Go Until No - WM Phoenix Open pt.3

Friday and Saturday at the WM Phoenix Open were great, but Sunday was just the icing on the cake.

Saturday, Taylor and I had talked with one of my classmates and another Cronkite student who mentioned they walked inside the ropes using their media badge. Now let me tell you our media badge didn’t get us any special perks besides going into the media center and using better restrooms.

But then they mentioned they walked inside 16 and our attention was captured.

My classmate said “you can do whatever you want until someone tells you no.” Taylor and I took this statement to heart on Sunday (along with our media badges).

On Sunday after our shift at the media center, we decided to go watch Scottie for a little while as we wanted to support him and continue to be his good luck charm. Somewhere along the way in the middle of the giant crowd we thought to ourselves, let's walk up to Jordan’s group and see him until Scottie. Well, Jordan’s group happened to be on 15, right next to 16.

The wheels in our heads were turning. It wasn’t that crowded at the moment and there was only one security guard blocking the tunnel to 16. If there was any time to get into the Loudest Hole in Golf, it was then. So we made a break for it.

Just kidding, we’re not those people.

I think we went back and forth for a good five minutes before affirming the action to ask the security guard if we could go inside. Our conversation looked something like this:

Taylor starts, “I think we should ask.”

Me being me I go, “I don’t know, it could be risky. But no risk, no reward.”

“The worst they can do is say no.”

“Yeah but do you really think they’ll let us in?”

“We have to try.”

We walked another five steps toward the tunnel when Taylor turns around and eyes wide says, “I’m nervous.”

“Dude me too, but we have to do this. Go until no right?”

(Semi) confidently, we walked up to the security guard and asked if we could go into 16 and film content. He said yes and we were ecstatic.

Walking through the tunnel and around the tee box was an experience for the books. We couldn’t put our phones down to stop filming everything around us.

Soon enough, Jordan’s group came through and being part of the action and the cheering or booing of the crowd is what we had been seeking. When Scottie’s group came, we were still trying to get over the disbelief of being inside 16. I’m not going to lie, I think I was shaking from excitement the entire time.

As we followed Scottie and everyone down 16, we couldn’t stop smiling or looking at each other and laughing. We were just having a good time together and making memories that we know will last.

Once the lead group teed off 17, we decided to pack it up and go home, but not after walking inside the ropes a little more. The chaos had been enough for us for one day and capped off what would be a weekend that we won’t forget.

Taylor and I said goodbye before heading to our separate parking lots and off she went back to school in Texas. It was sad saying goodbye to one of my closest friends and one I’m not sure when we’ll get to see each other again. But I know that her coming for the WM Phoenix Open allowed us to grow our friendship even more and become closer by pushing one another to take risks and going outside our comfort zone. I never would have gone into 16 if it weren’t for Taylor or been brave enough to ask Scottie Scheffler for a picture. I would have just been living the average media pass experience, not one that we made the most of. I’m so grateful that everything worked out not by our plan, but God’s.