Jenny Nguyen is a fourth-year Earl Woods Scholar at the Tiger Woods Foundation. She is covering the action from the Media Center at the 2011 Chevron World Challenge and blogging about her experience.
Sunday 12/4: Tiger's back!
12:57 PM:
Today is the final day at the Chevron World Challenge and things are really heating up! Zach Johnson's amazing eagle Saturday afternoon put him at the top of the leaderboard, bumping Tiger Woods down to second. Today, both teed off at 10:40 AM, neck-and-neck with Tiger just leading behind by one.
I followed Tiger and Zach around the first five holes. The game is so close, with Tiger beating Zach, Zach beating Tiger, Tiger beating Zach... It has been like this all morning, a neck-and-neck tug of war to the finish! Both have made some great shots, some biting mistakes and more than a few phenomenal recoveries.
I watched and walked with the crowd and felt like I was packed in a school of sardines. Fans are pumped up and excited, bobbing and flowing down the lanes, from hole-to-hole. It is great to feel so much energy, so many people rooting for Tiger. I think we all want him to win. No one brings in such a big crowd.
Out here at Sherwood, it's a beautiful day, a great day to watch golf.
I look up at the TV screen and see Rickie Fowler sporting his bright neon orange. Everyone loves Rickie out here. Many fans like to dress like him to show their support. His wardrobe is definitely one of a kind.
The game marches on intensely. Now at the 13th hole, both Tiger Woods and Zach Johnson are under great pressure. Everyone in the Media Center is anxious to see who will take the trophy tonight.
2:49 PM:
Audiences stand by nervously, lined up thickly upon the hills surrounding the 18th hole.
Tiger makes his way down the fairway. Children and adults chant "Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!"
Both Tiger and Zach reach the end of the fairway, ready to take their winning shots. Zach goes first. The crowd goes completely silent. He shoots... but misses by mere inches!! If Tiger makes this next shot, he will be the winner of the 2011 Chevron World Challenge.
The crowd held their breaths, a silence that was about to explode. I talked to myself, praying that he could do it. He will do it. Everyone in the audience leans forward, ready to jump out of their seats. My heart beat loudly. I want him to win so badly. He needs it.
Tiger takes his shot...
AND HE SCORES!!! The crowd explodes! The excitement is almost too much to take. I've never seen a golf crowd get so rowdy! What a great comeback!
"We believe in you, Tiger!!" Someone shouts from the crowd.
Tiger hugs his caddie Joe LaCava, who believed in him all along.
Everyone is so happy, as they watch Tiger receive his trophy. I am back in the Media Center, writing, and my fingers still shake from excitement.
As always, thank you all for allowing me to blog for you all at the Chevron World Challenge. Sure, the CWC is not as big as other tournaments, but it has an appeal of its own. I'm sure we've all appreciated our time here this weekend. Smaller courses make for bigger excitement. Congratulations to Tiger Woods for winning the 2011 Chevron World Challenge!
And of course, let's give a special thanks and round of applause for Greg McLaughlin, CWC Tournament Director and CEO and President of the Tiger Woods Foundation, the Tiger Woods Foundation staff, volunteers and the Sherwood Country Club for making this weekend so awesome for everyone. I am still amazed. Tiger's back!
Saturday 12/3: From the Media Center
It's Saturday morning of tournament week and the air is a little chilly outside. I'm excited because fans are pouring in at the Chevron World Challenge, filling up the parking lots so fast that I had to park far away. Tiger is shifting between 1st and 2nd on the leaderboard, and we're all feeling very hopeful.
The CWC had special visitors this morning: Tiger Woods Learning Center students! 60 TWLC students left Anaheim early this morning for the long drive to Thousand Oaks. This tournament directly benefits them along with numerous other charities and youth-based organizations.
One TWLC member is Sharon Don. Sharon has been going to the Learning Center since the 8th grade and is now currently a freshman at Cal State Fullerton. She is a Communications Major with an emphasis on Advertising.
