HSBC Review

As many of you know, we went to the HSBC champions tournament in Shenzhen last week. I took Freddie and Warren for Thursday and then Janice and I went on Sunday. Some random thoughts:

1. If you are going to take kids to golf tournaments, there's no question the best day is Thursday (or Friday). We got there around 10 - and there was no one there. None. We went directly to the 15th (a par 5 over water) and had a great view of the 2nd shots coming in. We were 15 feet from the back bunker, was able to sit down and enjoy everything.
The kids were the only caucasian kids out there on Thursday, so we stuck out - which was good for our next point.....

2. Phil is awesome. Enough said. On his back nine, we positioned ourselves from the walkway from 4 green to 5 tee; he saw the kids and flipped the ball to Warren. "Here you go" he said. He looked at Freddie and said "if you keep following me, I'll have something for you later".

We followed him for 2 more holes, then went to the 9th green (his last); he made eagle for 66. He walked off the green, down the walkway and saw Freddie; he went directly to Freddie and said "I promised I'd have something for you! Here you go!" and gave Freddie the ball.

2a. Of course, Warren being Warren, he tried to get that ball from Phil as well, but was denied. Phil's playing partner (walking 10 steps behind) saw all this, and seemed to take pity on Warren. "Here you go, kid" and the partner gave his ball to Warren.

That golfer? Lee Westwood.

2b. Got random golf balls from Brendan Grace and Robert Garrigus as well.

3. I have to say this - the spectators were the rudest I have ever seen. Photos constantly during play. The Marshals clueless - the marshals were even moving while golfers were over the ball! Watney was putting at one point, and had to back away twice because a marshal was moving in his sight line and then an inside-the-ropes photographer was moving around. A voice boomed from teh other side of the green. "STAND STILL!!!!" yelled Ian Poulter.

4. Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano is a very slow golfer. Janice mentioned that to me - and she has seen me play tournament golf, so she knows slow golfers.

5. Back to the photos - on Sunday, the lead groupd had additional marshals roving with the groups to help control the crowd and the photos. The marshals would look right at a spectator with a phone - and say "Put the phone away". The spectator would nod. The marshal would say again, "Phone - down". The spectator would nod and hold up one finger - as if to say "yes, in a sec...let me get this shot first''.
The marshal would start moving his hand to the camera, then the spectator would lower the camera from his face - but hold near his chest.
"Away! Down!" . The spectator would nod again, but in reality, he has no clue what he is supposed to do.

This would be repeated 15-20 times on Sunday.

5a. The Chinese also think that port-a-potties are sound proof; people went in there to take phone calls and start yelling into their phone.....while play is proceeding 20 yards away....

6. I am no Verne Lundquist. Here is Westwood's approach to the par 15 on Thursday: