The First Tee Course Reporters
Editor's note: First Tee members Angela Seo, Christian Trigani, Jonny Greenspan, Matthew Lagarenne and Zora Moore will be serving as Course Reporters from The Barclays on Wednesday and Thursday.
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GETTING A BEHIND THE SECNES LOOK AT A TOUR EVENT (8/26)
Matthew Lagarenne
The Ridgewood Country Club is filled with the scent of competition as the first round of the Barclays begins. The fresh cut grass and the tense feelings are small compared to the overall excitement. I walked to the Media Center to put my belongings down and then headed out to start off my day. Of all the many activities we did, there were two main experiences today that were very exciting and interesting.
The first event we arrived at was the experience of viewing the SHOTLink truck. If you don't know what SHOTLink is, it's basically what gives all the yardages that can be seen on your TV. It also keeps track of all the players scores while they are playing and updates them live. Anyways, inside the truck, there are four employees who control all of the information given to them by on-field workers. They check all the information to make sure it is correct before sending it out to the world. SHOTLink also keeps track of all the players' scores and shot distances. SHOTLink is a very fundamental aspect of the PGA TOUR.
The next experience was going into the CBS Sports truck. Here, an elite team of fifteen men and women work to provide live golf for everyone at home. Inside the truck, there are about eighty TV screens that are constantly monitored and checked. The producer decides which of the players he wants to be aired, and the director decides which clips to show of that player. There is a lot of jargon flying through the air as commands are called. The team works to display everything a viewer needs: text, shots, and commentary. After a little, the team goes to a commercial break and gets to rest for a little. There is a lot of work going into just one minute of live footage.
My last experience today is the same place as where I started: the Media Center. Here, all different types of media (press, photographers, etc.) come together to share what they've found and gathered. Inside, there is a huge projector screen showing all of the current standings and rounds. There is also a press room for interviews and a food buffet. All the different media comes here and is shared with the world via the internet. There are six wi-fi hotspots to transport information. There is also a screen that broadcasts the golf live for all to see.
In a nutshell, my experiences today and yesterday were very informative, fun, and overall one of the best golf experiences of my life. Learned so much about the behind the scenes action that takes place at every tournament, such as SHOTLink and the live broadcasting. The PGA TOUR is very active at tournaments, and is much more involved than the average Joe may think. The opportunity given to me the past two days was phenomenal and I would like to thank Marc and The First Tee for allowing me to be a part of it. Thanks to this experience, I will now have a completely different perspective on the PGA TOUR and tournaments.
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SEEING GOLF FROM A NEW ANGLE (8/26)
Jonny Greenspan
Today's exciting day at The Barclays was filled with interviews, press conferences, and many new experiences. Because I had a great time at the practice round yesterday, I had even higher expectations for today. The day began when I woke up at five in the morning to arrive early and see Tiger tee off. Afterwards, I scouted the course looking for all of the long hitting players just to see their stunning drives. In about two hours, I walked back to the main entrance to meet up with Marc and my fellow Junior Course Reporters. A fun day was bound to begin.
Our first interview of the day was with Chris Reimer, the Manager of Communications for the PGA TOUR. He explained that he was the middleman between The PGA TOUR and the media. One thing I found very interesting was that he sits next to the players during press conferences, supervising and asking questions.
Once everyone ate breakfast, we commenced the long hike that took us to the opposite side of the course, where the SHOTLink trailer was stationed. When we arrived, we were greeted by the man who overlooks the scorekeeping process at most of The PGA TOUR events. He explained that there are lasers stationed around the course that collect data consisting of things such as tee shot distances and the proximity of those to the hole. Along with that, scorekeeping volunteers record scores and statistics onto handheld computers, wirelessly connected to the computers in the trailer. The information collected is then organized and prepared to be displayed on the many large electronic scoreboards around the course.
