Mark McCormick
Mark McCormick, the 49-year-old head pro at Suburban Golf Club in Union, N.J., is doing an exclusive diary for The Post this week, as told to Mark Cannizzaro. McCormick’s caddie, Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez, was the original drummer for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band.
I slept until 5 a.m. this morning and when I woke up I listened to a little Bob Rotella tape, which helped me calm down for the day. I talked to Bob on Monday and his message was: “Have fun. It’s a party. Just let it loose and enjoy it.’’
After speaking to him, it focused me and I realized, “You’re not a spectator, you’re a player. You’ve got to think like a player, think not like Phil Mickelson is your idol, but he’s your playing partner. You’ve got to be focused on playing. You’re not here to just spectate, you’re here to play.’’
OPEN HOLE BY HOLE
That probably got me a little more serious this morning, thinking that I qualified as a player, so let’s go play.
VINI LOPEZ
I got into San Francisco on Monday. The last time I was here was 1970, when I played drums along with Bruce Springsteen in our band, “Steel Mill.’’ I woke up early this morning and as we were driving to the course we passed several venues where we used to play with Steel Mill.
We used to play at the Carousel Ballroom, the Matrix on Filmore Street, a place called the Family Dog and at the College of Marin. It was classing driving by all those places. It’s like Yogi Berra always said, “Déjà vu all over again.’’ I could see us there playing, clear as a bell. Being here has brought back so mamy memories.
The only place among those where we played that’s still around is the Matrix. I’m going to go in there and have a beer tonight. I played golf back then, started in 1967, but I never imagined I’d be back here caddying in a U.S. Open.
Bruce Springsteen, Mark McCormickMark McCormick, Suburban Golf Club, Bob Rotella
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