I hung out with Sharon for a couple hours. We walked a lot of the golf course and swapped stories about how we got into communications. Like me, Sharon told me that she came from a journalism background, after having worked for both her junior high and high school's newspapers. But now, she's interested in communications.
"Because of the TWLC, I think that's why I'm a Communications Major now. There were no advertising clubs in high school. But at the Learning Center, I got to learn about graphic design, animation and movie creation in the Computer Clubhouse. I'm definitely interested in PR," said Sharon. Although Sharon is now in college, she still goes back to volunteer at the TWLC once a week. Sharon is also a Southern California Golf Association Scholar (SCGA).
At the 18th hole, Sharon and I finally found the rest of the TWLC students. We had been walking for a really long time.
This is Caitlin and Shani, who were watching from the front of the row. They told me, "We both want Tiger to win!"
Some of the kids were sooo into the game. One of the boys told me that I was making too much noise, shushing me with his finger. That made me laugh.
Adam (in blue) and Belal are both having fun. I met Adam awhile back when I was interning at the Tiger Woods Learning Center. After three years, I was surprised at how much he's grown! Now, he's already a freshman in high school.
Today was extra special for me because fellow Earl Woods Scholars and friends Sue Lagarde and Bianca Angeles came to visit. I always enjoy seeing them. They came out to volunteer at the Social Media Club.
Sue and me in the Media Center. Excuse my messy desk. It's a writer thing.
So far, I think today was my favorite day. The weather was beautiful outside and everyone seems to be having a great time. I wonder who will win tomorrow?
Friday 12/2: A gorgeous setting
It's day two at the Chevron World Challenge and the game is in full swing. I'm sitting at the Social Media Club Booth, watching Tiger and K.J. Choi go head-to-head on TV. I hear the crowd roar, and then sigh just across the ways. This has certainly been an interesting round, especially after watching both players drive their golf balls into the water at the 15th hole. You never know what's going to happen.
Aside from all the exciting happenings out on the field, I went out for a walk this morning to see the golf course itself and to talk to some tournament fans. And, I also to got to flex my picture taking muscles.
One of my favorite things about the Chevron World Challenge is that it happens in the fall. At the Sherwood Country Club, autumn is definitely here. The first thing I noticed was all the beautiful leaves. A slight breeze would come by, and hues of oranges, reds and purples would come slowly floating down.
I walked away from the crowds and discovered how beautiful the entire course was. The Sherwood Country Club lays tucked away in a beautiful green valley.
There are sparkly little ponds and a waterfall...
Cobblestone bridges and colorful roses...
Fleeting hummingbirds and swimming ducks.
I also met a lot of nice people, excited to be here at the Chevron World Challenge. Eagles for Education, a program created by Chevron, brought 138 students today.
Representatives told me that the kids come from schools all over the South Bay Area. They wanted "to get the kids out, to show them their heroes like Tiger Woods and to give them a chance to get autographs." You can find the students in orange hats.
I also talked to Josie Lionettie, a high school student who came to the tournament with her golf coach's wife Lisa. Josie was so excited. "This is my first golf tournament ever, and it's been the most amazing experience. It's the highlight of my year!" said a beaming Josie, who couldn't stop smiling. She hopes to go to Stanford University and to one day play in the LPGA. "It would be a dream come true," said Lisa, who was very proud of her husband's star student.
It was great to see so many pumped up fans at this year's CWC.
P.J. Carmichael and Tyler Johnson from Bakersfield, showing off their wacky golf club covers, which they won putting at the GEICO booth. Both are huge golf fans.
Chad, today's Social Media Club's lucky winner, won an iPod Touch, autographed by Tiger Woods -- just by following the Chevron World Challenge Facebook and Twitter pages for clues.
On my way to the clubhouse, I bumped into Mr. James White, who has been working at the Chevron World Challenge for the last 4 years. He loves coming out because it's fun and because he gets to "meet a lot of celebrities."
I ended my day by snapping a photo of two boys, stoked by the fact that Rickie Fowler just signed their gear. It's always great to see players who care about their fans. A fan told me that Fowler stood out there signing "all day." Fans really do appreciate it.
