Guest bloggers from The First Tee
Four guest bloggers who participate in The First Tee program will be filing blogs on Wednesday and Thursday from THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola.
THURSDAY'S BLOGS
By Miles Goldman
Yesterday after I finished my blog, I went out to watch Dennis Walters perform his show for the youth that attended the tournament. The excitement and smiles that he brought to the children's faces could bring tears to the toughest of us. It was incredible how he managed to hit the golf ball so long and straight despite his disabilities, and it was a prime example of why you should never give up in life and try your best at everything you do! His message was so inspiring, and on top of that, his exceedingly cute dog Bucky was at his side every chance he got and after the show ran to Dennis and jumped into his lap. It was a heart warming sight to say the least!
We arrived at the first tee box knowing that today would be a special one. Excitement and anticipation was in the air, and everyone in attendance to the opening ceremony was ready for a great day of golf. There were many important East Lake community figures including members of the Yates family, and there were many thanks given to community icons such as Bob Jones, the Cousins family, and the many sponsors such as Coca Cola and Kroger that help make tournaments like this possible. Dan Yates, the younger brother of the late Charlie Yates and good friend of Bobby Jones, hit one of the two opening tee shots. The crowd seated on the first tee box united in laughter as the living legend magically produced his mulligan ball and proceeded to pipe his drive straight down the middle on his second attempt. The joy Mr. Yates brought to the crowd was a tough act to follow, but Tyler Lawrence, a good friend of mine and a participant of The First Tee of East Lake, gave it her best effort with a beautifully struck drive that carried down the right side of the fairway. The Drew Charter School chorus then sang the national anthem which was accompanied by a fly by, and the tournament was under way.
We took a walk to the Patriots' Outpost, which was a place for active and retired armed forces could gather and have a good time throughout the week. Today was Military Appreciation Day, and the TOUR wanted to show its appreciation for our men and women in uniform. We got a chance to talk with one of the F-5 pilots, Joel Janopolis, who was extremely friendly with us and answered all the questions we had for him. Our first questions were about how the pilots timed their fly by so well! He explained to us that the pilots had to calculate a time-distance problem in their heads to pinpoint where their planes should be at any given moment, so that right after the national anthem was done the planes would be in position to fly over and amaze the crowd! My questions for him were about the wear it has on his body that is involved with being a pilot, and he explained to me that each pilot wears a G-force suit that protects their bodies in times of heavy stress. Even with these protective measures however, pilots are still susceptible to mid-flight black outs. He told us that if you were 200 pounds and engaging in a 7-G turn, your body weight would change to nearly 1400 pounds! I then asked him if there are any new planes being produced, and he told us that there was fighter jet called the F-35 that had technology so advanced that to the pilot, the plane is see through! The plane has sensors on the outside that allows the pilot to see the terrain below, as well as things that are directly behind him!
We met with Stewart Williams, the meteorologist responsible for many events on the PGA TOUR. His office area wasn't the largest, but he has one of the most important jobs for the week! He explained to us that his job's main concern is keeping the players and the spectators safe with accurate weather predictions. His job is difficult because he is essentially predicting the unpredictable! Many factors affect his decisions including mountain ranges and close by bodies of water, but he has high tech programs that make his job a little easier. He showed us his live Doppler radar that showed where clouds were gathering and another program that showed where lightning was striking, as well as an electric field display that showed the charges in the atmosphere a given area. All of this was so new to me and it was exciting to learn to much new information!
Stu Nicol showed us the ropes of the broadcasting part of golf. There were thousands of feet of cable in the broadcasting complex, I had to stop and look in astonishment. He told us that there were about 200 people that work behind the scenes to produce a tournament such as this, and that there were broadcasting companies from everywhere, even from the Far East! We were allowed to go inside a broadcasting truck where the real magic happens. Seeing the producers at work was a remarkable thing. The concentration, cooperation, and intensity it takes to do what they do is incredible. There was a lot going on at one time and everything looked so complicated, but they handled it like the seasoned professionals they are! The countless television screens they had to monitor as well as the switches they had to memorize just showed me how good they were at their jobs and why the broadcasting of such tournaments is so successful.
