Haverford Township Man Reflects on Working the U.S. Open

Fun, despite the “Merion mud.” That’s how Bryn Mawr resident Rusty Tinsley described his four days working at the U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club.

Tinsley worked security detail at Gate 7, which was the entrance on Ardmore Avenue.

It was interesting to see what types of forbidden articles people tried to take into the Open, Tinsley told Patch. Those items included knives of all sizes (including a large hunting knife), cigar cutters, cameras and cell phones. Sometimes he and his coworkers even had to argue with spectators who were trying to bring large bags in.

But despite a few small incidents, Tinsley said the event went smoothly from his perspective, despite what he calls the “Merion mud.”

Heavy rains wreaked havoc on some areas of the golf course, leaving huge swaths of mud in many places, including behind the stands of the first hole and at a nearby concession stand, where he helped a number of people whose shoes were getting stuck in the mud.

Tinsley’s shift went from 4:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Why did they have to be there that early when the gates opened at 7 a.m.? “Good question,” he said, laughing.

But, he said, actually his fondest memories are from those early mornings seeing the dew on the course and watching the grounds keepers working the course and the parade of lawn mowers of all sizes.

Plus, “We had great people locally and volunteers from all over the country.”

Tinsley is not himself a golfer, but enjoys the sport. He said he wanted to work the event for the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

He recalls vividly when Tiger Woods came around to the first hole, there was an avalanche of spectators. It was a site to see, he said. And despite a few hiccups at security, “The crowd was great.”