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A day at Congressional
Golf is probably the most peculiar sport I've ever watched in person. There is a level of respect between the players and the fans that you don't see at some of the more popular sports like baseball and football.
On Independence Day, my husband Rob and I attended the AT&T National golf tournament hosted by Tiger Woods at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. Unfortunately, Woods couldn't make it because of his recent knee surgery.
We went to this PGA Tour event last year too but only had general admission tickets. This year, Rob was able to get us two passes for a private skybox overlooking the 17th hole, which meant good seats, free food and free drinks.
Getting back to my initial observation, it amazes me how much golf fans respect the players. You don't hear any booing or trash talking like you might when a player is on the foul line at a basketball game.
Instead, total silence. Sure, there are PGA workers standing around each hole who put their arms up to remind spectators to stay quiet each time a player is about to hit, but you don't even hear heckling when the players are walking to their next shot and fans don't have to be silent.
When someone makes a great chip or putt, everyone cheers. It's like you root for every player.
Maybe it's because most people who watch golf actually play themselves. We respect how difficult it is to consistently make good shots. I guess we're rooting for amazing shots more so than any player.
At the AT&T National on Friday, amazing shots on the 17th hole were hard to come by.
Rob and I watched from about 11 a.m. until about 3:30 p.m. and didn't see more than a handful of birdies all day.
U.S. Open runner-up Rocco Mediate made a great shot from the sand to save par, and a golfer whose name I didn't recognize made a putt from about 25 feet out – the longest we saw of the day – to make one of those few birdies.
Another golfer I didn't recognize reminded me of myself on the golf course. It took him three or four shots to get out of a side bunker. Unlike me, he stayed composed. I would have thrown my sand wedge.
Fairfax native and University of Virginia graduate Steve Marino almost birdied the hole, but his putt landed just short of the cup.
Marino, who was the leader going into Friday, ended the tournament tied for 24th with a four-round total of four under par. He and Mediate had the largest gathering of fans following them around Friday.
Anthony Kim ended up winning the tournament with a 12-under-par finish. Look for him on the U.S. Ryder Cup team this September.
Since Woods couldn't play due to injury, a lot of other big names dropped out of the tournament. But we still had a good time, and I'd recommend for everyone who enjoys golf to head out to the AT&T National next year.
If we go again, hopefully we'll see more long birdie putts and not as many heartbreak misses.
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