UNIVERSITY PLACE — Satya Hariharan checked in at the volunteer village right on time Thursday during the middle of the first round of the U.S. Open.
Then he waited to see if his name would be called.
An alternate to be a standard bearer, he was there in case one of the other volunteers did not show for any reason.
But the best part of being a volunteer, he said, is the credential for the country’s biggest golf tournament. Alternate or not, he received all the benefits.
Hariharan, who just finished his junior year at Camas High School, got to Chambers Bay at 7:30 in the morning, five hours before his “shift” as an alternate.
A golfer for the Papermakers, he was going to take advantage of this, watching the best players in the world before possibly working for the best players in the world.
“It’s really great to see how the greens work, up close,” Hariharan said. “You can watch on TV, but to see the greens in person is a whole different thing.”
Plus, he looked good, wearing the swag that junior volunteers receive for free: A new shirt, hat, jacket, and mug. Score!
Standard bearers are the young people you see walking behind each group of a golf tournament. They hold the signs that identify the players and update their scores in relation to par.
They receive all their scoring information from walking scorers, older volunteers who keep track of every stroke from all players in the group.
On Thursday, Vancouver’s Robert Hosack was the walking scorer for the fourth group of the day — John Parry, Josh Persons, and Jack Maguire. This is his second U.S. Open, also volunteering at Pebble Beach in 2010.
“It gives you an opportunity to come and see how the real golfers play,” said Hosack, a 51-year-old golfer who records his handicap at Camas Meadows.
At Pebble Beach, he recorded scores for eight-time major winner Tom Watson. When they reached the famed 17th hole, he could hear Watson and the fans having a conversation about the most iconic shot of Watson’s career — holing out a chip shot on No. 17 to win the 1982 U.S. Open title.
Hosack put it on his calendar as soon as he learned Washington would be hosting the first U.S. Open in the Northwest.
“I watched for the USGA volunteer email,” he said.
It is a tough course to walk — elevation changes on every hole — but worth every step, he said.
“It’s a hike,” Hosack said. “We had a good day. A couple adventures, but other than that, pretty easy. We had one player with a ball in the concession stand.”
It’s the U.S. Open. It happens.
Hosack has to pay attention to everything. He records each stroke on his hand-held computer. All the scoreboards throughout Chambers Bay, all the data on mobile devices, the scores on the TV screens, they all come from walking scorers.
Hosack will be keeping score all four days of this tournament.
Hariharan, meanwhile, is an alternate every day. He said he hopes someone does not show so he can get on the course with the board. (He did get to walk with a group during practice on Wednesday.)
“It’s a cool thing to do,” Hariharan said. “I’m glad I took the opportunity.”
Hariharan scored some free U.S. Open gear.
Hosack got to say he volunteered at another U.S. Open.
That’s a win-win.
