Pinoy Golfer Blog

Up early at the 93rd Philippine Open

December 25th, 2009 |

Author: MGB

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My time at the 93rd Philippine Open was not all fun and games. There was lots to do and a lot of it was important work.

The 13th (4th on the Lobo)

My morning usually began at 6 AM when I would go into the tournament office, pick up a pin sheet and go do the rounds of the golf course. On my way out I also checked the tournament tees to make sure they were in the right spots and the correct width apart but the real objective was to make sure the pin placements were correctly reflected on the pin sheets. The pros needed to be 100% confident that the information they have is correct. If there was a discrepancy, a radio call was made to the two starters and the other tournament referees to make sure they informed the pros of the error as they tee’d off.

Then a quick meeting with the rest of the referees over breakfast where we discussed potential problem areas on the golf course. Once the key areas are identified, we divvied up the the coverage of the course between us. I got the job keeping things on the drivable par 4 16th (7 on the Lobo course). As it turned out this was the busiest spot on the course. There was a large area marked ground under repair on the right of the cartpath and OB beyond that. Then there was the minor detail that the pros were aiming at the mounds on which we were positioned trying to get a friendly kick onto the green. I got half a dozen guys in the G.U.R., two got their golf balls stuck in coconut trees and a bunch that needed relief from the cart path in the first two days. I also got to see two chip-in eagles; the first by Juanito Pagunsan and the next by Venjo Reyes.

There was lots of action on 16

The third day was the half-way cut and was a great day to photograph the golf course. Good thing I had my camera with me on my rounds. I got some great images that I hope you’ll enjoy at the end of this post. The cut worked out to 7-over par 151 that involved a total of 71 golfers. The decision was made to use just one set of tees instead of the two when we had the full field. That made things on 16 move smartly along with a minimum of fuss. That also meant I got reassigned on the last day when Mike Hudson had to leave the Open. I wound up taking his spot on the par 5 7th (7 on the Makulot) which kept me on my toes. Several golfers found the water going for the green in two and a couple lost their golf balls through the green on 6.

The last day was trying because it rained. Combined with the altitude (1285 feet above sea level) and the wind, things got really chilly fast. By the time the last few flights came through, my hands were almost numb and I was getting sleepy fast. Good thing the duel in the last flight hotted up and kept going until the final hole. It kept the day interesting despite the tougher conditions.

Can’t wait to do it again when the Philippine Golf Tour starts up again in March. If you can manage it, please come down and spectate. Admission is free.