Inside the Ropes: Saucon Valley's McCool volunteers at Phoenix Open
Part III of III

  Saucon Valley CC's Robin McCool, a member of the Association's Executive Committee, volunteered for the Golf Channel at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, held Feb. 22-28 at the Tournament Players Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. He recalls his experience in this "Inside the Ropes" series. Here is the last of three installments.

Robin McCool

  The 16th hole is a large green structure and resembles an old baseball park rather than a golf hole. Two years ago, the entire hole was enclosed. It is an event within an event. The noise goes up and then over the walls. The area is home to Arizona State University, and chants of “ASU, ASU” can be heard. We are now on the 15th green. There is a small stone bridge behind the green that leads to the tunnel through the grandstand. It is alive with several thousand of the most exuberant fans in all of sport.

  Both Kendall and Walker tap in for par. Merrick fires a birdie with a nice up-and-down from the bunker. He is rewarded with a smattering of polite applause. There’s a slightly different reception waiting just ahead through the tunnel.

  I’m the first one through. The crowd may be boisterous, but they wait until the first player enters before any acknowledgement is made. As our three players enter, they are greeted with a variety of boos. The feeling is claustrophobic. We have just left the beautiful open space of a golf course, and entered into an arena.

  There is activity everywhere. The tee is crowded with both people and equipment. I recognize the “trackman” system set up behind the tee box ready to relay all the computerized data of swing speed, ball speed, and spin rate of each shot. There is a video camera on a long boom ready to swing into action. There is a gentleman on the tee with a stand-up microphone. His job is to ask the crowd for “quiet please” before each player hits. The 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale is not really a very difficult hole as far as par three holes go. It plays anywhere from 128 to 162 yards, and there are no hazards in front of the green. It is all this extracurricular activity that usually lands this hole on the list of Top 5 par 3’s on the PGA Tour.

  By virtue of his birdie on No. 15, Merrick hits first. The hole location is cut on the left side of the green. He hits a high shot in line with the pin with a draw. The ball hits the left edge of the green and bounces into the left-side bunker. Merrick returns to stand next to his golf bag. Next up is Walker, who hits the same shot, only a little shorter. It stays on the front left of the green — approximately 30-feet from the hole. Finally, Kendall hits a shot identical to Merrick’s and is in the same bunker.

  As I stood adjacent to the green, I looked back toward the tee. It really did, as Rich Lerner had suggested during the broadcast earlier in the week, look like Fenway Park except it was narrower. Each player in the group made a great up-and-down for par and received the cheers they deserved.

  Our final two holes were rather uneventful (how can you top No. 16?). All three players made nice pars on No. 18. Walker’s clutch 8-foot, left to right slider earned him a tie for 24th place. Not bad.

  Not bad for me either. I had the time of my life “inside the ropes at the Phoenix Open.”