6/15/2008 US Open Championship, Torrey Pines South Golf Course, LaJolla, CA

 13 years ago today...

June 15, 2008 - LaJolla, CA

In one of the most iconic moments in US Open history, Tiger Woods drained a birdie putt on the 18th green at Torrey Pines South, forcing a next-day 18-hole playoff with Rocco Mediate that Wood eventually won.

We attended Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Torrey Pines, a municipal public golf course that we have played several times in the past. We walked most of the course for the first two days before settling in to the grandstands on 18 for the final round.

Patrons were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in the grandstands on 18. No one wanted to give up their seat, so when nature called and the need for cocktails arose, marshalls gave seated guests a golf course token and a “password” for re-admission to the packed stands, good for 30 minutes. Our patience and refusal to leave paid off as we watched live one of the most famous moments in golf history, now known as “The Putt.”

Therese and I appeared in Sports Illustrated the next week, small specs in a two-page aerial photo capturing the reaction of Woods, his caddy and the gallery once the putt was holed.

Tigers birdie forced an 18-hole playoff the next day with journeyman Rocco Mediate. This playoff required a sudden-death extra hole with Tiger, playing on a broken leg undisclosed at the time, winning the national championship.

In a massive merchandise tent, we met Jim Nantz signing his new biography, and Annika Sorenstam, Charlie Sifford and Chi Chi Rodriguez meeting fans. The picture of us and the US Open trophy with Torrey Pines as the backdrop was a green screen image, as cameras were not allowed on the course.

During the tournament, a tradition that annual concludes on Father’s Day, I was reminded of when my parents took me to my only other US Open, the 1975 version at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago. I can recall the Medinah fairways being comparable to the very best putting greens I had ever played on as a teenager. I thank my mom and dad, both very good players in their day, for introducing me to a game we can play for life.

This weekend, the US Open returns to Torrey Pines. This will look great on television, and fill my heart and mind with joy remembering our remarkable weekend at Torrey Pines, and memories of playing and watching golf with my parents. Happy Father’s Day this Sunday!