PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Friday was the second round of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches and it appeared the crowd had swollen from the fairways to the practice grounds of the tournament.
Mary Whittelsey simplified why she's shown up every year.
"A famous quote my brother-in-law created is, 'It's a party where a golf tournament broke out,'" she said.
The interesting thing about Whittelsey is that she loves the tournament and golf but doesn't even play.
"My husband played," she said. "We watch a lot of golf. I love to follow golfers — certain golfers — around and it's beautiful here. Why wouldn't you want to be out here?"
The Cognizant Classic has been attracting spectators from all over the country and across the pond.
France Lett is from France. He wanted good golf and a chill atmosphere on the second day.
"I just want to have a good time to watch good players," he said.
Slowly but surely, the field will be whittled down. Whittelsey said she had a golfer in mind for the win.
"Rory (McIlroy), of course," she said. "He's local, first of all, he's a great spokesperson for PGA, big time, and I watched him for the first time when he was 19. So, I got to watch him grow."