34 Context-Free Observations From Jessica Hadwin at the WMPO

If there’s one consistent thing about me, it’s that I’m going to be inconsistent with golf-related travel plans. After canceling my original flight to Phoenix—shoutout to never-ending daycare colds, and swearing off the event all together—I found myself on a Friday night flight to partake in the toxicities festivities of a WM Phoenix Open weekend, but mostly to see my husband.

Although it seemed a bit more subdued on the grounds of TPC Scottsdale this year, there was plenty of people watching, foolery, and exciting golf moments to tweet about, but instead of my normal social media babbling, I found myself spending half the trip reminiscing about our old life in Scottsdale and the other half cataloging snippets of golf life in general.

This turned into a running log of intrusive, and often mundane, thoughts in the notes app. They are as follows.

*Via Getty Images

The Lead-In

-The WMPO is like a toxic relationship. Shouldn’t go back, but you do..

-The draw of perfect sunny weather in the middle of winter motivates me to go considering it’s 50 shades of brown and barren in Kansas currently

-Feels strange to go back to where we lived for nearly 10 years of our life together and not have our little home there anymore

-We are staying in someone’s guest house down the road from our old house. Weird.

-Places I want to hit up while back: Workshop Pilates on Pima and Legacy, Marisol Cafe in DC Ranch for the best açaí bowls (update:it’s gone), Alo for some new leisurewear, Flower Child for quick healthy food, Pinnacle Peak hike for a quick and petty hike, Scottsdale Quarter for the vibe and so many family memories

-Things that make me nervous at the WMPO: having to wait in a 7 mile long line for the bathroom (portapotty) on Saturday afternoon, the traffic around the course, walking in the ropes on 16/17, rattlesnakes (we saw one in our yard years ago and I’ve never recovered), Adam’s ball going in the ample water hazards.

-Things I love about it: not having to worry about being as quiet as a mouse on every hole or god forbid even sneezing/dropping something accidentally and the golfers giving you “the look”, watching Adam hit it close on 16 and feeling the energy in the stadium, the views and sunshine, elite people watching, there’s a wonderfully nice volunteer on 16 that I genuinely enjoy seeing every year

-Haven’t even landed in phoenix yet and I’ve already text realtor asking her to put us down for “looking for a condo”

-Am I getting teary eyed as we begin our initial descent? I didn’t even cry at our wedding lol

Friday Night

-Straight to dinner from the airport with some Canadian friends that winter in AZ

-Early bedtime

Saturday

-Get to the course about 8:30 a.m. with Adam (tee time 10:50) and make a beeline for the back patio

-I normally wouldn’t come in with Adam so early but with the setup this week, it was just easier

-Talk about how young everyone looks in the clubhouse and how weird it is that we are now in the old couple category out here

-9 a.m. Adam heads to start his pre-round routine and I head to the parking lot to sit in the car for another hour and a half

-Crowd seems way more subdued for a typical WMPO Saturday

-Front 9 vibe is low. Had to switch up the headphone music from country to 2010’s hip hop and rap

-Took a break at the turn for a snack and decided to stay for an hour and got a “you good?” Text from Adam

-Random spectator on 18 “who’s on this hole” his friend “looks like Zach Harman and someone else”

-Lots of cowboy boots and costumes this year

-Oddest thing I saw was a guy with a blowup doll on his shoulders that appeared to have someone’s actual face printed on it

-Adam finished and went to putt and back to sitting in the car in the parking lot I went

-Saw no bathroom lines anywhere or no rattling serpents. Saw a nice late Saturday afternoon birdie on 16 so I’ll consider it a solid day

-We went for a walk around our old neighborhood and reminisced about all the big milestones Scottsdale brought us

-Went to dinner for a quick date night and then an early bedtime

Sunday

-Get to the course an hour before Adam’s tee time (I drove separately). Definitely more quiet in general around the course

-Sitting in the grass on the first tee waiting for Adam’s group wondering is this grass wet or just cold?

-Starting with country in the headphones again, Zach Bryan to get the day started right

-I can never really see the ball in the air so I just watch Adam’s body language first then look to where I think the general landing point will be

-It appears their group was given a time warning on hole 9. If in being honest it does seem slow.

-Going in for a snack and maybe even a little glass of wine. Seems acceptable to do at this event

-At the turn I start hoping he makes some more putts and can maybe squeak out a top 10

-Their group is a featured group so I’m thinking I’ll watch it on ESPN+ and catch them at 15

-16 was pretty energetic for a Sunday and Adam hit it close which was fun to watch

*Via Getty Images

-After the round we hung out for an hour or so with some Canadian friends at their house then went to the airport

-Adam went on to San Diego and I went back to Kansas to get our crew. Always feels sad leaving each other at the airport even 10 years in

-It is always nice to watch your partner do something they love and get to be a part of their dream

-I was impressed with how much more tame WMPO was. It was a drastic difference from last year. I also saw no Adam Hadwin water balls, bathroom lines, or rattlesnakes

-I couldn’t convince him on a condo…yet