Irish Open: Day 7 and Closing Remarks
What a week! I could not have asked for a better week to volunteer for the Irish Open. Great weather, good golf, and amazing people. I will surly miss the tournament and the people. I thank everyone who made this possible. Connor O'Driscoll and Simon O'Hara made it an enjoyable week and are some of the most kept together people I have met. Also, thanks to Aidan O'Hara and Robbie at Mt. Juliet for allowing me to take the time off to experience the wonders of a championship.
Connor, Pat, Myself, Simon
It was a fun week for me to see the way a tournament is worked. Even better was the people I met. I did not think that I would meet people from all over the world, but I did. One guy, Gabriele, is from Sardinia and part of the turf program in Cork. He has aspirations to go back home and work on a golf course. Another, Paul or Scotty, is Scottish, but with Irish grandparents, and moved to Ireland when he was young. Scotty, too, is part of the turf program, but has been recovering from an injury. I also met an Australian named Kevin, who spent time in America on the Ohio Program. While there he volunteered at three tournaments and has been doing some ever since. To meet amazing guys from all over Ireland and the world was a surreal experience.
Gabriele, Scotty, and Myself
Kevin and I
Today was relaxing. After morning work of cutting greens, I was able to see some golf. At 11 I was at the range to see Padraig Harrington go through a range session. Then I spent time out on the course just enjoying my time off. To get in some good golf I spent time in the 18th stands, 9th stands, 13th green, and the 8th/14th greens. By mid afternoon I settled in on the 18th fairway watching the players finish their rounds. Some great shots were made and some bad ones. As the leader and eventual winner, Mikko Ilonen, was about to make his was to the 18th, i used my staff pass to go to the club house and sit behind the green on the water. That gave me a great view of the final round of the Irish Open. A spectacular view of the audience wrapping around the front of the hole, connecting the sides to see the final putt drop.
Padraig Harrington on the 3rd
Final Match on 18
Celebration of a Champion
A great finish to the day. The greens staff was invited down to the closing ceremony to watch and get our pictures taken with the champion. We were treated like royalty, security let us through in front of thousands of fans who would have killed to be that close. One little girl even remarked, who are those guys? Just the men who cut the grass.
Crowning of the Champion
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