Hall Shoots Record 65, Overtakes Eaks
By Ken Klavon, USGA
Baltimore, Md. – Going into the second round at the Senior
Open Friday, Walter Hall had never posted a better score than
70 during his three stabs at the championship.
Things change.
After finishing off three holes from the first round early
Friday morning, Hall went on to shoot a 6-under 65 to grab
the lead from first-round leader R.W. Eaks.
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Tom Kite tees off on No. 15 Friday, a hole he went on
to birdie.
Matthew Schwenderman/USGA |
Tom Kite and Jose Maria Canizares were one stroke behind
at 6-under 136. Eaks shot a 73 and was still in contention
at 5-under 37. Isao Aoki, Fred Gibson and Tom Watson followed
at 4-under 138. Seventeen players were even par or better.
And 63 made the cut.
The Senior Open is being contested at the 7,005-yard par-71
Caves Valley Golf Club.
Four times has Hall recorded a 70 during three Opens, the
fourth one wrapping up his first round Friday. With heavy
storms halting play Thursday, Hall had to complete three holes
in the morning before beginning round two. He parred 16, 17
and 18 – arguably three of the toughest holes the course has
to offer – then turned around moments later and teed off on
No. 10.
Hall improved in nearly every facet between the two days.
He took three fewer putts, recorded three more birdies and
hit more fairways and greens in regulation.
The 55-year-old Hall, who has never placed higher than 19th
in a Senior Open, has five top-10 finishes in 19 tournaments
on the Senior PGA Tour this season. In 1971, he turned professional
and tried to gain his card, unsuccessfully, four times. He
returned to amateur status before again turning pro in 1994.
During the first round, he got off to an ominous start by
bogeying his first two holes. It was at that point his caddie
told him to settle down.
Despite the struggles, he was respectful but not awed.
“I try to win every golf tournament,” said Hall. “I don’t
tee it up at the Open and say, ‘I’m the guy here.’ There are
some of the greatest players ever to play here.”
The 65 tied Gary Player, Tom Kite and Jim Thorpe (twice)
for the lowest second-round score in history.
He knew with rain softening the course Thursday night, Friday
would present an ample opportunity to post a number in the
red. How low, he didn’t know.
“I sure had my day in the sun today,” said Hall. “Fortunately,
this was my Tom Kite imitation.”
It may have been a figure of speech, but there was some truth
to it. Kite, one group ahead of Hall, had a masterful round
as well, carding a 4-under 67. He walked off with birdies
on holes 2, 3, 10, 13 and 15. He bogeyed the 455-yard par-4
uphill 18th, sending his approach into the left
ridge, just off the fringe, before struggling to get up and
down.
Canizares, who entered Friday four shots off the lead, cobbled
together another 3-under 68. He also bogeyed No. 18. He putted
26 times, one more time than he did Thursday.
“I played steady,” said Canizares. “My putting today is very
good.”
Aoki birdied four of his first nine holes before three-putting
for his first bogey on No. 10, a straight-as-an-arrow 360-yard
par 4. After sending the approach 45 feet past the hole, Aoki
slammed his club three times in frustration. The ball had
landed in a fairway divot, which didn’t present a decent lie.
“I took a big divot and was putting it back nicely,” said
Aoki through an interpreter.
Defending champion Bruce Fleisher had another frustrating
round, shooting 4 over. When the dust settled, he was at 9-over
151, missing the cut. The last defending winner to miss the
cut the following year was Graham Marsh in 1998.
More determined than Thursday, Fleisher came out and looked
as though he had his game under control, birdieing two of
his first three holes. He then bogeyed the par-3 4th,
the same hole he had bogeyed in the first round. He offered
no excuses, only to say he it was “difficult to smile” and
that he was “lousy” both days.
“I think getting autographs for the cookbook played more
on my mind this week than actually playing golf,” he said,
referring to a colorful recipe book his wife, Wendy, and other
tour wives pieced together. He had been seeking out Arnold
Palmer and Gary Player to sign it.
Kite had golden opportunities on his final four holes, 6
through 9, to go even lower. But he couldn’t sink any of the
birdie putts. “The last four holes I hit beautiful putts.
I couldn’t hit them any better,” said Kite, who had one bogey
against five birdies.
Unlike the first round, in which Watson had a bogey-free
day, the eight-time major winner had an excruciating day with
the putter. He took four additional putts, which constituted
to four bogeys. Back-to-back bogeys on the 17th
and 18th were blemishes on the even-par round.
The greens speeds have confused him, he said.
Earlier in the week, Watson estimated 6-to-10 under would
probably win. He didn’t back off, but realizes for him to
win he needs to put forth a steadier putter.
“This is one of our major championships on the Senior Tour
and I’d like to win it in the worst way,” he said.
After firing lights-out 7-under 64 in the first round, Eaks
stumbled a bit with five less birdies. On No. 3, a long par
5 and the same hole he had eagled the day before, Eaks bogeyed.
“I’ll be honest with you guys,” said Eaks, “I was nervous
starting out, because the way I finished yesterday, I was
a little too apprehensive about today.”
This past week high humidity and miserable heat made the
hilly course that much tougher to walk. On Friday, though,
the course was so soft that on the downsloping 8th
green, Kite’s approach shot became embedded in the turf.
In the mid-afternoon the course took on more water. Inclement
weather caused another delay, this one for an hour, making
the greens super spongy.
“It was an excellent day to score,” said Watson.
Ken Klavon is the USGA Web Editor. E-mail him at kklavon@usga.org.
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