A Spectale to Behold!

Professional golf has the reputation of being a stiff, boring sport that caters to a more 'reserved' class of society.  It is one of the few sports where paid spectators are forced to be quiet!  However, all the rules change at one hole, and IT IS AWESOME!!!

The 16th hole at the TPC of Scottsdale is more football than golf.  On the scorecard it is nothing more than a benign 165 yard par 3.  With the combination of a natural amphitheater setting and large grandstands it resembles a small stadium.  The best part is that the stands are always full, the crowd is sufficiently liquored up, and they are loud!  Not golf loud but rock concert loud.  They will boo shots that miss the green, and heckle guys that don't want to play along.  Some guys feed off the energy while other guys pucker up and just want to get the hell out of there.  Since the tournament is in Phoenix, ASU golfers always get the 'home field advantage.'  Naturally, University of Arizona golfers get booed as loud as the Dallas Cowboys in Philadelphia.

I'll be the first to admit that twenty years of watching sports, ten years of betting on sports, and nearly three years in sports broadcasting has made me a little jaded.  I root for good stories and individuals more than teams.  However, I saw something at the Phoenix Open today that gave me chills.  Former ASU golfer Billy Mayfair strutted up to the tee at 16 and did something a little different.  He reached into his golf bag and pulled out a number 42 Pat Tillman ASU football jersey.  Mayfair then put on the jersey and hit a shot that bounced off the pin, dangerously close to a hole in one.  The crowd erupted in cheers, and Billy Mayfair sucked in the moment.

Billy Mayfair playing to the pro Sun Devil crowd at the 2010 Waste Management Phoenix Open!