Course Turns Into Scoring Machine

By Dave Shedloski

Kettering, Ohio – Conscience continues to take a holiday at the U.S. Senior Open.

The world's best golfers have no qualms about beating up a defenseless golf course. They proved that again Friday when they ravaged NCR Country Club's South Course for a second consecutive day.

With the winds still and the greens soft, players could take aim with impunity. The result was that 36 players broke par in the second round of the 26^th Senior Open, led by Tom Watson, who shot a 6-under-par 65. The recently crowned Senior British Open champion completed 36 holes in 9-under-par 133, tied for the top with Craig Stadler and rookie Loren Roberts.

That score tied the championship record for 36 holes held by Dave Stockton, Simon Hobday and Bruce Fleisher.

Twenty-six players enter the weekend under par because of all the scoring chances NCR has given up. (John Mummert/USGA)

"I didn't think it rained that much, but, obviously, the conditions are so soft that you can just fire the ball at the hole," said Roberts, playing in just his second Champions Tour event after turning 50 last month. "I think with the heat earlier in the week they had to keep moisture on it, and the rain followed and it's just a situation where you keep it in play you can make a score because the greens are holding and they are not super fast."

"You're literally shooting darts," said Ray Floyd, who won the 1969 PGA Championship on NCR South but had not been back since then. Floyd, 62, added a 67 to the 69 he shot Thursday and is tied for fifth with Des Smyth, who shot 66.

The number of players (36) who broke par Friday not only set a record for the second round, but also was a record for any round of the Senior Open. The previous best was 32 players breaking par in the second round of last year's championship at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis.

Furthermore, the cut of 3-over 145 was the lowest cut in championship history, both in aggregate score and relation to par, beating last year's 4-over 146 at Bellerive.

Watson, who won the 1982 U.S. Open and twice has been runner-up in this event, said he expects a winning score to be around the "middle teens," meaning 14-16 under par.

"I think it's going to be pretty low, obviously with no wind – it's perfect conditions, the greens are soft, so it's easy to get to the hole," said Watson, who is coming off a victory last week in very different weather conditions at the British Senior Open in Aberdeen, Scotland, where the wind was blowing and the ground was firm and fast. "These greens are really holding … they're holding a little bit too much, probably."

"The way it is now, it's yielding a lot of birdies," said Stadler, "and if it continues to stay soft the next two days with no wind, it will (yield birdies) as well."

Most of the lower scores were shot in the morning wave Friday, when conditions were nearly identical to Thursday when 30 players bettered par. Tom Jenkins managed to equal Watson's 65 in the afternoon, and D.A. Weibring and Allen Doyle shot 67.

Weibring said the greens picked up pace in the afternoon. Still, if the wind stays away, scoring opportunities should remain. "There will be some more good scores," said Weibring.

Roberts agreed, regardless of the conditions. NCR's South Course can be more difficult, but it is void of trouble that could lead to big scores.

"I don't think I've ever played a golf course with no white stakes, yellow stakes or red stakes," said Roberts, referring to the dearth of trouble on NCR South. "It's straight-forward golf. It's not easy golf by any stretch, but the golf course is there to be had if you hit it well."

Dave Shedloski is a free-lance writer whose work has appeared previously on www.ussenioropen.com.