Double Bogey Erodes Eaks’ Lead
By Kevin McManemin, USGA
Baltimore, Md. -- On Friday, R.W. Eaks had something he’s
possibly never had in his 22-year career as a professional
golfer: a huge gallery.
Fans followed him from hole to hole, cheering his every drive,
groaning as well-hit putts skidded centimeters from the cup.
As he walked off the first tee, Eaks politely tipped his hat
as the crowd broke into applause, and smiled as a fan shouted
“Tear it up again!”
On Thursday Eaks shot a blistering first round 64 to capture
a three-stroke lead at the U.S. Senior Open. The virtually
unknown Buy.com Tour veteran, who has never placed higher
than seventh in any PGA or Senior Tour event, saw himself
catapulted to instant popularity.
Although Eaks tied the Senior Open record for lowest round,
his play on Thursday was marked by inconsistency. He hit
only 8 of 14 fairways, sometimes missing deep into the rough.
He skulled the ball so far off the fairway on No. 7 he had
to declare it unplayable, and his drive on No. 5 landed about
50 yards off line, near a row of outhouses. Eaks himself
described his record-setting round as “a great round with
some 22 handicapper golf mixed in it.”
So, the fans who eagerly followed Eaks Friday afternoon had
one question on their minds: would he be able to repeat his
stellar performance?
As they watched the ball splash into the lake on No. 3, (the
same hole Eaks eagled on round one) a new question emerged:
would he be able to hold on to his lead?
Eaks was wondering the same thing. “I hit the worst drive
you’ve ever seen in your life on No. 3,” said Eaks after the
round. Eaks credited the rain delay -- play was stopped for
an hour while he was on the sixth hole -- for getting his
game back on track. “I was nervous starting out, and things
didn’t go too well in the beginning,” said Eaks. “The rain
delay…gave me a chance to settle down.”
Eaks played more consistently, if less spectacularly, during
his second round. Whereas his scorecard only held six pars
for the 18 holes in his up-and-down first round, in the second
he made six pars on the front nine. He bogeyed the 6th and
12th, but came back and evened out his score with birdies
on the 7th and 13th.
Were it not for a double-bogey on hole 16, Eaks would have
escaped Friday with an even par. Instead, his 2-over showing
in round two eroded his total to 5 under for the week, and
dropped him into fourth place behind Walter Hall, Tom Kite
and Jose Canizares.
Still, Eaks isn’t ready to pack it in yet. “I’m only two
back, and this is a U.S. Open. And the guys that played good
today, you never know what they’re going to do tomorrow.”
Indeed. Eaks knows this better than anyone.
As he walked off the 18th green on Friday, Eaks
signed autographs and thanked fans for their words of encouragement.
One can only guess what an Eaks autograph was worth on Wednesday.
But if Eaks can return to his first-round form this weekend,
he’ll have proved that his record-setting round was no fluke,
and will have cemented his place in golf history.
E-mail Kevin McManemin with questions or comments at kmcmanemin@usga.org.
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