November 4, 2011
No sooner did we arrive for the second round than we spotted Adam in all his plaid glory on the practice green. Crowds were still relatively small, so our view was unobstructed and the twins in their pink caught the eye of many players. Several volunteers recognized us from previous years, saying things like, "Aren't you the Phil fans?" or "Who are you cheering for this year?"
We walked out to the 7th green, our favorite spot, and settled in for a few hours. The threesomes came through, treating us to some great and some not-so-great shots. Sydney and Sarah politely applauded at appropriate times and offered words of encouragement to those who faltered. They were rewarded with several balls and smiles.
The afternoon was spent around the clubhouse. The crowds had increased, but the girls and I staked a prime spot right in front. Larry stood on the bridge in between 2 and 18, watching the action from both sides, while we waited for the players after they signed their scorecards. Hunter Mahan gave a wave to the twins as they yelled his name. A few minutes later his caddie came over to them with two autographed balls. Aaron Baddaley was friendly and chatty as he signed their hats. Even though he didn't have a good round, Jim Furyk took a moment to pose with them. You can kind of tell by his half smile-half grimace. Things got out of hand rather quickly when Rory McIlroy appeared. We were still in front, but suddenly we were pinned between a few hundred brazenly rude local fans and the metal barricade. It was all I could do to keep the crowds from crushing us. Rory came to us immediately, which meant the crowd converged. The security team was ready to grab Sarah and cart her over the fence, but I managed to bulldoze our way out. He didn't sign any more after that. Crazy!
With plenty of autographs and golf balls galore, Sydney decided we could leave. She was certain her big sister wouldn't be able to get more during the weekend rounds.
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