Our last stop was the SHOTLink truck. We met with Sean Howland and he gave us a great tour of their truck. The guys from SHOTLink compile all of the course information you see from distance of tee shots to length of putts made. SHOTLink is almost entirely volunteer run, with around 200 people working the course over the week. Each volunteer is given a Wi-Fi device called a symbol which transmits information such as the location of the ball and exact time of the ball being struck. All of this information is relayed to the SHOTLINK truck, where only a handful of guys turn that information into all of that statistics we see on the television. What really amazed me was the accuracy of SHOTLINK. The fairway accuracy was accurate to within a foot, while distance of putts was accurate to within less than an inch.
These last two days have been quite an experience for me. I met people that I otherwise never would have! I would like to thank my guide for the last two days, Marc Raiken who made everything so smooth for us and made this an experience I'll never forget. Thank you!
By Randon Holt
In simple words, today was very exclusive. I had the opportunity to see things that normally go unseen by the general public. My day began with a spot inside-the-ropes for the opening ceremony. There were two ceremonial tee shots, one from a junior golfer and the other from Dan Yates. Although this is a golf tournament there is a lot of humor involved. The admirable Dan Yates took a mulligan off the first tee and eventually hit a short one in the fairway. The crowds were full of laughter and amazement; I mean how could you not be amazed to see a ninety year old man hit a ball under pressure in the fairway. Then he was out driven by a young girl who is only in high school! I guess that is a good sign that golf is finally reaching the younger generations. It is amazing to see what motivation and encouragement can do to a community. I was privileged to listen to the kids at Charles Drew Charter School sing the National Anthem and to see two fighter jets fly overhead. With all the resources available to the kids today, it gives them all the more reason to believe and become anything and anybody they want to be.
The PGA TOUR embraces their volunteers seeing that they are the backbone of this wonderful organization. SHOTLink, the proram behind all the scoring on TOUR, would not be possible without all of the volunteers. This system was started by Steve Evans as a way to track distances at a faster rate. Their truck, located across the street from the Media Center, is filled with equipment that is ran by volunteers on the golf course. They each follow a player and track where the ball is hit and where the ball lands. For a volunteer, this job is tedious work. Their dedication makes the TOUR what it is today.
As crazy as it sounds, watching a golf tournament at your house is actually delayed about five seconds. This is because the guys that produce the show have to send the broadcast to four different satellites before it reaches your TV. Quoting Stu Nicol, "you could actually bet a friend back at home and you're guaranteed to win every time!" Unlike other sports, golf involves more than one ball, so it is hard to track who is doing what at particular time. Nevertheless, the guys working in the TV trucks do a phenomenal job at making sure the viewers see what they want to see.
I also got the chance to meet one of the meteorologists for the PGA TOUR, Mr. Stewart Williams. He is responsible for detecting any weather storms, showers, or lightning that may be in the area. Most of his equipment is pretty high-tech. Although his job is pretty cool, the only downside is that he has to stay inside the trailer for a long time. One of the other highlights of my day involved talking to a former NAVY fighter pilot, CDR. Joel Janopoulos. A member of the NAVY, Mr. Janopoulos enjoys flying jets; he exclaims his passion as a "Lifetime Rollercoaster." Such an informative man, he gave us insight as to what we can expect for the future. Now I am actually considering flying jets for the NAVY as a possible career.
The last two days have been absolutely incredible and I would not replace them for anything in the world. Thank you to The First Tee & the PGA TOUR for this opportunity.
By Timothy Caraway
I just got back from a tour of the ultra exclusive SHOTLink truck and all I can say is, wow! The technology they use in such a small truck is better than what they use in the White House. SHOTLink gathers scores, stats and all the information you see on the scoreboard. They use lasers to keep track of the distance of drives and approach shots to within a foot and putts within inches. It is mind blowing how accurate this system is! SHOTLink powers the scoring system in place on the PGA TOUR. They use IBM and CDW technology to ensure their accuracy. I want to thank Sean Howland for showing us this amazing behind the scenes look at SHOTLink and the over 200 volunteers who help run SHOTLink at every tournament throughout the country.
Our day started out on the first tee watching the opening ceremonies for THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola. Dan Yates, younger brother of Charles Yates and Georgia Golf Hall of Fame member, hit the opening tee shot. It was a great experience, but watching him hit the mulligan was even better. It was also great to see one of my good friends and fellow member of The First Tee, Tyler Lawrence, hit a tremendous tee shot of her own on number one. This was encouraging to me and all of The First Tee members in attendance.
