The opening ceremonies kicked off at 7 a.m. with the Marine Corps band and a few words by Mayor Jerry Sanders, followed by a presentation of the flags and singing of the National Anthem. A few local PGA professionals including Charley Hoffman, John Mallinger, Bill Lundt, Dennis Paulson and Kevin Stadler were then introduced to cheering fans. Other notable locals, Pat Perez and Phil Mickelson, were not able to attend the opening ceremonies due to preparation for early tee times.

Although there is an obvious disappointment in the golf realm that Tiger is not able to defend his 2008 Buick title, I still got a great vibe from the fans as they gathered at the 18th green to cheer on another favorite, Phil Mickelson. Phil, considered a local by both San Diegans and Arizonans, is the only player in the field to have won at Torrey in the last decade and finished the day tied for 16th place at -2.

It never rains in San Diego, right? Wrong. Sunny skies quickly turned to dark clouds and cool breezes today, as I shivered my way back to the car. Those familiar with Southern Cal weather were prepared to tough it out and smart enough to carry a jacket. I, on the other hand, was not and did not. Fortunately, the showers held off long enough for the players to finish Round 1, but storms are making their way down the coast and are forecasted for Friday. Rain or shine, my jacket and I plan on making the trip back to beautiful Torrey Pines to The Buick Invitational this weekend to see who Tiger’s successor will be…

Written by Ashley Hall

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Torrey’s Par-3 Third.

There are many things I enjoy about being a golf editor. But my favorite is being able to play tournament-ready courses before the pros tackle them. Such was the case with the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. While the sheer beauty of the locale’s majestic views are enough to satisfy even the non-golfer, the ball-thieving rough, 30-yard-wide fairways and fast greens are enough to make the most discriminating of golfers giggle with excitement and tremble with disbelief. The rough is in a word, well, rough. You could literally stand there, drop a ball, see exactly where it entered and not be able to locate it for several minutes. No exaggeration. Imagine doing so while attempting to track your ball’s path into the nasty sheaths of no end. It’s a daunting task, no doubt. Adding yet another dimension to the test of golf the pros will face this June. While the Torrey experience was one I’ll never forget, it’s also one of the few rounds where a sense of relief sunk in on the 18^th green, and lunch at the Lodge at Torrey Pines never sounded so good. Go for the “Drugstore Style Hamburger” (their verbage, not mine) it does not disappoint.

- Nichole Brophy, Golf Editor.

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