Almost All Access

In late May/early June 2024, we traveled to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to visit our dear friends Jim and Lisa. During our visit, we spent one day at the US Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club, as guests of our other dear friends Joe & Shelby, with access to all of the trimmings. A bonus for the day was the opportunity to visit with my goddaughter (Julia) who was working the event as a Production Manager for NBC Sports.

On our way to dinner that evening, Julia asked if I would be interested in working for NBC at the Men’s US Open in our hometown of Pinehurst, NC, in mid-June. She continued by saying; “you would be an extra set of hands doing such things as holding an audio boom for featured groups/interviews, etc.; the equivalent of a roadie on a concert tour.” I was all in. Life is all about experiences!

On Monday morning in mid-June, prior to the Thursday start of the Men’s US Open, I reported to the NBC Compound. The Compound can best be described as a small city/traveling circus with roughly 650 NBC employees/contractors. Tractor trailers and mobile office trailers jammed together for hundreds and hundreds of yards. The majority of the 650 strong would spend a minimum of fourteen-days on site. The sheer volume of equipment/technology was unlike anything I had ever seen! The spirit of comradery among the employees/contractors was truly inspirational.

In short order, I was assigned to Tom, who was responsible to lay miles and miles and miles of fiber optic cable from the Compound to every camera site across Pinehurst #2’s vast property. It appeared from the onset that this was an incredibly daunting task! The cabling was hand fed out of large spools off of the back of utility golf carts. I spent two and a half days with Tom and his team as we finalized the task mid-day on Wednesday.

My fondest memory of Tom was his innate ability to analyze/identify/solve the challenges associated with horrific bird’s nest like tangles in the cabling. These tangles were massive balls of intertwined cable that needed to be sorted out prior to moving along. Tom would literally immerse himself, body and soul, within the mass, swinging and shoving the cable in all sorts of directions to unfurl the enormous maze. Recognizing my significant inadequacies to provide any level of support or assistance, I quietly moved off to the side and attempted to blend into the landscape!

With the cabling project in our rearview mirror, I was then assigned to the set of “Live from the US Open”, (positioned adjacent to the practice pitching/chipping green) with hosts Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee, Paul McGinley, Paige Mackenzie, and Jaime Diaz; where I spent four-days watching and listening to the “talent” break down the events of each day. My responsibilities were murky at best. I believe the executives at NBC, having observed my cabling capabilities, simply wanted me out of the way. I soon came to discover that I was responsible for absolutely nothing however I was available for absolutely everything. When the set was vacant, which was the majority of the day, I found myself inside the air-conditioned structure, rolling around on the hosts desk chairs like a little kid, watching the players cycle through the pitching/chipping area. Suffice it to say, I have never done less in a four-day stretch than my time on the “Live from the US Open” set!

The highlight of my week came at the end of play, when the winner (Bryson DeChambreau) was being ferried across the property to the “Live from the US Open” set while I was strategically positioned on the landing, just outside the entrance to the set. I knew if I stood on the landing long enough, I would have my moment with the Champion. Prior to the Champion’s arrival, a woman with gravitas, suggested it would be a good idea if I removed myself from the landing. Reluctantly, I moved to the bottom of the steps and sat in a golf cart which faced the direction of the oncoming foot traffic. A few minutes later, within five-feet of my location, throngs of people, with cameras in tow, streamed past my golf cart, advancing up the steps to the set. The very last person in the line was the Champion, holding the 18” tall, 6” wide, 8.5-pound US Open trophy. As Bryson walked briskly past, I asked; “Whatcha got there?” He responded; “Something big, shiny and silver.” My moment with the Champion!

Not quite satisfied with my fleeting moment, I made a snap decision; having thought “why not me” as I hopped out of the cart and followed Bryson up the steps to the entrance of the set. As I was closing the door to the set, standing guard inside the door, was the very same women, you know, the one with gravitas, who, without a word, wagged her index finger side to side at me. I dropped my head, wheeled around in shame and with my tail between my legs, exited the set and called it a day!

Well, the final count for the week was 66.5 hours of service to NBC, including 26.5 hours of overtime, not to mention there was some discussion of future opportunities at upcoming Men’s US Open sites. I am still waiting patiently by my phone.

Note:  On late Sunday morning, I had the opportunity to watch Bryson DeChambeau’s pitching/chipping session, prior to his final round. I witnessed a bladed ball zinging out of the sand trap across the green and a pitching/chipping performance that lacked consistency. By no means was this a stellar session!

Roughly six hours later, DeChambeau, using a fifty-five-degree wedge, miraculously stiffed a fifty-yard shot, out of a waste bunker, to four-feet, getting up and down on the 18th hole to win the US Open Championship. Go figure!

Bryson’s comment: “I would be lucky to get the same shot up and down four times out of a hundred. The greatest shot of my life!”

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