Locals have fun time at FBR Open

With the eyes of the sports world on the Phoenix area last week for football's grandest game, one of the PGA Tour's most unique stops also got some extra attention.

The 2008 FBR Open, also known as "The greatest show on grass," hosted record attendance crowds last week, and some Yuma area residents were able to join in on the fun in Scottsdale.

Mark Pancrazi, Ray Ochoa and Mike Blohm were part of the record 120,891 fans in attendance during Friday's second round. The total number for the week was also a tournament record at 538,356. The three went together after receiving some tickets from a friend of Pancrazi's.

"It's an annual visit for me for at least one or two days," said Ochoa, a mortgage broker in Yuma. "It seems to get bigger and bigger, and obviously it's the biggest PGA event on tour that passes through (Arizona)."

Among some of the bigger names they were able to see Friday were Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples, Camilo Villegas, J.J. Henry and eventual champion J.B. Holmes, who beat Mickelson in a playoff on Sunday.

"It's neat to watch them swing a golf club," said Blohm, a farmer in the Wellton Mohawk Valley. "It's amazing what they can do and how effortless it is for them."

After watching some players on the driving range and practice greens, Pancrazi, Ochoa and Blohm said they spent most of their time at the spot on the course where parts of the 10th, 11th and 16th holes were visible.

"It's easier to watch on TV, but I like the layout of the TPC there because it's a stadium course with lots of hills," Ochoa said. "You can pick up players coming up on one fairway all the way to the green and to the next tee box, and watch them come up again on a different hole, so you get the ability to see more than just one golfer."

No trip to the TPC of Scottsdale would be complete without stopping at the course's famous par-3 16th, a hole that has become an attraction of its own and is one of the tour's most intimidating holes because of the grandstands and behavior of the crowds that surround it.

"It's pretty amazing. It looks like a stadium with a golf hole in the middle," Pancrazi said. "It's different because of the fans' reactions. More of them seem to have fun booing a bad shot than clapping for a good shot. I'm sure there are of a lot of people there who don't care so much about the golf as they do being there for the spectacle of the whole thing."

Pancrazi said he and his friends watched a group that included Mark Calcavecchia, a British Open champion and four-time member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team, all hit excellent shots and birdie the hole and receive a small applause. But when a player in the next group hit a poor shot, the boos were loud and clear.

"It's pretty rowdy and some people don't like it, but I was listening to some of the player interviews on XM Radio and they seemed to have a positive experience," Blohm said. "We saw Gary McCord up in his press box there and he seemed to be enjoying himself. It's like a fish bowl, so it's pretty neat to experience something like that, and I've been there before back in 2001 when Tiger was there and that was pretty awesome too."

But the 16th hole isn't the only place where the fans get involved in the action.

"On 10 J.J. put one about 12 feet from the pin and next golfer hit his golf ball and knocked it out out of the way, so he had to figure the closest spot where he was," Ochoa said. "Everyone was yelling 'closer' and 'back' trying to help him, and when he finally put his ball back everyone gave a big cheer."

In addition to the golf itself, Blohm said there were plenty of other things around to grab one's attention, as well as a number of New York Giants and New England Patriots fans in town for Sunday's Super Bowl.

"It's amazing to see some of the outfits people wear," Blohm said. "You don't usually see people in high heels and the whole shebang out on the golf course, and there's plenty of golf advertisements around and things geared toward golf products and golf vacations."

For those considering attending the FBR Open in the future, each of them said parking was frustrating and wished they'd left earlier to have more time to see more golf.

"It's gotten so big it's kind of a hassle getting in and out of there," Pancrazi said. "We parked less than 1/4 mile from the course and had to take a bus to the course, and it was about 50 minutes from the time we parked to the time we got on the course, and then coming out took about an hour too."

"I think it's a great thing to do if you've never done it," Ochoa said. "It's great to just see them hit on the range and practice putting, and at a venue like that the pros are pretty open to shake you hand and be cordial with you."