Midday Report: Hall Bolts Into
Lead With 6-Under Round

By Ken Klavon, USGA

Baltimore, Md. – Walter Hall never posted a better score than 70 in a U.S. Senior Open. That was until Friday.

Finishing up his first round, then immediately starting his second, Hall shot a 6-under 65 to pull even with leader R.W. Eaks at 7 under. Eaks began his round in the afternoon, shortly before play was suspended due to inclement weather. Eaks had bogeyed No. 3, the same hole he had eagled the day before, to fall back to 6 under for the championship. Hall was in the clubhouse with a 7-under 135.

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. With heavy storms halting play Thursday, Hall had to complete three holes in the morning before beginning round two. He knocked off 16, 17 and 18 – arguably three of the toughest holes the course has to offer – then turned around and teed off on No. 10.

He knew with rain softening the course Thursday night, this might have been the best chance to make a run.

“I sure had my day in the sun today,” said Hall. “Fortunately, this was my Tom Kite imitation.”

Tom Kite tees off on No. 15 Friday, a hole he went on to birdie. Matthew Schwenderman/USGA

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 for a 6-under total of 136. He walked off with birdies on holes 2, 3, 10, 13 and 15. He bogeyed the 455-yard par-4 uphill 18^th, sending his approach into the left ridge, just off the fringe, before struggling to get up and down.

Jose Maria Canizares, who entered Friday four shots off the lead, cobbled together another 68 to stand at 6-under 136. 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.”

In the hunt were Fred Gibson, who equaled the 69 he shot in the first round to stand at 4 under overall, and Allen Doyle, who was 2 under Friday and 3 under for the championship. Tom Watson was 4 under after the first round and began play in the afternoon.

Defending champion Bruce Fleisher had another frustrating round, shooting 4 over. When the dust settled, he was at 9-over 151, seriously in danger of missing the cut.  He 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 4^th, 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. “I thought I made all four of those putts. You can say you left some out there, but these are tough greens.”

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 8^th green, Kite’s approach shot became embedded in the turf.

“That little bit of rain we had last night really softened up the golf course quite a bit,” said Kite.

The 55-year-old Hall, who has never placed higher than 19^th 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.

Despite the struggles, he is 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.’ There are some of the greatest players ever to play here.”

Ken Klavon is the USGA Web Editor. E-mail him at kklavon@usga.org.