UNIVERSITY PLACE — Yes, Francesco, people do climb that “big mountain.”
Letting inquisitive Italian pro golfer Francesco Molinari know the name of Mount Rainier was just part of Port Ludlow Golf Director Vito DeSantis’ responsibilities at Monday’s U.S. Open practice round at Chambers Bay.
DeSantis and Debbie Wardrop, general manager of the Resort at Port Ludlow, shared afternoon starters duties for the practice round on the 468-yard par-4 10th hole.
They also announced the first tee Wednesday afternoon.
Starters introduce the players as they tee off and begin their rounds.
DeSantis said the opportunity to serve as a starter came around within the past month.
“I reached out to the USGA and [U.S. Open Championship Director] Danny Sink when he arrived a few years ago and said, ‘Hey, I’m a local golf professional and anything I can do to be involved with the U.S. Open, I will do, from sitting on boards to picking up trash,’” DeSantis said.
“I wanted to be as close to the action as possible, since it could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“There’s no guarantee the U.S. Open will be back.”
DeSantis lives in Gig Harbor, where Sink relocated his family when planning for the massive event began.
“I saw Danny at Rotary meetings and other golf events and reminded him,” DeSantis said.
“I had invited him to Ludlow to show him the course and resort and offer the property as a location for the USGA if anyone needed hotel rooms.”
DeSantis said Sink and his wife Lindsay took him up on the long-standing offer just this past month.
“He and his wife stayed and enjoyed the property in the last month or so, and out of blue sent an email to Debbie and I with the chance to be a practice round starter,” DeSantis said.
“It took us about two seconds to say yes.
“So, it wasn’t dumb luck but being in the right place at the right time, and we are certainly grateful for the opportunity.”
Besides introducing players to fans, the pair also controlled a device that connected with the USGA’s scoring system, inputting which players were teeing off and heading out on the course.
“They basically had a printed starting time list that was made up who-knows-when,” DeSantis said.
“But the handheld device was up-to-the-second correct.
“Any players deciding not to play, the device knew instantly and could communicate that back out.”
Sometimes, though, you’re a former U.S. Open winner not on the tee sheet such as Graeme McDowell.
“He came over as a single after a foursome had gone off, with another set ready to go, and we asked him if he was looking to play,” DeSantis said.
“Debbie and I are looking at each other like, ‘What do we do?’ And Graeme said, ‘I’ll just go out and sandwich them.’
“We popped him into the device and sent him out.”
DeSantis said he was surprised at how many golfers were seeking local knowledge on course setup.
“With the dual tee boxes on No. 10, they were asking if they [USGA officials] would have [them tee off] back here a lot,” DeSantis said.
“Bill Haas was really neat. He was asking about the No. 9 hole that has the elevated tee box and the lower teeing area.”
Haas told DeSantis that the lower tee shot looks to be the easier of the two vastly different tee shots because drives from the elevated tee would be more susceptible to wind on the way to the hole.
“It’s pretty lax and cordial between the players,” DeSantis said, “asking about each others families and what they’ve been up to.”
Masters winner Jordan Spieth was popular during an interview session that ran long and pushed back his tee time with 15-year-old amateur Cole Hammer and amateur Cody Gribble.
“We are standing back there with the crowd starting to build and the excitement — the buzz growing — and Jordan turns to Gribble and asks where he wants to tee off,” DeSantis said.
“Gribble said he had no idea, and Jordan said he had played from the back tees a few times.
“So, the amateur turns to Jordan at the last minute and says, ‘Let’s play the forward tee.’
“The crowd starts to boo and hiss and Jordan looks over and says, ‘Way to piss off the hometown crowd.’”
Spieth was jokingly referring to the home-course advantage his caddie, Gig Harbor’s Michael Greller, is bringing to the championship.
“Michael showed up on time with the bag and had to wait for the media session with Jordan to finish,” DeSantis said.
“Michael asked him what was the deal with the delay, and Jordan joked and said, ‘Well, half the questions were about you.’”
DeSantis was thrilled with his luck and the experience.
“I got to see what they were playing in their bags,” DeSantis said.
“What irons, woods, hybrids, putters they are using.
“It was a blast.”
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-452-2345, ext. 5250 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