After eating really delicious beef fajitas for lunch, we walked outside the media center to meet the Chief Meteorologist for The PGA TOUR. He took us inside his makeshift weather station and showed us two laptops loaded with radar and weather related technology and a lightning detection unit located outside. After interviewing him, we made our way off to Tiger Woods' outdoor press conference. Unlike yesterday, I was able to hear him because I was located even closer than I previously was. After a few questions, it was moved into the media center and away from the public. Luckily, the press passes we received for the week allowed us to follow him. Once the cameras were set up, the press conference was resumed. After being asked a question about what parts of his swing he has fixed over the past week, Tiger responded "Well, it was my backswing, downswing and follow through. Other than that, it was good." followed by lots of laughter. He explained that the training he received over the past week helped him identify his mistakes and correct them, all while he was warming up on the practice range. That, he went on to justify, was one of the main reasons for his success during today's round.
Just before the day came to a close, we took another long walk to the opposite side of the course. This time, instead of going to the SHOTLink trailer, we went to the CBS Sports Broadcasting truck. Before we walked into the truck, one of the men who worked in it walked out to meet us. Once there, he explained the roles of the different people sitting in front of the screens and what we should expect to see.
I was beyond amazed. There were about one hundred fifty small television screens with different cameras hooked up to each. There were two big main screens, one showing the actual video shown on The Golf Channel and another acting as a preview for the editor. The different people were yelling out commands that told the editor to change the video camera being shown. There were many different fade effects and graphics that they could easily put on live broadcast. There was such a high level of teamwork between everyone working on the truck. What I found even more interesting was that one of the men told the announcer the what the upcoming video was before it even went up on the screen.
These past two days have been amazing. Not only have I been shown golf from a different perspective, but also I have met many new people, learned new things, and got a chance to do something I wouldn't ordinarily do. I would like to thank The First Tee and the PGA TOUR for making this possible and allowing me to get the best VIP treatment. Most of all, I would like to thank Marc Raiken for taking time out of his schedule to give us this one of a kind experience.
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AN UNFORGETTABLE STAY AT THE BARCLAYS (8/26)
By Angela Seo
PARAMUS, N.J., --As the first day of The Barclays comes to an end, the race to seize the lead of the FedExCup standings has officially begun. With Tiger currently positioned at the top of the leaderboard, innumerable fans will indisputably flood into Ridgewood Country Club if he can maintain his position as leader. However, many top ranked players are still finishing their rounds, like Phil Mickelson, who may be contenders to Woods' round of 65. While many foster their zeal for this tournament through the leaderboard, my enthusiasm derived from experiencing the tournament with media credentials.
First, the day began with an interview with Chris Reimer, who works as a liaison between the PGA TOUR and the media. In addition to the numerous press releases he writes, Reimer also enjoys his position as Communications Manager due to the players he interacts with, like Sergio Garcia. Then, while I traveled to the SHOTLink trailer, I stopped by some of the many marketing displays with golf games. After winning a Geico head cover, I made my way to the fifteenth tee box long before the roaring Tiger crowds drew near. As Tiger finished the thirteenth and later fourteenth hole, there was no need for a scoreboard: the crowd's cheers served as an indicator of his two birdie putts. After the immense crowd attentively watched Woods' drive, I continued my journey to the eighth hole where the SHOTLink trailer resides, while constantly stopped by groups of golfers teeing off or finishing their putts. The SHOTLink trailer is filled with state-of-the-art technology to track every shot that a player makes and the staff of SHOTLink diligently works behind laptops to maintain accurate statistics and shots for the tournament.
