Amateurs With USGA Ties Struggle, But Still Thrilled

By Kevin McManemin, USGA

Toledo, Ohio -- Between them they have won two U.S. Amateurs, two U.S. Mid-Amateurs, a British Amateur, five Metropolitan Amateurs, three Mid-Atlantic Senior Championships and countless other amateur events and awards. Together they’ve made nine starts on Walker Cup squads and have faced the best pros in the world at the U.S. Open and the Masters.

Collectively, they are 38 over par after one round at Inverness.

While Buddy Alexander, Vinny Giles, Jack Vardaman, Danny Yates and George Zahringer are among the most feted and honored amateur golfers of their generation, Thursday they struggled against Inverness’s punishing rough and tight greens at the first round of the U.S. Senior Open.

"It’s quite a difference out here, no question" said Jack Vardaman. "This is sort of a Walter-Mitty-like existence when you’re out here with the greatest players in the game."

Vardaman, while an amateur player, is certainly no novice in the golf world. As the USGA’s general counsel since 1998, Vardaman has helped cement some of the biggest developments in the game in recent years. He’s also no stranger to national competition, having played in the U.S. Senior Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur twice, and the 1995 Senior Open at his home course of Congressional Country Club (where he missed the cut).

With 36 putts for the round, Vardaman found the most trouble on the greens. "I hit the ball alright, but the greens were extremely difficult," said Vardaman. "I just putted so miserably it kept me from scoring."

He stood 8-over 79 par after the first round.

Last year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur champion George Zahringer found Inverness’s greens manageable. But getting to the course’s notoriously tiny greens in the first place caused him headaches. Zahringer hit only four of 18 greens in regulation.

"The course was playing tough because winds were swirling and gusting," said Zahringer. "Club selection was guesswork at times."

Zahringer played well on the front nine, including the dreaded stretch of holes between three and seven that most players have identified as the hardest on the course. But he went 7 over on the back nine to drop him to 8 over.

"On the [back nine] I misjudged a couple of iron approach shots and left myself in difficult spots to get it up and down," said Zahringer.

Vinny Giles, champion of the 1972 U.S. Amateur and 1975 British Amateur, fared the best out of the bunch. He managed three birdies for the day, and finished the back nine 2 under. But Giles hit four bogeys and a double bogey on the front to end the day at 3 over.

Giles was tied with amateur Bob Clark for low amateur honors. It’s a position Giles is well familiar with – he has played in six previous U.S. Senior Opens, and has come away with low amateur honors three times.

Two-time Walker Cup team captain Danny Yates carded five double bogeys on the way to a 13-over score of 84. Another amateur with strong USGA connections, Yates serves on the USGA’s Green Section Committee and has played in 44 USGA events. His career started with the 1966 U.S. Junior Amateur at California Country Club in Whittier, Calif.

"That's why I wanted to play, because it's really a thrill to play in this," said Yates of playing in his second Senior Open. "I played in the U.S. Open in '71 as an amateur and haven't played since."

Finally, Buddy Alexander -- whose name has graced 17 U.S. Amateurs, nine U.S. Mid-Amateur and two U.S. Open leaderboards – stood at 6-over 77.

Despite the high scores, they remain glad they made the trip.

"Every Senior Open is special," said Vardaman. "The fans are very supportive…it’s different from what we’re used to."

And they’re eager to take the course on again Friday, hoping this time the battle will yield better results.

"I’m just hoping to play well and continue playing well," said Zahringer. "I did that for three quarters of the time today, so I hope I can do that all the time [Friday]."

Some are even anxiously eyeing a return to next year’s Senior Open. Zahringer, who earned a two-year exemption to the Senior Open with his 2002 U.S. Mid-Am victory, is looking forward to the event next year at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, the site of the first U.S. Mid-Am.

And whether or not they make the cut and are around to rub shoulders with the cream of the professional elite on the weekend, the investment broker, the insurance company executive, the lawyer, the college golf coach and the president of the golf management firm can always take consolation in something the pros can’t.

For them, no matter how badly they shoot, it’s just a game.

Kevin McManemin is a writer with the USGA. E-mail him at kmcmanemin@usga.org with questions or comments.