After the opening ceremonies, we went to meet one of the head meteorologists for the PGA TOUR, Stewart Williams. Mr. Williams was a very funny and hospitable man who welcomed us into his office to show us how he managed the weather forecast. He showed us the live Doppler radar system which told him if it was going to rain, when it was going to rain and where it was going to rain. He also showed us this other weather system where it showed when and where lightning hit the ground throughout the entire United States. These systems not only protect the players but also the fans by allowing enough time to get off the course and on the shuttle buses before the rain starts coming down. This is really important because who wants to be wet?
When we finished talking with Stewart, we went over to visit the Patriots' Outpost on the 16th green. We met up with one of the F-5 pilots, Joel Janopoulos, who was responsible for ground control on this morning's Military Appreciation Day flyover. He told us stories, and explained how the fighter jets work. He also shared with us some top secret information that I am not allowed to reveal to the public so I'm sorry! After talking with Joel, we went to the broadcasting trailer to talk with Stu Nicol who explained to us how everything in broadcasting takes place. A crazy fact about the broadcasting trailer is that its television screens are not made of glass, but rather plastic to keep the weight down. The truck is the mobile work station for the broadcast team -- they have everything you'd find in a broadcast compound, but they take it on the road.
I want to thank one of the coolest PGA TOUR employees, Marc Raiken, for showing us around and giving us this amazing experience. These past two days go down as the top two best days of my life. I would also like to thank The First Tee for this great opportunity. I had a great time, met great people and did great things...thanks to everyone who made this possible!
By Maya McLin
I arrived at East Lake Golf Course with feelings of anticipation and excitement. Our day ended yesterday with the wonderful and talented Dennis Walters Show, so I was extremely pumped to start our second day. Our first adventure of the day was to attend the opening ceremony of the tournament. The fans piled into the stands and I watched in amazement as ceremony started. There was recognition of the influential members of the East Lake Community such as the Cousins family, Bobby Jones, and Charles Yates and his family. The ceremony also recognized the drastic change in the community from 18 years ago. The Cousins family helped to improve the area from the poverty and danger, and turned it into the beautiful community it is today. The ceremony also involved two special guests to hit the first tee shots. The first guest was P. Dan Yates Jr., younger brother of Charles Yates and friend of Bobby Jones. P. Dan Yates is a member of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame, and also formerly an amateur golfer. I was astonished at how well he could hit the ball at ninety years old. The next guest was Tyler Lawrence, a junior golfer at The First Tee of East Lake. She is one of the nation's top minority junior golfers. Her ability to hit the ball correctly without any nerves was very astounding. The ceremony was concluded with the talented choir of Drew Charter School singing the national anthem, while the Color Guard presented the flags during the anthem. The Naval Air Station Key West flew two F-5s over the ceremony to add more excitement into the day.
I never knew how meteorologists had a role in PGA TOUR events. The meteorologist has a very important role in the tournament. Stewart Williams has been a meteorologist for various PGA TOUR events since 1992. The meteorologist is in charge of the suspension and restarting of the tournament due to weather factors. Stewart gives the Rules Officials a heads up on the weather predictions of the day. These predictions can range from wind factors, to actual thunderstorms. Wind factors play a major role in the game of golf, so there are actual people who move the tee boxes to help the players not have a hard time with wind. Stewart has many special live radar and lightning detection programs to help him predict the weather during the actual day of the event and for the next three days at East Lake. He told us that Saturday will give them the hardest time, due to the high chances of rain. I suppose we could see a lot of suspending and restarting of the third round!
Being that today is Military Appreciation Day, THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola made sure to acknowledge the women and men in armed forces protecting and serving for our country. Military personnel are given free tickets to the many TOUR events for the entire week. Also, there is a Patriots' Outpost presented by Rockwell Collins in which the Naval Air Station Key West and other men and women in uniform were able to go and receive a Chick-Fil-A meal and spend time with one another. There, we met Commander Joel Janopoulos of the United States NAVY. He told us about the thrill of flying the F5's. I never knew that the pilots had to wear protective suits called "G Suits" so that the blood would not leave their brains as they flew the planes. If the blood was to leave their brain, the pilot could become unconscious for twenty-five to thirty seconds. When the pilot may not be able to regain motor skills at the same time as vision, putting them in a very dangerous position. There is a way to prevent this situation, by saying the word "hick" and pausing to breathe. Joel told us about many new innovations that were coming out soon. The one that caught my eye the most, was the F-35. This particular aircraft will be virtually invisible.
