Scene and heard yesterday in and around the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines:
Day 2 began with promise and then got better as storm clouds allowed blue sky to play through. Galleries were light for the first groups off, perhaps because the first-round leaders and name players had later tee times.
One of the larger morning gatherings was around the XX Sports Radio booth, located on the east end of the clubhouse, in between the scooter rental and Information/Lost & Found booths. Billy Ray Smith and some other guy were interviewing broadcaster Jim Nantz.
I couldn't decide if the crowd was enthralled with Nantz's stories, or waiting for an opportunity to get at the pile of breakfast burritos sitting on a tray in front of Nantz.
The putting greens were full of players, and spectators, but the biggest group of fans (100 or so) was in the stands watching players at the driving range. The guy standing behind me mentioned how close you can get to the players. He's right. It's not as if you can stand behind the bullpen mound at Petco when Jake Peavy is warming up before a start.
Phil Mickelson, among 15 others on the South range, started with a wedge and worked his way up to driver. I'm left-handed, too. As I watched him, I thought, “That is where the similarities in our games begin and end.”
First-round leader Troy Matteson practiced in a sand trap before heading out to the range. Matteson's swing coach, Jeff Patton, stood in the bunker and took some pictures of Matteson with a camera phone.
“Archive, baby,” said Patton. “That's what it's all about.”
I don't want to make a big deal out of this, but they left without raking the trap.
Rookie Kevin Streelman, ranked No. 1,114 in the world, stuck his third shot 2 feet from the pin at No. 18 South, then tapped in for birdie to complete a 69. That was good for second place and a spot in leader Tiger Woods' threesome.
An hour or so after Streelman finished, several fans were examining the leaderboard posted on the south side of the clubhouse.
They were consumed by the Streelman story.
“If he can cash a huge check this week, that will make his year,” said one observer. Then he added: “Of course, he wouldn't be the first no-name who melted away.”
Dude!
Several players returned to the practice green after their rounds. Vijay Singh was among them, and he was using that contraption he always brings with him. It's this wooden chute that's supposed to keep your putter on line.
For all his success, Singh has had his struggles with the putter.
Said one fan on the way out the gate: “Too bad you can't take that out on the course with you, Vijay.”
Late in the day, I found a $10 bill in the grass outside the clubhouse. As I picked it up, I was reminded of something my father told me: “Always keep your eyes low when you're walking around in a crowd.”
I was going to drop the money off at Lost & Found, but decided to mention it here instead.
E-mail me (kirk.kenney@uniontrib.com) if you think it's yours. Provide a general description – including serial number – and I'll get it back to you.