Then, since Tiger Woods' press conference would begin in a matter of mere minutes after finishing the eighteenth hole, I rushed through meandering people to arrive at the interview podium just in time to watch Woods' press conference. Since Tiger Woods' press conference continued in the media center, I followed the large group of reporters and cameramen making their way to the conference room. Woods gave insight to the lowest round of his season and other strategies behind his game. Next, I met with the Chief Meteorologist of the PGA TOUR, who explained his communication with the PGA TOUR concerning the weather and particular tournaments where a hurricane affected play. Back on the course, I walked to the Birdies for the Brave Patriots' Outpost to witness a ceremony honoring those who served our country. The final activity of the day was visiting the CBS broadcast truck, located on the side of the eighth hole, where an entire team of CBS Sports' employees works on every detail of the graphics to the televised Barclays event. Additionally, each camera has a corresponding live footage screen in the broadcasting truck and other CBS employees communicate with broadcasters to ensure a smooth broadcast.
As the two days of backstage access to a PGA TOUR event draws to an end, I walk through the main gates of The Barclays with a new perception of the complexity of a tournament and experiences to imagine the complete spectrum of a televised event. Also, I realized that a PGA TOUR event is only possible with the cooperation of many people executing their job to perfection, from the staff behind the technology of SHOTLink to the production staff working on the televised event. One of the most thrilling activities was visiting the broadcasting center for the Golf Channel, where live footage from cameras around the course is viewed to publish on live air. Overall, I have learned much from the didactic words of established professionals and these unforgettable two days will always an experience that I will perpetually reflect upon.
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AN EVENTFUL DAY AND A NEW PERSPECTIVE (8/26)
Zora Moore
The day began with a wonderful interview with Chris Reimer, the communications manager for the PGA TOUR. He works as a liaison between the PGA TOUR and the media. Mr. Reimer enjoys writing press releases as well as working with the players. One of his favorite players to work with is Sergio Garcia. He said that Sergio is one of the few golfers who will stop what they are doing and have a conversation with you.
Then as we walked to the SHOTLink trailer we stopped to see Tiger Woods tee off on the 16th hole. It was very crowded but luckily I was in the front and able to see everything. After many stops we finally made it to the SHOTLink trailer where the SHOTLink guy showed us around and explained what all the equipment was for. He said that they have volunteers following the players and sending in the scores for each hole. They also have lasers that people shoot at the ball to get the distance the ball is from the hole. SHOTLink is very important because if it weren't for the lasers and volunteers people would not have instant information about what was happening on the course.
As we where leaving the trailer we herd that Tiger Woods was going to have a press conference soon. We were all so excited and walked as quickly as we could all the way back towards the club house. There were many fans behind a blockade waiting for Tiger to come and as we went behind the blockade I realized what a great opportunity I had. Many people would never be as close as I was to Tiger Woods or any other golfer. The press conference space started filling up with reporters we knew that Tiger was on his way. Tiger played very well today and most of the questions were centered around his play on the golf course. He did a short press conference outside and then went inside to continue. We ran inside as quickly as we could because we wanted to get a good seat. Many reporters and camera people were running along side us.
Later on we went to the CBS broadcasting center, where they put together what we see on the golf channel. Before we went in on of the CBS guys explained what we were going to see. When we went in many people were talking at the same time. I was like controlled chaos. We watched in excitement as they quickly decided what pictures the public was going to see. The amazing experience is one I will never forget.
As our day comes to a close I think back to the past two days. It never thought about all the things it takes to put a golf tournament together. There are so many jobs and each of them is important for different reasons. I now have a different perspective on golf tournaments and I appreciate them a lot more.
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A MOMENTOUS CHANGE AT THE BARCLAYS (8/26)
Christian Trigani
The atmosphere and circumstances surrounding the 2010 Barclays event between the pre-tournament pro-am day on Wednesday and the first round on Thursday were extremely contradistinctive. Steady rain and gloomy skies wore on players and fans during the Wednesday pro-am tournament. On Wednesday it appeared the world's number one golfer was as gloomy as the overcast skies above, almost out of touch with a visible competitive drive he himself used to epitomize. Players were loose, and why shouldn't they be? After all, everyone on the giant scoreboards around the course was tied for first. Every single one of the 123 competing had a shot to win the entire playoffs. Wednesday was damp and overcast, but was also cool and possessed an easiness that ran rampant through the air on the course, the range, and putting green. Wednesday was calm indeed, pressure remained absent and expectation could be read on each player's face. Essentially, Wednesday was a cool waiting period that stood in stark contrast to a pending pressure filled Thursday that lurked just hours ahead.
Sunshine engulfed every hole at Ridgewood Country Club at the start of the first round of the tournament on Thursday. Along with a significant weather change, the atmosphere here had changed as well. Stillness enveloped activity at the range while players such as Brian Gay grinded and tweaked their swings up to within twelve minutes of their tee times; trying to find that perfect swing and gain the confidence they surely need to conquer the classic Tillinghast masterpiece. No longer did fans roam with freshly autographed flags, and stick out their arms for memorable handshakes, meeting and greeting players. Today meant business, a day on the job for PGA TOUR players looking to start out strong not only for The Barclays, but also for the FedExCup Series. The course was not nearly as wet as it was on Wednesday, but greens proved to be very receptive, allowing players to take dead aim at pins on many occasions. The intense competition this morning and throughout the day was palpable to fans watching as numerous players successfully achieved a great start to the tournament. No one capitalized on this opportunity more than Tiger Woods, a player who just the day before, was quickly counted out by many.
The Tiger Woods that came to the course Wednesday was dreary and glum to say the least. He looked melancholy; he had lost all the luster and confidence that is customarily draped all over his face and on display in his gait. The Tiger Woods that came to the media center on Thursday was nothing like the one that had shown up the day before. After posting an impressive 65 to open his tournament up, it was all smiles from the world's number one player. In just a matter of one day Tiger Woods, as he always seems to do, turned his mindset around and was able to take a tie for first which led going into the clubhouse on Thursday. Tiger summed up his golf today as a "good day" in his press conference following his play. No one is bold enough to argue the fact that Tiger is absolutely due for a victory. In addition, he has three wins in the FedExCup in his career making it definitely seem likely he will be tough to beat this week, especially after seeing the kind of golf he brought to the course today. After only just a mere one night's sleep, Tiger Woods did what he always does: the unthinkable.
There is no doubt that golfers have shown up to play this week here in the Metropolitan Area, at a course that right now, is allowing for numerous birdie opportunities. Tiger Woods has composed himself on the fly, Heath Slocum opened with an encouraging 67 while trying to defend his title from 2009, and there is no doubt that the leader board is stacked at the top. Playoff action wasted no time arriving here in Paramus, New Jersey at Ridgewood Country Club. Although Wednesday contained a laid-back atmosphere, Thursday's golf was exciting and promises an intense week ahead as many players look to be in contention to vie not only for The Barclays, but also for the ultimate race to hoist the FedExCup.
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JUNIOR COURSE REPORTER FOR THE BARCLAYS (8/25)
By Angela Seo
At Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J., the intense atmosphere is progressively rising as the reality of the 2,500 FedExCup points becomes tangible to the winner. However, while many professionals meticulously played their practice round in the pro-am, I had the tremendous opportunity to experience the intricacies of a professional golf event. First arriving at the event in a light drizzle, the weather soon worsened into a heavy rain, but the weather would not hinder me from enjoying the extraordinary day ahead. After the group of Junior Course Reporters convened, I entered the realm of a professional golf event by crossing the backstage ropes into the Media Center and later other normally prohibited areas. Then, I toured the TaylorMade trailer, possessing a plethora of clubs, shafts, grips and club heads. The TaylorMade trailer is also equipped with technology to create custom-made clubs in mere minutes and trained professionals to adjust clubs to a player's precise desire. At the trailer, I also entered the world of the TaylorMade staff: hearing about their constant time on the road and away from their families, but the rewards from having one of their clients win a PGA TOUR event.