Stu Nicol is a part of the PGA TOUR Broadcasting team. He allowed us to view the inning works of broadcasting a TOUR event. There were a lot of monitors and confusing symbolizing statements yelled out in the trailer. He told us that each statement stood for something specific, and that each person yelled out certain things for a certain person to hear. It was very confusing! They're also able to view what's going to happen on the course five seconds before it is shown on the golf channel! All the events are broadcast in high definition, and the trailers are full of high definition flat-screen televisions!
Without the help of SHOTLink, the TOUR would be extremely difficult to follow. SHOTLink deals with the scores, statistics, and distances of the ball of a player. Over 200 people volunteer to work for SHOTLink. Sean Howland, one of the heads of SHOTLink, explained to us how the volunteers use a device called a "symbol" to detect the location and distance of the ball for a specific player. He told us the fairways are full of lasers to target the ball. The trailer is full of DSL and IBM servers to make it easier for them to travel. Each of the 24 scoreboards are connected with antennas that connect to the SHOTLink trailer.
The past two days have been a very influential experience for me. We were following in the paths of our guide, Marc Raiken. He was very informative and fun the whole time. We had behind the scene access to many things, and we learned about many careers of journalists and photographers for the TOUR. This experience has broadened my eyes to the career of working for the PGA TOUR after college. Marc helped me to understand many of the important people that work behind the scenes, that you do not see when your watching a tournament on television. If I had two more days to blog my experience, I most definitely would.
WEDNESDAY'S BLOGS
By Miles Goldman
I arrived at the East Lake Golf Club this morning not really knowing what I was getting myself in to. I nervously walked through the front gate, realizing what a great opportunity I had. What teenager has ever gotten the chance to be a course reporter, interview PGA TOUR players and have their blogs posted on PGATOUR.com? These two days are days I will never forget and I thank the PGA TOUR for giving me a chance to do something like this! The first thing that hit me about the media personnel was that they were so nice! I put names with faces as I used the "Meet and Greet" skills I learned with The First Tee. The nervous feelings I had prior to this were quickly swept away as I met all the other participants from The First Tee of Atlanta. I could see that they were nervous too, so it calmed me down knowing that I wasn't the only one feeling this way!
The first taste of media work I got was a chance to sit in on a press conference with Steve Stricker, who is one of my favorite golfers and a top-five FedExCup player. It was amazing to see how calm and collected he was in spite of all the pressure and attention that comes with THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola. The media personnel were asking him challenging questions about the possibility of it all coming down to that final hole, that final putt -- a putt worth over $11 million -- and what would be running through his mind at this critical time of the golf tournament. His response embodied how a true champion carries himself. He stated that the money that's at stake, the pressure, the chance of failure, and the expectations of him had not run through his head all week. He said that the only thing that would be going through his mind would be playing a solid round of golf and giving his best effort, and that the money involved in a situation like that wouldn't be of significance at that exact moment. Those words stuck with me throughout the entire day and showed me how a real competitor handles himself.
The second player's press conference we had the privilege of sitting in on was that of the No. 1 golfer in the world, Tiger Woods. It was such an experience to be so close to my hero and to see how he handles media since he gets so much publicity. He managed himself well, if I do say so myself! Most of the questions he was asked were about how he judged his success at the end of this year seeing as how he came out empty-handed in the major win department. Tiger said that despite not winning a major tournament this year, he is pleased with his overall play and sees himself finishing the year off strong with a win here at THE TOUR Championship. He indicated that the field here was formidable, with 30 of the hottest players right now competing and all having a mathematical chance at winning the FedExCup and the $10 million bonus that comes with the victory. He said that he doesn't see many competitors shooting low scores out there due to the soft fairways that could possibly get mud on your ball, making it harder to aim directly at pins and force players to play in a more conservative manner.
