[Fumblerooskies]

From Chris' golf notebook this morning...

Open tradition

Todd Wetmore's favorite U.S. Open memory came in 2005 at Pinehurst, his first year as a volunteer at the USGA's national championship.

Wetmore, who is the assistant athletics director for athletic media relations at Liberty University, was working in the pro shop at Pinehurst on a lazy Monday. By the early evening, the patrons and players had long abandoned the course, but the Golf Channel was working on some advance shots with the U.S. Open trophy on the 18th green, the same one where Wetmore's favorite player, Payne Stewart, won the Open in 1999.

Wetmore coaxed TGC's production crew to take a photo of him with the trophy, and that picture hangs on the wall in Wetmore's Hancock Center office.

"That's probably the closest I'll ever get to that trophy," Wetmore joked.

Colin Montgomerie could probably sympathize.

Wetmore is at Oakmont this week, marking the third straight year he has volunteered at the Open. Last year at Winged Foot, he drove shuttles between the clubhouse and the main player and caddie hotel. His closest brush with fame came when Vijay Singh climbed into the back of van.

Wetmore didn't get to chit-chat with the Hall of Famer, though. Singh spent the entire trip talking on his cell phone.

At Oakmont, Wetmore is serving as one of 17 marshals on the 10th hole. He begins his shift at 6:45 a.m. and ends at 11 before giving way to a new set of marshals for the afternoon. He worked Monday and Tuesday and will continue to work today and Friday during the Open's first two rounds.

Wetmore's Open streak will end next year, when the tournament moves west to Torrey Pines outside of San Diego. He hopes to work the Open in 2009 when it returns to Bethpage Black on Long Island and wants to make his West Coast trip in 2010, when the Open moves to historic Pebble Beach.

http://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Sate ... th=!sports

For anyone watching...Todd is on the 10th hole Friday working until about 1 PM.

[Sly Fox]

Its interesting they mentioned Montie. He went to Houston Baptist University ... a LU likeminded school right by my work.