Dean & DeLuca Invitational 5.26.17

Day II and the pack separates. Leaders to the front and top of the leaderboard, those playing not so well drop, sink and the field will be thinned after play today to determine who plays the weekend and who goes home.

It seems cruel sometimes in such a gentleman's game as this but at this level it is different. This isn’t the same ‘game’ we play. I mean it is but it isn’t. Highly competitive is an understatement. BIG money is at stake and only the strong survive. There will be only one winner. Next week, it could be someone else.

Up early and most anxious once again to get up and to the course.

We receive the starting times in an email from the committee however opening a x.pdf file on the phone is shaky and here now connecting to the network is both frustrating and labor intensive.

So I pick up the complimentary FW Startle-O-Gram to find out my group for the day.

I am in luck and thrilled with the pairings. Graeme McDowell, Danny Lee and Robert Streb.

McDowell is from Northern Ireland and a world class player. We won’t mention the spelling challenges again today as this is not a JVegas situation as yesterday. We shall let it go as a regional/cultural spelling and OK in this case.

GMc starts the day -4 so he had a pretty good round yesterday. A member of the European Ryder Cup team in 2008 when FB & I went to the matches in Louisville, a signed ball from McD would fit very nicely into the shrine museum of the event going on in my den/study/office/library. In fact, it would be a stunning addition as the European team members don’t often play in this event.

Since 2008 however a few have played the event and I was able to take advantage after the fact.

The lone exception being Sergio Garcia who reappeared suddenly this year after winning the Masters. I was with Sergio earlier on but he did not give me a ball at that time. Digressing HUGELY pardon moi.

Danny Lee starts the day even and level to par (E) as does Robert Streb.

Lee is a tall, lean young New Zealander (Emma, are they kiwi's ?) and has a solid game. He smacks the ball and has the short game to compete.

Robert is not exactly a household name but I had heard of him on weekly golf viewing when I had regular cable tv. I don’t watch much of anything anymore but once again I find myself digressing.

The scorer is Chaney who I was with last year or the year before perhaps. I remember well because I was the envy of the other standard bearers for drawing a young cute scorer.

Chaney was a CCC member and her Father was a committee chairman for the shot-link volunteers. I met him as he picked us up on hole 15 and gave us each a bottle of water.

So Chaney and I actually had some things to talk about. What a conceptual change & cultural shock. Had she graduated ? Did she find a job ? Was she still playing golf ? She was a member of the TCU Lady Horn Frog golf team recall and considered turning pro. So it went on to be a simply delightful day. She had a cute little giggle, a stellar smile and a fantastic sense of humor.

HEY, HOW ABOUT BACK TO THE GOLF POR FAVOR ?

Lee shot lights out and went low with a sparkling -6 (64) and low round of the day for the ENTIRE field. Were it a one (1) day event, Lee would have won. But it wasn’t and that’s why they MUST play four (4) days. As it stands, Lee holds a share of the lead with Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson & Scott Piercy (aka Mr Personality).

Streb finished +2 and dropped back into the pack and GMc was even (E) for the day and thus remained -4 for the tournament and note worthy.

Other notables … Paul Casey rose on the board to -5 tied for second at the moment with Sergio Garcia. GMc is alone the third place at -4.

Then we get done and I am standing in the Players Only private area holding my sign and this older gentleman approaches & axes if he could get a picture of me with my sign. I recognize at once he is not a local or from around here so I oblige once for a photo seizing the opp.

He then requested I reposition myself slightly to the left which puzzles me momentarily but a quick over-the-shoulder look explains it all as you will see if this all works which it very well might not.

He had a media badge and I saw Bernie MacGuire (sp ?) and he was from across the pond, wanting & waiting to interview GMc when he came out after confirming his score. He wanted the picture for his story & report to the folks back home.

He axed me how Graeme played so I gave him a real quick summary, we chatted and he made inquiry if I wanted a picture & to see the story he would write.

‘Sure’. But fat chance of that happening I am thinking.

I hand him one of my business cards and thinking I probably won’t ever see anything but maybe this time some luck this time will break thru.

Well, abbreviating this lengthening tale, the next morning, Saturday, in my inbox, posted early hours of the am, I get a link to a ‘tweet’ page. I click on the link however I MUST sign up for a twitter account to view the story. I struggle thru the process questioning myself the entire time. But I am still in abbreviation mode …

The story Bernie wrote is stunning. To me anyway.

‘Texas Artist Paints …’ (truncated) and Bernie Mc going into how ‘Texas artist’ described McDowells’s round and was ‘spot on’ in my brief account. (Go figure THAT one out. Por favor.)

Enough of this. I will try to resurrect the link or article so you can see for yourself the great image (sort of) and the flattering story.

I figured I now had international rock star status and my 15 minutes of fame had arrived.

How wrong I was yet again.

So confident I was I bought a fresh, new sharpie for autographs for my next appearance at the CCC figuring hordes would want an autograph thinking everyone (someone … ANYONE) had seen the story.

Guess how many ?

AUTOGRAPHS ?

No, time frame for fame. Fifteen minutes went quickly to 15 seconds to 15 nanoseconds. None.

At least I now owned a good, working new sharpie to carry around.

End of story.

Today's image is an interesting study in perspective & course design. From the tee box on #7, notice how the tree line, horizon and the manicured grass all draw the eye to the vanishing point, the green with the flag stick invisible in the distance.

I impressed myself with this picture and the first time I noticed the look I did not have my phone cam so I made a mental note to self AND delivered. Amazing.

I can't wait to get back to work tomorrow and see what lies ahead.

Who will I draw ? Will it be a good group ?

Will I get another good scorer to walk with ?