Walking around the course and temporarily being apart of the media made me feel like a celebrity. I got close to a lot of my idols like Nick Watney, Stewart Cink and Zach Johnson. We got to talk with Jerry Kelly as he was coming off the range, and he told me about his most memorable moment on the golf course when at the 2005 British Open he got the chance to take a picture with Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson on the Road Hole Bridge, which was a very emotional experience for him. We met two gentlemen from the Youth And Honor program which is very similar to The First Tee in many aspects. We shot videos for them as well as two other gentlemen who ran a blog called Fore! Black Golfers. Some of the most enjoyable things we participated in today was being able to go onto the TaylorMade truck and seeing how the clubs were customized and assembled. One great thing we got to go was hold a brand new set of R9 irons that was just made for Scott Verplank, courtesy of Wade Liles. Looking around the truck was an experience; they had countless clubs, shafts, heads, and grips in the truck. It was like a wonderland for any golf fan and I was so excited about getting to do that.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could have so much fun on a Wednesday at a golf tournament! Seeing what I saw today has solidified my aspirations of becoming a part of the media covering the PGA TOUR, and I thank them again for giving me this opportunity!
By Randon Holt
THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola at East Lake is a wonderful tournament that allows for the top 30 players in the standings to compete for a common purpose -- to win the FedExCup. Being out here among the game's best really gives a person a sense of belonging. It seems that most of the players do not focus only on the $11.35 million dollars at stake, but instead the importance of playing well and being able to compete against the elite players in the field. The majority of the players stressed the importance of keeping a constant mentality from week to week. They really enjoy the atmosphere of the tournament, and the crowds they attract. This is the final event of the 2009 PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, and in my mind it is the last test to separate the consistent players from the inconsistent. Who will win it all? Only THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola will answer that question.
In order to run such a large event, it takes a lot of hard work from volunteers and employees. Behind the scenes there are many people who dedicate their time to the players and their caddies. There is a specific trailer dedicated to making the players physically fit, for example. Chris Noss, the man in charge of many of these player's routines, has a variety of exercises for his players. They have a choice to either work on cardiovascular or to strengthen the muscles. Although there are not weight benches in the trailer, they have cables that are capable of producing the same results.
There are also sponsors who provide the players with any equipment, balls, hats, gloves or any accessories necessary. I guess you can say that the players are beyond a doubt spoiled. I had the opportunity to go into the TaylorMade truck and there I met Wade Liles, one of the equipment managers for TaylorMade. He took us through a general overview of the truck and all they had to offer. Basically all the players sponsored by TaylorMade are provided with balls, gloves and a hat before each tournament. If they break a club or simply just want a new shaft, it is made available to them by TaylorMade, Mizuno and many more -- depending on who their sponsor is, of course.
Along with meeting the players, I had the unique opportunity to sit in on the press conferences. They featured Steve Stricker, Tiger Woods and Commissioner Tim Finchem. Both players agreed that the course turned out to be in great condition, despite the fact that the Atlanta area has received rain for six straight days and at one point there was little-to-no hope for the tournament to go on as planned. Luckily, it stopped raining and the past two days it has been sunny with little to no cloud cover. Hopefully these weather conditions will last for the rest of the week. In addition to speaking about the condition of East Lake, Steve Stricker was asked whether or not he feels the par-3 18th would be a challenging enough finishing hole. He responded by saying he feels any player in the field could make either birdie, par or bogey; meaning that this could turn out to be one of the most dramatic finishes on the PGA TOUR this year.
Let it be known, the PGA TOUR could experience some significant changes next year. According to Commissioner Finchem, the marketing budgets of title sponsors have decreased in 2009 and going into 2010. Charitable contributions from the tournaments in 2009 will be down slightly, as well. There is a possibility that the TOUR may have new sponsors and lose some tournaments. One of the bright sides, though, involves the ratings that Tiger Woods generates. Generally he draws a lot of interest and brings new viewers to the sport each tournament. Ever since he has joined the TOUR, a lot of things have changed. One of the major impacts he has brought to the game besides ratings involves the amount of youth that have joined the game. The large percentages of fans that come out to these tournaments, especially THE TOUR Championship, are aspiring junior golfers. Should most of this be contributed to Tiger Woods? I definitely think so. But collectively as an organization, this particular tournament attracts viewers from around the world. That goes to show that many people see this tournament as being the fight for the finish and the race to win the FedExCup. Only four more grueling days stand between one of the 30 men here at East Lake and a $10 million payday. Who will win? Stay tuned to our blogs and you will find out!