Next, I met the Commissioner of the PGA TOUR, Tim Finchem, who kindly answered questions about his position and his compassion to oversee the activities of the PGA TOUR and other charities. Subsequently, I had the opportunity to see behind the cameras and the whole environment of a press conference at the interviews of the last player on the FedExCup standings to qualify for The Barclays to the player possessing the most FedExCup points at this time. Along with Scott Piercy and Ernie Els, I also witnessed the press conferences of Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, where I had to squeeze into a crowd of fervent reporters in the rain hoping to question Woods on his game and his life. As the professionals approach the first week of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedEx Cup, they maintain a positive mindset, strive for birdies and always persevere. Then, I walked along the 18th hole to the Birdies for the Brave Patriots' Outpost, which honors those who served our country in the military, and met many affable people ecstatic to be caddying for professionals or watching various professional golfers in their practice round. Later, I entered the DePuy Mitek fitness trailer, where professionals can work on a fitness regime or warm-up for a round and many physical therapists aid players as well.
The thrilling day unfortunately had to come to a conclusion, but not before I experienced the job of a journalist by writing articles in the Media Center filled with rows of laptops, an oversized projection of the leaderboard and TV and numerous transcripts of interviews. Conclusively, I will always treasure this experience, which allowed me to witness the backstage activities of a professional golf event and shadow the career of a journalist.
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PREPARATION AT THE BARCLAYS (8/25)
By Christian Trigani
Whether it be in the DuPey Mitek fitness trailer on the outskirts of the course, in the TaylorMade truck in the parking lot, or in the office of the commissioner himself, players and PGA TOUR executives are gearing up for what promises to be an amazing week at Ridgewood Country Club. It's Wednesday and for many players in the field that means its time for five-hour rounds with amateurs that present a game commonplace to local municipal golf courses. Pro-ams offer PGA TOUR players one last chance to see the course before competition, although one has to wonder how easy concentration comes with countless autographs to be signed and many questions to be answered. No player here at The Barclays has prepared the same way, but all have put in a considerable amount of time so far this week to figuring out both the course and their game. Preparation is indeed essential, especially in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup where one single tournament could make or break a player's chances to win the coveted FedExCup.
For many amateurs, a warm-up is nothing more than a few practices swings on the first tee. At The Barclays, where 123 professionals look to move up to the top 100 in the points standings this week, warm-ups are extensive and include trips to a fully equipped fitness trailer, range and putting green. Players from Camilo Villegas, a dedicated fitness fiend right up to the laid-back Charlie Wi could be found using the fitness center. Jerry Kelly and Scott Piercy meticulously warmed up on the range working on their swing and hitting balls long before many players came out. Tiger Woods tried to analyze the course along with his ball-striking in an early morning 18 he played with three amateurs. All in all, players made use of their time here on a wet and rainy day in Paramus and enjoyed the overall loose atmosphere less than 24 hours before the exciting start of the Playoffs.
While players here at The Barclays prepare the week before an event, PGA TOUR executives, volunteers and employees have been preparing for this event much longer. An enormous amount of time and effort goes into setting up PGA TOUR tournaments, especially those with as much notoriety as The Barclays. A rich tradition thrives here at The Barclays, a tradition of giving back to the surrounding metro area while also raising money for national charities. In meeting with Tim Finchem, the PGA TOUR commissioner, he stressed the importance of charitable efforts in all PGA TOUR events. This sort of impressive philanthropy in today's economy can only be achieved with a serious amount of effort and planning. In organizing events such as The Barclays, along with many tournaments throughout the year, the top priority of smart and conscientious preparation that the PGA TOUR emphasizes veraciously and visibly shines through.
