An Open opportunity
If Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson or any other professional golfer thinks he can tame the course at Oakmont Country Club at the U.S. Open this week, Jim Mellin would love to see him try.
Mellin, who lives in Mars, will be one of several Butler County residents working at the event.
He will be one of more than 100 members from Diamond Run Golf Club working the Open.
"I've been fortunate enough to golf at Oakmont 25 to 30 times," said Mellin, who will be a marshal on the 12th green for practice rounds Monday and Tuesday and for the first two rounds of play Thursday and Friday. His main responsibility will be crowd control.
"There's no water that's in play at Oakmont and there's no trees, so people might think that it's an easy course," he added. "But the greens are as fast as lightning. It's like putting on your concrete patio at home. I'll be surprised if any golfer is under par when it's over."
Help Wanted
Bernie Day, 60, of Butler has been through this before. As a member of the Butler Country Club and the U.S. Golf Association, he was chosen as a marshal in 1994 when Oakmont last hosted the U.S. Open and finds himself back again — at the same No. 6 hole.
"Ernie Els won on a playoff hole Monday morning," recalls Day, who has golfed for 35 years. "There was some excitement to it."
Day, a former senior vice president at TruServ, won't be working the hole alone. It takes a large contingent to cover each hole all week long.
"They have maybe 20 of us and we have to cover the hole from 7:30 a.m. Monday to the close of each day until Sunday," said Day. "There are about 15 to 16 people per staff."
"You'll rotate positions on the hole," added Day. "You're not standing at the same spot all day."
Paul Jacoby, 60, of Butler also worked at the No. 6 hole at the 1994 Open and will do the same with the Butler Country Club group again this year.
His wife Barbara will be making her first appearance at the Open.
"It's just special being closer to the players," said Jacoby. "You're inside the rope and you get to see the entire hole — a par 3 — from tee to green. It's nice to see the players and watching them hit and putt."
For some, working at the Open was simply the luck of the draw.
"I joined the (USGA) about 10 years ago," said Evans City's Bart Lalonde, who will work the leader board on hole No. 18. "Last year I received an e-mail from the USGA telling me I was picked to work the Open."
Joyce Hoffman, owner of the Perfect Swing Golf Center in Butler, Elaine Carson, an instructor at the facility and Maureen Huff of Lutheran Services Society will be working a concession stand on hole No. 8 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Thursday.
"We are a faith-based, nonprofit organization based in the North Hills," said Huff, who is Hoffman's sister-in-law. "We provide services to seniors, like employment, home-delivered meals and (Butler Area Rapid Transit).
"We were contacted by the agency in charge of providing food at the Open. Non-profit organizations are eligible to work at such events and (Lutheran Services Society) will receive a percentage of the money we make."
Most of the workers from Butler County are golf fans, but they don't all have a rooting interest in who wins the tournament."I won't be rooting for anyone in particular to win," said Mellin. "I'm just hoping for a great tournament."Since he will be working the leaderboard on the final green, Lalonde is hoping for a bit of drama."I'd like to see a good finish," he said. "Actually, I'd like to see sudden death (18 additional holes Monday)."For Jacoby, it's more clear cut."I'd like to see Tiger," said Jacoby. "I just enjoy watching him."Regardless of who's among the leader board, Jacoby knows the golfers won't have it easy."They took all the trees out," said Jacoby. "Oakmont's a challenge, especially the greens. They're very fast and there are a lot of traps."The way I see it, and I'm relaying what the pros are saying, above par will win it."Lalonde's father took him to the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in 1973.Johnny Miller won the tournament that year shooting a 63 in the final round to win with a minus-5."That was great, but it won't compare to this," said Lalonde. "I was just a young kid back then.""I actually had to pay $150 to work this event because you had to pay for your uniforms," said Lalonde. "I received two golf shirts and a jacket. But at least I get to keep them."Jack Cohen, the director of tourism for Butler County, also will keep his U.S. Open shirts as souvenirs after working at a visitor information booth."And, just the fact that I'll be at the event, it's going to be great," he said.
Tom Menchyk and his wife Linda will be working with transportation and a concessions tent, respectively.Their son, Nick, a graduate of Clemson University, will be working on the groundskeeping crew, and the Menchyks' niece, Jane, will be joining Linda.Tom had the opportunity to help in last year's All-Star Game at PNCPark."I was really underwhelmed by it," said Tom, 57, of Meridian. "The U.S. Open is much more organized."Menchyk will work with special trips and hotel shuttles.Unlike some who are members of the Butler Country Club working as marshals, Menchyk linked to the USGA website to volunteer."They did background checks and an extensive screening process," said Menchyk, a retired Butler Area teacher. "You're in direct contact with these players and driving them."Somehow, I slipped through," said Menchyk, jokingly.Linda and Jane will be working a tent that will benefit the Lupus Foundation. They don't know what they'll be doing just yet."We could be grilling, selling beer or pop and water," said Linda. "We're working from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday."This is all new to me, but it's kind of exciting. I'm looking forward to it. It's a once-in-a-lifetime situation."
The biggest winner of this week's tournament may not be a golfer at all, but the area that is hosting it."To see all the players and just be in that atmosphere, it's a grand event to have in this area," said Hoffman, who was a spectator at Oakmont in 1994. "I'm excited to be participating.""We will be giving fans course layout information as well as details on things to do in Pittsburgh and Butler County," said Cohen. "Allegheny County and Butler County are the only two counties involved in the preparation for this event.""I've been a spectator at Augusta (Country Club) and I've also played the course, in 2002, right after the Masters," Mellin said. "And I still think Oakmont is one of the best courses I've played. This will bring a lot of money and good publicity to Western Pennsylvania."I'm excited and proud to be working at Oakmont."
