17th was no pushover despite the soft conditions. After Moore and Lyle, the next group was Anthony Kim and Hunter Mahan who were four and three shots out of the lead. Kim had to chip out from along the lake after his tee shot and made bogey while Mahan failed to get up and down from short right, a popular spot just over the water.

Tag Ridings and Ben Curtis were next through. Ridings put his tee shot in the water but buried a 40 footer for par. Curtis, like the others who came through three behind had a good look at birdie but settled for par.

The third to last group, John Merrick and Bo Van Pelt, were a little further back, but obviously good finishes are critical to any player who you haven't heard of. Merrick must have been in the left hand fairway bunker (I couldn't see him) which is almost worse than the lake. He blew his approach over the green but couldn't scramble for par, making a bogey without getting one wet. Merrick had a tough finish bogeying three of the last four.

Perry had been holding a three shot lead, but David Toms was making a run. Toms made birdie at 15 and 16 and was within one until Perry birdied 15. Like at Bethpage, I could follow the action on the previous holes from a distance. Unlike Bethpage, I seemed to be the only one around to give a damn. Goydos was making a mini charge with an eagle at 15, but the leader at the start of the day had fallen too far behind.

Seventeen proved to be a pivotal hole again this week. While Perry hung on to his two-shot lead with a par at 16, Toms hit a great drive on 17 and put his approach to about 10 feet. Bobby Clampett the on course announcer following the group jogged right in front of us as Toms received a great cheer on his way to the green. It was good to see Clampett who's role at CBS was reduced over the last couple years when aussie Ian Baker-Finch came over from ABC. Word is Clampett is not a big fan of Outback Steakhouse or Fosters, though I wouldn't mind at all if they let Clampett take over McCord's spot in the 16th tower. Following the next group was Peter Kostis, who had a little hitch in his giddyup, and waddled his way along. In skimming the coverage later, I was interested to hear him basically take Goydos to task for his comment that he was just trying to earn a living. Kostis called him out saying that with that attitude it was no wonder he'd only won twice despite regularly being in contention. Rarrngh (cat sound for those not fluent in phonetic sounds.).

Back at 17, Tom's couldn't make the birdie, but Perry had laid well back on 17 and I bet he had 200 over water (it was 167 -- ok I was almost within one standard deviation), and fortunately for him he still had a two shot lead. Casey Wittenburg iced Perry while he waited in the fairway, waving at bugs with his putter and then backing off before holing his short par putt.

Then Perry hit one of the best shots I've seen. No, it wasn't to win a major, but he hit a dart from about two bills (aka 167) to about 10 feet (yes, I know a lot of shots were about 10 feet, but I'm guessing as I don't have built in shot link). Goydos must have hit driver on 17 as he was much closer, and he also hit a nice shot, to 9.72 feet. As was the story much of the day, Goydos missed, while Perry made his to seal the deal.

I scrambled up the 18th fairway to see Goydos and Perry hit their approach shots to 18. Though both left of target, they seemed to be in the back of the green where the pin was. Eighteen is another great natural ampitheater almost a mini box canyon (I say natural, I have no idea how much earth they moved to create it.). I walked by a CBS camera position which was capturing the view from down the fairway of Perry striding up to the fans, standing and cheering.

Even though the outcome wasn't in doubt, I wanted to see Perry finish out. After Perry missed his birdie, Goydos stepped up and jarred his, a key putt as it gave him a second place tie with Toms by playing the last four in four under. Then Perry tapped in, and dropped his putter and pumped his fists in a mixture of joy and relief.

I would have liked to have seen him awarded the trophy, but I felt I'd done my duty having seen him finished, and I wanted to get home. Believe it or not, I'd had my fill of tournament golf for a little while.

I ran back to the church lot right outside the first entrance, with my front bumper right on the edge of Route 99. I had beaten most of the crowd and having watched the final putt drop at 5:55 pm, I could have made it the 40 miles back home within an hour.

I stopped by Home Depot to pick up some gravel as we try to fend off a neighbor cat who's been using the sandy area under our bay window as a litter box. One helpful Home Depot associate suggested that I kill the cat, while another offered that as long as it wasn't wearing a bell, they'd never know. With that kind of know-how, I see why their motto is, "you can do it, we can help". I'd always assumed they meant help with home improvement projects but evidently it also applies to rubbing out neighbors' pesky pets. We like our neighbors so we'll stick with the gravel.

Having watched so much golf the last two weeks, now I'm ready to play some. And I hope the ag foundation puts the money to good use, because I sure got my $20 worth -- a good game time decision for sure.