A crowded Thursday first tee awaits all the players tomorrow morning and throughout the day, but for now players are either left to worry about what's ahead or relax in confidence they feel they can bring into the tournament. Ridgewood Country Club does not offer many surprises, but as Tiger Woods stated in his pre-tournament media session, "It's plenty difficult being straightforward." A. W. Tillinghast may not have designed this course with hidden tricks, but he definitely designed it to toy with a golfer's emotions. Every hole on the course sends players into a different mindset. The opening 380-yard par 4 has players licking their chops for an opening birdie while the 18th has many grimacing after a disparaging bogey. The challenge at Ridgewood this week is palpable, the anticipation is thick in the air, and the challenge ahead this next four weeks is clear and visible. Who knows who will best meet the challenge Ridgewood has to offer from the first hole on Thursday to the 72nd on Sunday -- perhaps, the man that is truly best prepared.
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WEDNESDAY UPDATE (8/25)
Jonny Greenspan
Today's experience at The Barclays golf tournament was unlike any other. Besides for meeting many players, I was introduced to golf from a whole different perspective. Once we walked through the gate, Marc Raiken briefed us of the day's schedule and gave us our media passes. Treating us like VIPs, he led us away from the crowd, behind the clubhouse, and into the media tent. At that point, I knew it was going to be going an amazing day.
The real fun started when we were taken to a roped-off spot of the parking lot, close by the driving range, where trucks sent from every different golf club manufacturer were parked. Inside were custom club-fitting stations containing every grip, shaft and clubhead that the company has produced. After being led into the TaylorMade truck, we were introduced to two professionals who travel with the PGA TOUR from event to event helping pros get the best out of their clubs. They went on to explain that many players, such as Sergio Garcia, often come into the truck to adjust the clubs themselves.
Later on, we came back to sit in on a press conference with Scott Piercy. After the press conference, Scott welcomed a few questions from us Junior Course Reporters. I was curious about what he looked for and took notes on during today's practice round. He informed me that he was looking for good parts of the fairway to place his drives, acceptable places to miss, hazards, slopes of the greens, and most of all the way he was playing.
After this, Tim Finchem, the Commissioner of the PGA TOUR, made some time in his schedule for us to interview him. Being such a successful man, I asked how he originally got started in the golf industry. He told me that he started off in Washington, D.C., as an owner of a consulting firm that had the PGA TOUR as one of its clients. When the PGA TOUR offered him a job, he sold his firm and quickly worked his way up to being the Commissioner. He advised me that lots of hard work and persistence will take you a long way.
The next event I was looking forward to was Tiger Woods' press conference outside the clubhouse. Instead of standing 20 or so yards away like I expected, our press passes allowed us to stand within 10 feet of him. Even then, I had problems hearing and seeing him because of the many people in front of us. However, it was still amazing to see him up close. Once the press conference ended and the crowd cleared out, Marc took us to go see the fitness and physical therapy trailers. In one of the trailers, we were met by two physical therapists and a chiropractor. Because my dad is a chiropractor, I was already very aware of the importance of spine health and mobility in the game of golf. One of the physical therapists gave us a tour of the physical therapy truck and went on to explain that a large amount of players on the TOUR use its benefits. After we left this trailer, we took a short walk over to the DePuy Mitek fitness trailer. Once there, we were informed that we had just missed Ernie Els. However, I didn't mind because I had seen him earlier during a press conference. Luckily, we were in the presence of Charlie Wi. One of the questions asked to one of the trainers was about the importance of pre-game routines. The trainer went on to explain that many of the players visit the truck about two hours before a round just to stretch out and loosen up, even before swinging a golf club. It turns out that those dedicated players who routinely visit the trailer are the ones that most often do well in tournaments. As we were about to leave, Camilo Villegas walked in and greeted us before getting ready for his workout routine.
All of the events that took place today made me think very differently about my ideas of an ideal career for the future. Instead of being in a corporate business setting, I think it would be fun to travel from golf tournament to golf tournament helping out by playing some role behind the scenes. However, without a doubt, all of the experiences that I encountered today assure me that if I made the best out of my future, it would be playing golf for the PGA TOUR.
