Seeing as how I live in the vicinity where the Frys.com Open is teeing off this morning, I have been in anticipatory mode for several weeks now. Driving by the tournament headquarters and seeing the venue grow as tents and TV poles have been set into place has really inaugurated that fall golf feeling. The feeling where the soggy back hem of your pant leg hitting your ankle is just a reminder that the weather has cooled and that early morning dew can actually collect on yard upon yard of emerald Bermuda.

With a slew of top caliber Tour pros in the field this week, this fall series event seems more like an in-season Tour stop than a buffer winding down to the end of the year. Perhaps it is the richness of Tour professionals who reside in the area – after all not many weeks of the regular season do the pros get to roll that last putt and then roll into their own beds.

Aside from the play that all Valley golf vans are hankering to observe this weekend, the Frys.com Open actually has a lot of philanthropic endeavors going on behind the scenes.

On Monday, I was fortunate enough to participate in the Fry’s and Friends Fore Adoption Pro-Am, which took place on the tournament course (Raptor) at Grayhawk. The unique event paired each foursome with a PGA Tour player and his wife. Making it the first-ever couples Pro-Am in PGA Tour history. The proceeds of the event (which totaled $100,000) benefitted the Fore Adoption Foundation, started by Tour player Kirk Triplett and his wife Cathi, who have two adopted children of their own.

My foursome was paired with Tour vet Jay Williamson and his wife Marnie. Aside from having a fabulous afternoon of golf, it is always insightful to play with a pro of that high caliber. The fluidity of Williamson’s swing and his effortless motion through the ball are what we amateurs drool over. Luckily, spectators can break out their bibs as a hundred or so drool-worthy swings hit the links this week in our very own backyard.

My favorite place to hang out on the course is the par-3 16th that plays over a small inlet of water. While it doesn’t hold a candle to the sheer magnitude of the famous 16th at the FBR Open, the Fry’s 16th is sure to please this year— especially due to the addition of a hospitality tent courtesy of O’Donoghue’s Irish Pub. Adding a little jig to the atmosphere around the 16th, O’Donoghue’s will serve up several drink to the general public including that perfect pint of Guinness.

To learn more about the Frys.com Open, visit www.frysopen.com.

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