http://www.goshennews.com/localsports/local_story_197110104.html?keyword=topstory
Chuck Grimm returned from the San Diego area last month with a little “California Grass” — the golf course variety.
The Nappanee resident and son Andrew attended the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines where Tiger Woods posted his incredible victory over Rocco Mediate in a playoff.
Woods later revealed he had been playing for at least 10 months with a torn ligament in his left knee and sustained a double stress fracture in his left leg two weeks before the Open.
During Woods’ round on Sunday, Grimm decided to stand near a group of trees where Tiger had hooked his ball the previous three days off the first tee.
“Tiger hooked his ball over there again, close to where we were standing,” Grimm said. “The grass was about nine inches tall, but had been trampled down by the spectators.
“After Tiger hit his second shot I walked over, picked up the divot and put it in my pocket. The marshals hollered at me to put it back, but it wasn’t the kind of divot you take around here. It wasn’t going to grow back.
“I had beige pants on and by the end of the day the color was starting to come through my pants. It was all mangy and dusty by the time I found a plastic bag to put it in. But it’s all California grass.
“I told my son it would be quite a souvenir if Tiger ended up winning the Open.”
This was not Grimm’s first visit to Torrey Pines.
“My son lives in San Diego and we go out every year for the Buick Open,” he said. “My son’s birthday is in June and this is the first time in seven years I’ve been with him on his birthday.
“It was really neat walking around Torrey Pines with him on Father’s Day.”
Grimm and his son began the day by following Ernie Els, then switched to Phil Mickelson before following Woods.
Grimm noticed one big difference between Mickelson and Woods.
“Tiger gets into his mode and the only thing on his mind is golf,” he said. “Mickelson is talking to people and having a good time. It was Father’s Day and Mickelson, after bogeying a hole, took time to walk over to a father and son and give them the ball.”
Grimm didn’t have tickets for the playoff on Monday.
“We had tickets for Thursday and Sunday,” he said. “ We watched the playoff from a local pub.”