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ENJOYABLE DAY AT THE BARCLAYS (8/25)
Matthew Lagarenne
Being at The Barclays is a unique experience in itself. The cameras, the great golfers, and the occasional rain showers are amazing. The aura surrounding the event is tense with the air of suspense, along with the smell of Chick-fil-A sandwiches.. But having the opportunity to go behind the scenes as a Junior Course Reporter is the icing on the cake. What can be more exciting than seeing players up-close at a press conference, asking them questions about their golf game or shaking a pro's hand at the Birdies for the Brave Patriot Outpost? The experiences I have lived so far at The Barclays have been very fun and informative, as it gives me a new perspective as to how the pros play on the PGA TOUR.
One of the main moments that stood out to me today was when our group went to the TaylorMade equipment truck. From the outside, it's like a normal truck, but from the inside, it's practically a factory. There, players can swap out their clubs and be provided with new ones. The people working inside can also forge new clubs from the most basic parts: grips, shafts, and clubheads; which were all stored onboard. The pros have full access to their own personal golf store.
Another experience that was interesting to me was meeting Rory Sabbatini in the Patriots' Outpost. He handed out signed pictures and had a pretty good conversation with me. It was exciting to shake hands with a PGA TOUR player and to have a chance to speak with him.
The last thing that stood out to me today was the DePuy Mitek fitness trucks. There were two of them placed close to each other for easier access. Each one serves a different purpose: one for stretching/massaging, and the other for work-outs/warm ups. Our group walked through the two trucks, eyeing everything. In the first truck, the stretching truck, we saw four beds; two for massages, and two for resting. Also, there was an on-board gym-wear shop where players could swap into something more comfortable for working out. There were shoes, shirts, shorts, anything a pro might need to work out. The second truck was more-or-less a rolling gym. It had treadmills, dynamic tension areas, medicine balls, dumbbells, stationary bicycles and, like in the first truck, an entire shop for the pros. It was a really unique experience.
All in all, the time I've had so far today was a very positive, exciting, unique experience that most kids my age would not be able to have. After meeting Rory Sabbatini & Scott Piercy, being inside a mobile gym, and having a look inside the TaylorMade truck, I have learned a lot about how the pros behave on the course but most importantly, off it.
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THE BARCLAYS AT RIDGEWOOD COUNTRY CLUB (8/25)
Zora Moore
The first day of The Barclays was very exciting. We sat in on Scott Piercy's press conference. He is in the 125 spot on the FedExCup list. He mainly talked about his playing on Sunday. He was very happy that he made it and he thinks he is ready to make it to the top 100. After the press conference we got to talk to him and ask any questions that we had. Before we were done talking to him he told us to work hard at whatever we do. Judging by the way he played on Sunday he really meant what he was saying. Even though things were not going his way he still hung in there and ended up in the 125 spot.
Later we visited the DePuy Mitek fitness trailers. First we went to the stretching trailer and then we went to the exercising trailer. One of the trainers explained how the different machines worked and what they were for. He said that they see about 75 percent of the players. Most of the players who they do not see are probably working out on their own. Some players ask the trainers to help them stretch and work out and some have their own personal trainers who know what they need. The most exciting part was seeing Camilo Villegas in the trailer getting ready to work out.
Later on we went to Tiger Woods' press conference. There were many reporters so it was pretty crowded but I got to see him and take a few pictures. He was talking so low that I could hardly hear him but from what I could hear he was talking about the way he played in the practice round. He hopes that he can do well this week and make to the top 100.
We went into the Birdies for the Brave Patriots' Outpost. Birdies for the Brave is the PGA TOUR's primary way of supporting the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. Rory Sabbatini was in the chalet signing autographs for the troops as he is a big supporter of Birdies for the Brave. He was a very nice, down-to-earth person with a nice personality.
Overall today was fun and a lot more than I expected. I knew it was going to be fun, but I did not know it was going to be as fun as it was. We met some nice people and did fun things. I am really excited for tomorrow and I am looking forward to learning new things tomorrow.
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