SAM'S BLOG
Posted: May 08, 2010
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Players Update - Players 36 holes
Over the first two days of The Players the theme has been "hot and low." Hot, referring to the temperature and the humidity. It's been in the 90's with high humidity and if you're out in the sun, it's not long before you're seeking shade and some water.
Low is all about the scores. "Usually on this golf course you try to keep making pars and sneak in a few birdies and you'll move up the leader board," Davis Love said Friday. But not this year. "I tried not to look at the boards but that eleven kept popping up there so I knew I had to start firing at the flags."
That's the prevailing attitude throughout the field. If you're not going low, you're backing up.
The cut was two under and 70 players will play on the weekend. John Merrick made a birdie on the last hole to knock 14 guys out of the tournament including Vijay Singh, Henrik Stenson and Angel Cabrera. "The guys gone would make a good Ryder Cup team," Gary Smits of the Florida Times Union told me in the pressroom with a laugh.
Phil Mickelson flirted with the cut line all day but finished at -3 and will play on the weekend. I saw him make birdie on #9 from 50 yards out and asked him about his third shot and if that's what he really wanted, to be that close. Phil immediately launched into a complete explanation.
"The way that green is shaped and where the pin was I wanted to be on the right side of that fairway," he started.
"Did you want to be that close?" I asked.
"Oh yea, my dispersion is much better the closer I get." (Honest, that's the word he used) "Some guys have a closer dispersion at 100 yards the wider at 50 but I'm the opposite. My dispersion is here (he gestured with his hands in a wide circle) at 100 yards, but here (a tight circle gesture) at 50. So I can decide if I'm going to hit it with a flop shot or a little runner in there. I hit the runner and got it close for birdie."
"Thanks Phil. And good luck," I said as we shook hands and he went off to sign autographs.
And that's why some media guys can't stand Phil and other's think he's great (I'm in the latter category.) He'll analyze and go past any kind of thought process you had about any situation. And some guys think that's pompous or arrogant. But Mickelson is a smart guy and golf isn't the only thing on his mind all the time. So he'll espouse opinions about just about anything if you ask him.
Which I think is fantastic.
On Friday I was getting ready to do the noon live shot when a couple walked by and waved. I didn't know them but waved back and said to the guy, "Cool hat."
It was obvious, even from a distance, that the hat had the Blue Angels squadron patch on the front and Navy wings on the back. I hadn't seen one of those, and it was pretty cool looking.
"Thanks," the guy responded.
"Where'd you get that," I asked as they walked by.
"You have to know people," he said with a laugh.
"I know a few people," I answered with a chuckle.
At that moment, Stacy Spanos began her "intro" to me from the station and they punched me up on the air. So now I'm locked into doing my job and can't really talk to anybody, but the couple stopped, and walked over, saying "Would you like it?", referring to the hat. I couldn't answer and even Brett Buffington, our photographer said quietly, "He's on the air."
I'm sure they understood but then an amazing thing happened. The guy said in a whisper, "It has a little sweat on it but I have another one at home." And with that, he took it off, hung the hat on our light stand and walked away.
Being in the middle of our live broadcast I couldn't even turn away and acknowledge him, so right here, I want to say "Thanks." That was a really incredibly generous act and very kind. That doesn't happen every day. So again, thanks.
And it is a really cool hat.
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