Last modified: Friday, August 29, 2008 1:27 AM EDT Phil Mickelson, right, talks with Patriots owner Robert Kraft before Kraft tees off on the ninth hole during the Deutsche Bank Championship Pro-Am round Thursday at the Tournament Players Club of Boston in Norton. (Photo from the Associated Press) Trump, Kraft and autographs BY MIKE KIRBY SUN CHRONICLE STAFF NORTON - Today, the fun ends at the Tournament Players Club of Boston. That's because there's a lot on the line as the sixth annual Deutsche Bank Championship tees off at the PGA Tour-owned golf course off Route 140. A $7 million purse. A first prize of $1.26 million. A chance for the PGA Tour's $10 million playoff bonus. Membership on the prestigious Ryder Cup team. A chance to attract attention as one of the world's top golfers, with the perks and sponsorships that status can bring. But that's today. Thursdays at the Deutsche Bank Championship is a day of smiles and slices, of celebrity sightings and corporate back slapping, of autographs, autographs and more autographs. It's pro-am day, when the tournament matches 52 PGA Tour pros with 208 newsmakers and business bigwigs in a best-ball tournament that begins before 7 in the morning and ends after 7 in the evening. Here are a few scenes from Thursday's pro-am. One of the premier attractions of the Deutsche Bank Championship's pro-am day is celebrity billionaire Donald Trump. Each year, his group draws a big crowd, with many fans pointing at him and saying, "You're fired." This year, however, his group is smaller because, instead of his usual afternoon tee time, Trump begins play at 7 a.m., partnering with one of golf's leading men, Sergio Garcia of Spain. The buzz in the crowd is that Trump's trademark hair resembles cotton candy even more than the past. One spectator draws a chuckle when she has Trump autograph a $100 bill. By 1 p.m., a helicopter buzzes over the TPC Boston, the letters T-R-U-M-P on the bottom, its passenger presumably headed back to New York. The biggest crowd of the day follows Phil Mickelson, the sport's biggest star other than the injured Tiger Woods. Mickelson's amateur partners are strictly A-list: New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Deutsche Bank Americas CEO Seth Waugh and New York financier Chase Coleman. The golf is not great - Kraft alone puts two shots in the water at the par-3 16th hole before giving up - but the crowd doesn't care. In particular, Kraft draws warm applause and signs every autograph that's requested, usually from fans wearing Patriots caps. "You knew if you wore that hat I'd stop, didn't you?" he jokes with one young fan. Although the golf is far from the level to which he's accustomed, Mickelson seems to enjoy himself. "I'm looking at it as a practice round," he said when he finishes. "... but it's also a fun day to get to know some very interesting guys." For some fans, pro-am day is the highlight of tournament week. It's the last day fans are allowed to bring cameras, the last day many pros will spend much time signing autographs. Sisters Maura Borah of Mansfield and Denise Sullivan of Hopkinton have brought their young children to the TPC, bought them white hole flags - available in the merchandise tent and perfect for autographs - and stationed them beside the quiet 15th green. Players always gravitate toward younger children, so within a couple of hours their flags are nearly filled with signatures. "We've been doing this for three years now," Sullivan says. "The kids love it. WE love it." Thirteen-year-old Jake Denton of Marshfield is on a streak. He arrived at the TPC at 11:30. By 2:30, he has 10 autographs on his green cap with a large M in front when he spots a crowd around an area near the 18th green labeled Autograph Alley. Vijay Singh, once the world's top players and already a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, is signing. "Vijay! Vijay! Vijay!" he shouts, waving the hat. Singh extends his hand and, because Denton can't reach him, he tosses the great player the cap. Singh catches, quickly signs, smiles and tosses it back. Denton runs back to his father, boasting of his latest acquisition. Why do you like getting autographs, he is asked. He stands puzzled, as if it were something he never considered before. "I don't know," he says. "It's just fun." The fun ended Thursday. The games begin today. MIKE KIRBY can be reached at 508-236-0344 or at mkirby@thesunchronicle.com.