). Next group was Trevor Immelman and Calc. Trevor tried to hit a draw up the right side... and block, fanned, squirted one about 50 yards right of his target line. It was probably in the driving range. Nasty swing, one of the worst I've seen a pro make. He reteed, and setup for the same shot but the first swing must have rattled him a bit b/c the next one was pretty nasty too. He hit a low weak draw that was pulled to the opposite side of the fairway. Yikes. We after roaming around for an hr or so, we setup camp at the 3rd hole tee box, about 5 feet from the marker on the right side of the box. Right next to where the caddie's leave the bags. Perfect. We waited patiently for Phil and Tiger and in the mean time saw some very interesting shots. #3 is a 452 yard par 4(on the marker) that doglegs right to left. It's a tough tee shot, especially with the hard fairways. Yesterday the markers were about 7 or so yards up from the 452 mark, and the pin was on the front left of the green (according to the marshalls, I never saw it). And the hole was playing straight downwind as well, so the yardage was probably only about 435 or so. Most of the guys hit a 3w up the left side in effort to shave a few extra yards off. I found this very telling, as it brought the trees on the left side in play if they pulled the shot at all... and those trees (massive oaks) are a major obstacle and could easily block your approach. Tiger plays this hole differently than anyone else out there basically. He likes to aim way right, typically starting the ball out in the right rough and drawing it back into the right side of the fairway. This is the percentage play, as by starting it out right (where the trees are not as much of an issue, though if you miss far enough right you're in a forest...hahah) he will almost always leave himself with a manageable shot to the green, even if he hits a bad drive. That's course management 101 right there. Something two players I'm about to discuss fail to grasp.
For reference...
Danny Lee came through not long after we arrived. I was excited, because I knew he would hit driver here. I was curious about the line he would take though. He seems to prefer a little baby fade (less than 5 yards) and that shape just does not fit this hole. Sure enough, he pulled the driver and teed it high. Took it back and WHAM... absoultely annihilated one over the trees on the corner of the dogleg... we could see it bounce in the fairway (looking under the trees). It was high and basically dead straight. Creamed it. Very impressive. He made par on the hole though, even though he probably had no more than a sw (more like lw) left.
Several groups later, Anthony Kim (who is a natural fader of the golf ball with all clubs by his own admission) attempted the same shot. Lee lined up straight at the corner, but Kim lined up much farther left to play a high fade. Doing this starts the ball over a veritable plethora of massive trees...you mess this shot up and you're screwed. He took it back and ripped.... and terrible high skanky hook that started left of his target line and hooked even more left. Deadsville USA. He made double (I believe) and probably had to fight for it.
Both of these guys are young and aggressive, but they could learn alot from Tiger on this hole. Tiger played his normal draw up the right side (5w), hit it in the rough and ended up with a bogey. But bogey was the absolute worst he could have done on the hole (I'm not sure how he made the bogey either, if he missed the green, etc). Lee pulled off the shot, but the risk isn't worth the reward. If you lay back with a 3w, you have (especially a player with his power) no more than an 8 iron and more likely a 9 or a pw into the green. If you can't hit a 9 iron or pw inside 15 feet, you don't belong out on tour. Strating the ball over those trees means that if you don't make a perfect swing, you are going to fight to make par. Very telling I thought. Inexperienced strategy vs the master tactician. Cool to watch.
Btw, Phil had his hand on the driver but Bones talked him out of it (unfortunately they were on the opposite side of the box so we couldn't really hear much of the conversation) and he ended up with a 3w which he hit off the deck (I guess to keep it low and cut it easier). He took a line similar to Tiger's actually which surprised me. He probably just pulled it...
Random observations....
Charles Warren is long. He hit a hybrid, agreeing with his caddie that 3w would go too high and carry to far being downwind. Hammered the hybrid.
Phil had on a white alligator (looked like) belt and white shoes with a similar print. Very cool, he finally got it right.
My buddy Y.E. Yang shot the low round of the day, and I was bummed that I didn't get to see him. I wanted to make sure that my father (who was at his first golf tournament ever) got to see Tiger and Phil close up and so we spent the majority of our time on #3 instead of catching up to Y.E.
It was a blast to see all the pros (except Maggert, who hit an iron) hitting woods into #6 (250 par 3). Tiger hit 5w, Phil something of that nature as well. Phil snapped his right of the green and made bogey I think, Tiger pummled his high and a shade right of the pin... a little deep into the rough, but an easy par. Phil made bogey.
Phil made double on #10 (long par 5) and it seemed that the mistakes happened around the green. Dunno what occurred though as we were sitting on 11 tee at the time, about 30 yards away from the green.
Immelman hits the STR8-Fit version of the Dymo
David Feherty is much cooler looking than Peter Kostis, who must have his hair dyed each week to avoid the gray...lol