One is Only a Number

Fountain on Blue Monster Course
 at Trump Doral

The 2014 winter being what it was, I decided why should the youngsters be the ones having all the fun and thought a spring break trip would be nice. Alas, my husband has to work for one of the few universities that does not have spring break and my friends were all working; I'm the retired one. OK spring break for one, it is!

Sunday Monster Seat Tickets
for WGC Cadillac at Trump Doral

Florida was the logical choice and for an avid golfer, the PGA's Florida Swing was an added bonus.  So would it be Miami (WGC-Cadillac) or Orlando (Arnold Palmer Invitational). Easy decision, Miami because the WGC event would have more than the normal cast of golf players (or should I say characters), the Blue Monster course and I had never been to Miami. So now what type of tickets to get? Hhh let me see...as this was my first golf event, I decided to go all out and get the four days of Monster Seat which included 18^th green grandstand seats with full clubhouse and ground access (included drinks and snacks) plus ground access for the practise round. Spring Break here I come!

Rory McIlroy

One is only a number and it comes with endless possibilities and new experiences. Loneliness was not one of those experiences. The best thing about travelling solo was I met a lot of interesting people who I probably would not have met had I been with friends or family. More importantly, the schedule was mine and mine alone. The solo trip made me realize that when travelling with friends and family, we tend to be quite insular and get comfortable with our safety net. I can say with certainty, had I travelled with friends and family I would never had experienced the WGC Cadillac in the same manner.

Luke Donald 

Ok so my golf game is not as bad as I think it is! I saw pros hit shots that left me shaking my head (yeah, that bad), as well as shots that I could only dream about in my wildest dreams (think Bubba at Augusta). They are normal people not gods (last time I checked anyway); so they have their ups and downs, frustrations, temper tantrums, moods and nerves. Ah, yes the nerves; Thursday had a split tee start and the first group off the 10^th tee hit shots in the water, hit an official (saving the shot) and in the bunker. Ironically it would take several more groups to play before a shot actually found the fairway (go Kuchar). It can not be easy to golf with hundreds of spectators a few feet away, watching your every move. The pros don't always have all facets of their game in sink, just like the rest of us. Besides natural talent, they just work harder at all aspects of the game and have the ability to focus and shake off those really bad shots quicker, at least most of the time.

Rickie Fowler

Miguel Ángel Jiménez 

The kids dressed like and following Rickie Fowler were adorable, the grown men were just creepy (yes they were several). The Tiger phenomenon is real and I can honestly say being paired with him must be a challenge. The crowd following Tiger is significantly larger that anyone else (even for the practise round). The only person who even came close to the crowd size was Phil Mickelson, and the size of his spectators weren't in the same league, at least for this championship. Jason Duffer does indeed waggle while Miguel Ángel Jiménez smokes cigars while practising (did not see the wine though)! Bradley Keegan and Jim Furyk have interesting pre-shot routines. The officials will warn you to be watchful when Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson are on the tee (beware of wayward shots). Some spectators need to learn golf etiquette or even better yet, the basics of the game. The Blue Monster was indeed a monster; a lovely immaculate groomed course that chewed up the pros and spit them out as if they were amateurs!  I overheard Justin Rose saying, "I just love this course" as his ball ran across the green and into the water. I've thought the same about some of the courses I've played. This was a no cut event and I suspect several players had wished there was a cut.

Zack Johnson

Graeme McDowell

Now being a responsible adult, my version of spring break was vastly different than that of the wild hordes of student spring breakers! Relaxed, shopped, got too much sun, met new people, drank some wine, laughed and generally had a good time. OK, So maybe not all that different. And yes, I will travel solo again, as one really is only a number.

Tiger Woods with Caddie, Joe LaCava

More photos from the WGC Cadillac Championship can be seen at:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/21108304@N02/sets/72157642894601893/