Overall, it was a good day. There's something for everyone at the Chevron World Challenge. It's not just the players who have all the fun. So come on out and join this great event!
Thursday 12/1: In the breeze
I'm back on the golf course again, and this time at the 2011 Chevron World Challenge. Conditions at the Sherwood Country Club were perfect this early morning, with blue clear skies and not even a hint of light breeze. Then two hours later, the winds picked up, adding an extra challenge on the course. But if there was one person who didn't mind this inconvenient change of weather, it was Tiger Woods' new caddie Joe LaCava, who told me that he actually "wanted it to be windy." I gave him a crazy look, until he explained to me why. But before I get to that, let's start at the beginning.
K.J. Choi took the lead this afternoon, with Tiger Woods leading only 3 shots behind. I had been waiting for Tiger to finish his game, so I can talk to his caddie Joe. Why? Because you rarely ever hear from caddies. That was enough reason for me to want to talk to one.
If you've ever seen the movie Caddyshack, caddies are much more trouble than they are worth keeping. But in the pros, Joe assured me that "caddies are much more important than for just carrying bags." To be a good caddie, it is required that he possess a deep understanding of the game. It also requires a lot of preparation, especially before a tournament. Before every tournament, the caddie must walk out onto the green to collect data from the course.
Joe told me that typical things to check were yardages, -- meaning measuring distances because it's different at every course and at every hole -- to check out the rough and the green in order to predict how fast or slow the ball will travel on a particular piece of ground. Joe also will keep track of the weather by scoping out conditions beforehand via the internet, or any other important information that would be crucial to the success of the golfer, who will use that information to adjust his game accordingly. Joe revealed that "getting homework done before a player plays" is one of the most important jobs that belongs to the caddie.
And why did Joe say that he liked the wind? "It was rough out there," he said. But the wind added an extra challenge that separated the guys who can win and those who can't in those surprising and difficult situations. It makes for a better game. And Tiger? "Tiger was always very good at thinking his way around the golf course."
After general questions, I probed a little deeper. If you Google "Joe LaCava," all you'd really get is the same stories about his sudden departure from Dustin Johnson to caddie for Tiger Woods. Following suit with the other reporters, I just had to ask the same question again. And Joe was honest about it. He left Johnson because -- duh! -- it was THE Tiger Woods. "It has always been a dream of mine to work with Tiger, and that bag doesn't open every day. It's an honor. If it was any other player, I wouldn't have left." Was it awkward between you and Johnson after that? Joe admitted that it was at first, because "Dustin was like a brother ... He understood, but I still felt bad because he was good to me."
But aren't you worried? Considering how Tiger has been doing? Joe grinned widely and said to me, "No, not at all. I've seen what he's done in the past, what he's done mentally. I know how mentally tough he is."
For fun, I asked Joe his favorite thing about caddying for each of the different players he's worked with. He thought for a moment and said, "Ken Green for his back to back tournaments. Fred Couples, for his laid back demeanor. He was the coolest guy to come along. Men, women, kids all loved him. And Tiger is the best athlete and golfer to ever come along. I have been very fortunate," said a thankful Joe.
With a track record like Joe LaCava, it's hard not to love your job. "If you can't play sports, this is the next best thing. It's even better than being the manager because I get to be right there and have more of a say."
And for the Tiger Woods Learning Center kids back home, I asked Joe how he got into the business and if he had any tips for TWLC students interested in a career in golf.
"Unfortunately, like in everything, it's who you know. Ken Green, I knew him when I was in Connecticut. I also used to caddy at clubs every weekend and summer. It also helps to know how to play. To be a good caddie, you at least have to have an understanding of how to play golf. It goes hand-in-hand." The good news is that caddying brings in good money.
Back in 1987, when Joe started caddying, he barely survived on the money that he made. Now, there is a high enough demand that you can make a good living.
And that was my interview with Joe LaCava. He spoke so fast that I often wrote without even looking at my notepad, which I now could hardly read. But Joe was nice and he was cordial. Caddies work hard. I think they should get more attention.