By Timothy Caraway
Today was by far one of the greatest days of my life. The people I met and places I have gone are some that the general public can't. I really enjoyed meeting the representative from TaylorMade, it completely blew my mind. To just know that these players can come in and ask for anything and have it given right to them was amazing. Also seeing the small workshop inside the TaylorMade truck was a great experience. Seeing all of these clubs and prototypes made me want to play on TOUR even more.
This morning my expectations were already high but little did I know they were about to be blown out of the water. I met Chris Noss, who is a personal trainer for many of the PGA TOUR players. He showed us some exercises that he teaches the TOUR players to stay in shape. I didn't know how hard it was for the TOUR players to stay in shape. I thought it was just some cardio here and there but it was really cardio every day! He also shared some general information with us about the TOUR and some of the other things he does. Taking in this information now will give me a jump start on how I will need to be prepared and in tip-top shape to play on the TOUR.
We walked in on the press conferences with Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker and heard some words of encouragement from them. It was also interesting to hear from both of these magnificent players that they were not in this tournament for the money but for the enjoyment of the game that they both had a passion for. It was also an honor just to be up close to two of my favorite golfers and actually get to shake their hands. This encouraged me to work even harder for what I want out of life.
Meeting Jerry Kelly was so exciting, my adrenaline was just pumping out of my body and actually having a deep conversation with him was something I am going to remember for the rest of my life. Learning his routine of doing yoga morning and night has given a perspective from someone else's point of view. Today for me was an all-around amazing day and I am grateful and thankful for this awesome opportunity.
By Maya McLin
Being able to have an all-access media pass at the THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola is an honor in itself; so being able to blog about my experiences is the cherry on top of the sundae. I was within an arms reach of Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, and Heath Slocum, just to name a few. The energy when you arrive at East Lake is amazing, even at 8 o'clock in the morning. As soon as I entered the Media Center, I was overcome with mixed emotions. I was extremely thrilled to be here, but nervous about the tasks I was given the privilege to do today.
Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods are the first professional golfers I have ever seen in person. I was actually sitting in the same room with the top two professional golfers in the FedexCup standings. Both golfers stated that their main objective is not just to be in the top five. Tiger Woods believes that this is the most consistent season he has ever had. In the press conferences, the media wanted to know how each player is going to respond on the 18th hole with $11.35 million at stake. Tiger and Steve had the same answer; they both said that they do not focus their game on the amount of money that could be won during the course of play.
During the day, we received the chance to watch each player warm up on the driving range. The "viewing fence" did not become crowded until Tiger Woods showed up. The fence was jam-packed with children and adults taking pictures of Tiger and Steve. The "oohs" and "ahhs" became a ritual after every shot Tiger took. The First Tee Course Reporters also received the special privilege of watching Jerry Kelly from inside the ropes. After he was done hitting balls, we interviewed Jerry and I was amazed at how excited he was to meet us, and how down-to-earth he was.
Throughout the whole day, we were being interviewed and videotaped by different organizations. Youth of Honor and Fore! Black Golfers were extremely interested in The First Tee and how golf has affected us. Members of each organization asked us how golf has influenced us on and off the green. I feel that being a part of The First Tee has set me apart from just regular youth golfers, because of our leadership skills that each participant tends to have.
I have met many different important people here at East Lake ranging from executives to media. I even got a chance to visit with PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem who spoke to us about the "business" aspect of the TOUR. I learned about the extreme ratings Tiger Woods gives to the TOUR, and how much interest he brings to golf. Later on in the day we visited the traveling fitness trailer and spoke with Amino Vital fitness trainer, Chris Noss, who took us through what a player does before and after a round of golf while all the while Y.E. Yang was working out just steps away in the trailer to keep up stamina and endurance. I received the chance to view the TaylorMade truck where the professional players are given the special privilege to have clubs custom made for them at their request. I learned a lot about public relations and the intense traveling time it takes to cover such large scale events from ESPN.com writer Jason Sobel and Helen Ross, the Chief of Correspondents for PGATOUR.COM, as well.
One major problem in everyone's mind before arriving at East Lake was the condition of the course after the extreme rain for the past week. I was expecting tons of mud and casual water, but to my surprise, I found out that the course was extremely dry and playable. I am extremely happy about how today has been, and I am pumped to start a new day at the TOUR tomorrow. There will be more press conferences to attend, along with the addition of the players actually starting their rounds tomorrow. I am looking forward to continuing my behind the scenes journey.
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