Rory'in (not the cat) away with the chasing Day....

WARNING: this is written from a non-golfer's point of view

The reason we are in Maryland is because we purchased tickets to the US Golf Open - the last day - thinking it might be close - hah!

So we find out that the closest RV park to the Congressional Golf course is 17 miles away. So the plan was bus to metro - change metro - then bus - then walk. To be fair it all got a bit hard.....so then we tried taxi - didn't turn up in the wops.....so as I am calling another taxi - I look across the RV park. I see a woman wearing white 3/4 pants, sleeveless black top and a visor and it screamed to me GOLFER....then I saw the husband and they reminded me of Bryan and Adele.....these people are golfers. So in true Kiwi style I say...hey there, are you guys going to the golf - sure enough they are golfers going to the golf (gotta love those golf outfits for clues)....I bludge a ride, call Mike over, get in the back of a small jeep with no seatbelts and end up at the US Golf Open.

Ok, what's with the tightest security at a sports event I have ever seen. No cellphones (weird seeing nobody with a cellphone in their hand) - and they are strict on this, no cameras, no this, no that, no water but can take the empty bottle, a bag 8 inches by 8 inches - It's like the airport - through screening, etc etc....of course our bag was too big - so we took stuff out carried it, tied the pack up with a strap, got through security - untied it and put everything back in again he he.....

The Congressional is awesome, think exclusive country club setting, wealth aplenty - I think one guy said 50,000US to play there a year not including membership....beautiful park like setting, heaps of trees - perfect for golfing!!! We arrived, hit the lexus tent where you could do cool stuff - like hit a golf shot in front of a congressional picture and get a free flip book....have your photo taken with the trophy - see below - looks fake but its the real McCoy, free video of you acting out winning on the 18th etc all for free. The merchandise tent was scary - think the size of the warehouse chocker block with bad golf outfits and people fighting over light pink visors!

We had tickets to the trophy club pavilion - sounds posh but really only quicker bar action and nicer toilets and some air conditioning - which was much needed. Got out on the course but after trying a few holes and seeing nothing because of the crowds we secured good seats on the 18th hole grandstand. PERFECT! Saw everything - well Mike did - I wandered around a bit....Right by the golfers walking back to the clubhouse and biffing their golf balls into the crowd.

Rory was awesome....no exaggeration about the crowd, fully behind him, we were fully into the 'Rory' chant and saw the dad on the sidelines - quite teary really.....We were supporting Jason Day - from down under and with that surname! The trophy presentation was right in front of us.....awesome.

All in all a good day (ha). To find our way home was a mission - no signs and a confusing map so after trekking through the golf course again, and bumping into famous golfers aplenty wandering around after everyone had pretty much left, we charged through the clubhouse to a random cab line at a nearby school and caught a cab home. All good.....got the pastel shirt to prove it.

PS because of no cameras have got absolutely no photos to prove we were there - except for this lexus tent shot with the REAL trophy....if you want to check out the congressional click here

PSS forgot to mention - American express handed out these ear pieces for free tuned to the Golf commentary on the radio - awesome, everyone had these white things hanging out of their ear but it saved my life - I at least then knew what was going on...

PSSS I never thought I could write so much about golf  - well there you go!

The real mc'coy