Top 10: Bubba, Ben, John and the General

How many fans does it take to set a record at a golf tournament?  This week we found out.  The Waste Management Phoenix Open, which used to be a slightly laid back event at the Phoenix CC, is now so popular that ASU alums fly in for the weekend to attend the golf tournament and hang out at the 16th hole. It may be crazy, but if every tournament could figure out a way to duplicate it, every community would be able to raise the charity money Phoenix has.  And yet, the fans were only one part of the story.

10. General Lee Car

Setting the tone for the week, Bubba Watson drove his newly acquired “ General Lee” Dukes of Hazzard car to the tournament, and for a change people were taking photos of Bubba’s car, not just of Bubba.

9. Chants

Some of the those who regularly return for the 16th hole celebrations have a cheat sheet of phrases to chant as golfers come to the tee.  Some of the info: 

“Mark Calcavecchia:  FL, N Shore HS, 3 time phx op champ, good bowler as a kid, ’89-Brit Op—Troon.”

“Rickie Fowler: Ok St., Murietta HS Nighthawks (CA), “these guys are good” commercials, sister Taylor plays for Cal State Fullerton.”

They need Letterman’s writers.

8. Daly News

A half a world away, in another desert in Qatar, John Daly fought through wind and sand storm to finish 4th.  Even though the event was shortened due to the wind and sand delay, Daly did complete all competitive rounds. 

7. Greenout

Farmer’s Insurance had a College Day on Saturday at Torrey Pines.  Not to be outdone, Waste Management had a "Greenout" on Saturday.  It was estimated that approximately one third of the attendees plus the players, caddies and tournament sponsors wore green .  As a result, Keep Phoenix Beautiful received a donation of $50,000 from Waste Management.

6. Who’s on First?

Tell me when you saw the field with Kevin Na, John Huh, Charlie Wi and Seung-Yul Noh, you didn’t mentally add Ted Oh to the list and start wondering when we were going to have golf’s version of the famous Abbott and Costello routine Who’s on First?   Didn’t you try out a few lines in your head like? 

"Who’s on the tee?" 

"Huh." 

"Huh?" 

"Now it’s Noh." 

"What do you mean no? Who’s on the tee?"

"Na." 

"I’m going to hit you if you don’t tell me who’s on the tee."

"Oh."

Oh, what?

"Oh, Wi."

"No."

"Noh’s gone. Oh, Wi." 

"You are absolutely crazy."

5. Big Leads Gone Bust

For the second week in a row, a humongous third-round lead was wiped out by someone else with a great final round.  More amazing is that it was last week’s third-round leader who did it. 

4. 173,000 Can’t Be Wrong

A new attendance record was set at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, with 173,210 people in attendance. 

A new record, even for them.

As most tournament organizers will tell you, they would be happy with that number in a week.  What is Phoenix doing that everybody else should be doing? Maybe it’s Phun in Phoenix Makes Phans Phock to Golf.  Something to think about.

3. 16th Hole

First it was a few rowdies.  Then they brought friends. Then more bleachers were added, and pretty soon it became its own mini-stadium.  Tennis tournaments not named the US Open would love to have the 16th hole crowd at their events.  Well, except for the noise, perhaps.  But they said the same thing about golf.  And yet the golfers embrace it.  If they don’t, they play someplace where a rock concert doesn’t break out. Like the Augusta National.

2. Bubba and Ben

It was Saturday.  The 16th hole.  Bubba Watson and Ben Crane, half of the Golf Boys, happened to be paired.  After their tee shots, Crane pulled a goofy helmet that he wears in his even nuttier videos out of his golf bag.  He and Watson went to the microphone and started doing a couple of choruses from their video: "Oh Oh Oh."  Then Watson tossed visors to the crowd as he and Crane made their way to the 16th green.  It immediately went viral.

1. Kyle the Comeback Kid

As the song goes, some days you’re the windshield and some days you’re the bug.  Last week Kyle Stanley got crushed by a windshield named nerves and Brandt Snedeker.

This week Stanley was the windshield, powering aerodynamically from an eight-shot deficit to take the title from Spencer Levin who was this week’s bug.  What a gutsy turnaround by Stanley. Is he the next big thing?  Well, he’s this week’s big thing.

Next thing you know he’ll be in a Gillette commercial.