And the Winner Is...

Luisa. She guessed I was at the US Open, and she guessed right. All forty million bonus points are hereby conferred upon her.

It. Rocked.

So let me just begin this post by saying thank you to my husband who took me and arranged everything. I love him anyway, but he makes it so much easier when he does cool things like this.

Here I am in front of the clubhouse:
It was an incredible event. I was amazed to see how many things needed to be coordinated just so that we could watch. Truly, truly amazing. And that wasn't even the best part. The players were the best part! It was actually quite easy to get a close-up view of them. So close, in fact, that you could say something like "who is that guy?" to your husband and that guy would actually be able to hear you! (Not that I would ever say anything so uncouth. I am just confessing speaking hypothetically.)

But the cool part about going to a practice round is that when you get up close like that, you can take lots of pictures. Some of the players would even look your way if you called out their names. I have pictures of Stuart Appleby, Scott Verplank, Justin Leonard, Sergio Garcia, defending champ Jeff Ogilvy, Darren Clark, Davis Love III, Jim Furyk (Sports Illustrated's pick to win it this year), and Retief Goosen. (And if I could have gotten a picture of Ian Poulter's red, plaid pants for you, you know I would have posted it. You know I would.)

Oh my was it fun.

But you know what the best part was?

PHIIIIIIIIIIIIL!

And don't think that I didn't call out his name. Because I did. Oh, yes I did. I yelled "GO, PHIL!"

During a PRACTICE ROUND.

Because, as you know, practice rounds weigh heavily in the final score on Sunday afternoon, and I needed to spur on my favorite player to V.I.C.T.O.R.Y. Paul said he was a little surprised that I yelled. But it was Phil Mickelson.

Phil. MICKelson.

I simply could not help myself.

Mr. Mickelson, as it turns out, was not so easy to get close to because he was being followed everywhere he went by about seventy gazillion people. (He is the #2 golfer in the world, y'know.) And while approaching the eleventh tee, where I was poised to take his picture as he walked the path in front of a tree, he did a tricky little move whereby he ducked behind the tree. So, I took the picture you see as he walked down the eleventh fairway with some guy that I don't know. (Don't worry, I kept quiet that time.)

And if you don't know which one of those guys is Phil Mickelson, then you are not allowed to read my blog any longer.