US Open Championship

This week marks the 114th playing of the US Open Golf Championship. I spent 11 years traveling the tour as a technician and club maker. I was lucky enough to have worked 9 US Opens. Your role changes a little bit during the majors. Your main focus is to make sure the players have everything they need and to be ready for any emergencies that may arise.
 
 

 My favorite US Open memory is the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines. With the event being held on the west coast, I had skipped the previous week in Memphis so not to have to make the 1,800 mile trip in three days. I was cleaning the truck on the Saturday before the start of the tournament when Rocco Mediate stepped up onto the trailer with his driver in two pieces. The airline had broken his driver and he was in a panic. We spent parts of the next two days building new drivers and trying different shafts in his old head. By Sunday afternoon a new shaft in his old head felt like he had his gamer flying straight and true again. When you are doing your job and things like this happen, you hope for the best and that the player will have a good week. By no means did I have any idea that Rocco Mediate would push Tiger Woods and his broken leg to the limit in what would go down as one of the most famous US Open’s in history.