In 2005, Jason Gore played in the final group of the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
On Saturday, Gore played in the first group of the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
This time, certainly, was the most unusual way of playing on the weekend in a major.
A perplexed volunteer peering through binoculars spotted Gore — who was not listed on the tee sheet — walking up 18 and asked: “Is he just playing for fun?”
Definitely.
Gore couldn’t stop smiling after playing as the marker (observer) with 19-year-old Akshay Bhatia, the last of the 71 players to make the weekend cut.
“I think I shot 6-over, which I’m happy,” Gore said. “I might have embarrassed myself, but it wasn’t with my golf clubs. The golf course is hard. It’s long for an old man.”
Gore, 47, who has retired from competitive golf, joined the USGA two years ago as its player relations director.
He employed USGA CEO Mike Davis, who is retiring after 32 years with the organization, as his caddie.
“It’s interesting because I walked with hundreds of groups officiating, but it’s different when you’re actually with the player, I mean, right on top of the player,” said Davis, 56, who said he had not caddied since he was a teenager. “A few times he actually did say, how do you think this is playing? Somebody was in the final group of the 2005 U.S. Open (asking advice).”
Bhatia, who needed a birdie Friday on 18 to make it to the weekend, had an immediate connection with Gore.
“I grew up in Valencia, where Jason grew up,” said Bhatia, who shot 2-over 73 for the third straight day, “and I always used to see him at this crappy golf course that I practiced at and just admiring because everyone knew him as a guy on the PGA Tour. ... Then I don’t even know, 10, 20, 15 years later, I’m playing with him in my first U.S. Open.”
Gore said he just tried to stay out of the Bhatia’s way, telling him, “If you want to tee off first, you tee off first. If you want to finish out, you finish out, and don’t bother, I’ll scoop it, I don’t care. I’m here to just help your flow.”
Bhatia, a left-hander golfer who turned pro two years ago, is the youngest player in the Open after making the field out of a qualifying event.
He played a practice round at the start of the week with another lefty, Phil Mickelson.
Gore’s take on Bhatia: “He hits it really far. He’s really good. I mean, 19 years old, to have his kind of demeanor and his personality and just — he’s just so talented. I don’t even think he has any idea how talented he is. I hope some day he will. It would be great for the game if he does.”
Asked about his caddie’s efforts during the round, Gore joked that Davis provided a couple of bad yardages and misreads on putts.
Bhatia was asked if Davis did a good job raking the sand traps.
“I’m assuming,” he said. “I wasn’t paying too much attention, but he did clean my golf ball once, and I did make birdie on that hole. So maybe that had something to do with it. He was awesome.”
Angels in the infield
Angels outfielders Mike Trout and Justin Upton and hitting coach Jeremy Reed watched along the rope line as Gore and Bhatia putted on the 18th green.
Trout was interrupted for about 100 selfies in the few minutes he stood there.
The grass was so high there, it almost looked as if Trout and Co. were walking out of a cornfield when they left.
Chirping from the gallery
The talk on the second tee as defending champion Bryson DeChambeau walked up.
“Bryson, got any protein bars?” one fan asked.
“Always,” said DeChambeau, which got a laugh from the guy and his buddies..
“That’s going on my Twitter,” the first fan said.
After DeChambeau hit, someone else exclaimed, “Oh my gosh.”
“Did you see it?” his buddy asked.
“No,” the other one said. “Sounded good.”
Earlier, on the second green:
First guy: “Great shot, Rory.”
Second guy: “That wasn’t Rory.”
First guy: “Great shot, Rory’s partner.”
For the record, Rory McIlroy then hit a better shot and made birdie. His partner, Matt Jones, missed.
Phil Enright of Bay Park gets a photo of four baby birds in a nest located in the snack shack by the ninth and 10th holes.
(Kirk Kenney / San Diego Union-Tribune)
Birdie(s) watch
As impressive as Phil Mickelson’s birdie was on the 598-yard ninth hole, more memorable were the birdies behind the hole.
There were four of them chirping away under an overhang at the “Half Way House,” the snack shack located at the turn between the front and back nine.
Two larger birds, presumably mom and dad, flew back and forth with insects in their beaks in an effort to keep the hungry mouths fed.
Phil Enright of Bay Park snapped some pictures before a reporter asked an obvious question.
Are you a bird watcher?
“Actually, I am,” Enright said. “We have a whole hummingbird aviary, like an avian spa, on our deck, with hooded orioles as well as hummingbirds.
“It’s very safe for them in there, obviously.”
The mother bird kept her distance for a time, wary of two strangers.
“She’s not sure if we’re predators,” Enright said.
We backed off so the birds could finish their breakfast.
Or was it an early lunch?
The readers chip in
Still getting complaints from fans/readers who feel they should be getting more for their money at the U.S. Open.
Wrote Rob Fowler of Ramona: “$160 per ticket and they cannot provide daily programs listing the golfers and their tee times? And no walking scorers with the placard that lists the golfer and their score to par? Not a lot of scoreboards either. Seems more like a mini tour event than a U.S. Open.”
Added Fowler: “I don’t want to sound like some bitter 70-year-old, just thought they could have done better. We had a great day with my wife, brother and sister in law.”
And this sartorial warning from Jim Trageser of San Marcos:
“NEVER buy a hat at a golf tournament! I was looking at caps (in the merchandise tent), and by then the sun was out and everyone was sweaty — and they were trying a hat on, glancing in the vanity mirrors, then putting it back and grabbing another.”
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were a primary source of sustenance at concession stand overlooking seventh fairway.
(Kirk Kenney / San Diego Union-Tribune)
Parting thought
Pretty disappointed with the selection at the seventh fairway Fan Oasis, which had but two offerings for the main course — hot dogs ($8) and Uncrustables peanut butter and jelly sandwiches ($3.50).
Apparently, the roast beef sandwiches and chicken salad wraps that sold out Thursday are still on back order. Maybe they’ll be here Monday.
Went with the PB&J. The taste was fine. A former colleague even termed it “good.” But it was lacking in presentation. Circular form with sealed edges. A child of 10 knows it’s supposed to be square, and you can see the filling around the edges after mom cuts off the crust.
Downgraded a notch for the simple fact there should have been more on the menu, the PB&J received one belch on the Union-Tribune’s five-belch scale.
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June 20, 2021 at 09:03AM
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U.S. Open Scene & Heard: Jason Gore calls in a marker to play on weekend - The San Diego Union-Tribune
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