17th Tee at Canadian Open

September 9th, Hamilton Golf & Country Club
My first Canadian Open (and based on the sponsor and player lacklustre reception of the new date for 2007 and venue perhaps last one) was an incredible experience. Sure, the field was weakened but there was still plenty to see, and to see we did, especially once we found an amazing spot on the 17th tee. 17th at HGCC is an amazing eagle hole, being only 550 yards par five with sever downhill drop. Now imagine this, perhaps it will never happen again, the tee that is perched up on top of a hill was pushed so far back there was not enough room to provide for spectators and cameras. The ropes behind the tee were no more than 5 yards away and we were straight behind the players. Because there was so little room behind the players there were no cameras, nor caddies between the players and us. On couple of occasions we were uncomfortably close and not wanting to cause distraction gently pushed away. Camilo actually murmured for us to watch our selves. Fred Funks practice backswing whizzed by my head no more than a foot away. Then he simply stepped into his shot, lined up and proceeded to hit a cable straight drive right down the middle. Steady Freddy - no wonder. He had the most interaction with the spectators, asking us did Vijay hit his drive really all the way down there, is it his first or second shot :) There were mostly no expression of emotions from the players and no interaction with the audience, other then Fred Funk and another player from Ben Kurtis group, I don't remember his name and I am embarrassed for it because he actually acknowledged the crowd on the way in and out. However, Axley and Obberholser were for sure no happy campers. I was downright embarrassed for them for their lack of composure.

Now for the drives. Every single drive, other than Steve Strickers ugly push cut some 50 yards off to the right, were quite passable with large percent being mint. Bubba definitely belted out the longest and most amazing drive. His high draw with slight wind in the back and steep downhill drop probably resulted in him not having more than 150 yards in, perfectly positioned on the left side of the fairway. Most of the players are playing fades, if you cared to know. Most of them find the fairway, some were just off the fairway to the right. Some exceptional swings that I remember were Jonathan Byrds, with his smooth, Hoganesque one plane elegant drive through the ball, Bubba with his amazing rubber man, all out ferocious whip with what seems an incredibly short ping shaft at the whimpering ball, and cable straight Freddy who refuses to hit anything more than 5 yards of the center of the fairway. Camilo did not surprise me with his perhaps inelegant but aggressive, athletic swing and Jesper Parnevic speedy tempo would have shocked me if I did not see him before. Sean O'Hair and Justin Rose were quite remarkible, Brett Quickley pounds it absolutely surprisingly hard, considering his small stature. That was the other thing that shocking - these guys are positively too skinny and small. I mean, I felt that I could lift them with one hand and yet they are incredible in how they generate the swing speed - they simply have less weight to move and they know how to move the little weight that they have in the most efficient way.

It was amazing and inspiring. I hope that this tournament persists and regains its stature as what I saw at Hamilton Golf and Country Club was nothing but fantastic.