Notebook: Stadler Takes His Lumps

By Alex Miceli

Kettering, Ohio -- It was another disappointment for "The Walrus."  Playing in the final group for the last two weeks Craig Stadler didn't perform as he hoped or believed he could and in the process blew two chances to win two major championships.

Craig Stadler called his fourth round ugly. (John Mummert/USGA)

Lat week at Royal Aberdeen in the Senior British Open, Stadler shot a 1-over-par 72 to finish in fourth place, three shots off winner Tom Watson's total.  In Sunday's final round Stadler played worse than last Sunday, shooting a 5-over 76 to finish in seventh at 6 under and four shots off of winner Allen Doyle's winning total.

"I've never done it like this before," said Stadler afterward. 

It was a round that started with so much promise as he had grabbed a two shot lead with three birdies and one bogey over the first six holes. At 13 under, Stadler was in the drivers' seat and, no matter who was chasing him, they would have to catch him on, a tall order on a difficult golf course.

Stadler enjoyed his lead for exactly two holes as he struggled to a double bogey on the ninth hole. It dropped him into a three-way tie with Loren Roberts and D.A. Weibring.  But as much as the double-bogey hurt, Stadler was fine where he was.

"I hit two good shots on 10," said Stadler.  "Two good shots -- what I thought were great second shots -- back fringe, three-putted that one.  Then a horrible drive on 11 and made bogey."

The missed opportunity on the par five 10^th hole (which to that point he had registered 9 under on the par 5s) -- when he had a look at eagle with a putter in his hand -- and the bogey on the 11^th hole effectively took Stadler out of the equation. But if he could play well coming in he had a chance.  Stadler would instead bogey the next three holes and then double bogey the 17^th for emphasis before a birdie at the last.

"I made four bogeys after what I thought were four decent shots," said Stadler.  "So obviously they weren't that decent or they would have been on the greens somewhere.  But between that and the fact that I had no clue on the greens today.  I was so bad on the speed.  The first two putts I had, I four, five, six feet wide, then I left a couple more short, which was stupid stuff."

Watson Can't Duplicate British

Tom Watson continued to struggle in Sunday's final round.  After a sparkling 65 in Friday's second round, he finally succumbed to NCR's South Course with 73-71 on the weekend to fall from the lead to a tie for fifth with Wayne Levi at 7 under.

Watson spent the week struggling with his putter, even when he made seven birdies on Friday. He didn't putt well with four putts within kick-in distance, but his ball-striking pulled him through.  Over the weekend Watson had a hard time controlling his ball off the tee, out of the fairway and on the greens and lost any opportunity of winning his second major of the year because of it.

"I only had one good streak in four weeks with the putter, and that was the third round of the British Senior, and I had a good streak there," said Watson.  "I made some long putts this week.  I can't say I putted terribly, but I certainly didn't make good of the opportunities I had."

Watson had his opportunities, starting the day at 7 under par. He was just four shots off the lead, but instead of going in the right direction, Watson was playing.

"The course fooled me a little bit today, and I just felt that -- I didn't feel, I just know that I didn't play enough quality shots today," said Watson.  "As I said yesterday, I had to play -- I could afford maybe one error today, and I made about a half a dozen errors today."

Eagles And Birdies

While a 63 in the final day of a major championship is rare, double-eagles and a hole-in-one are rarer still.  In the final round 2003 champion Bruce Lietzke made a double-eagle and former major league baseball pitcher Rick Rhoden earned a hole-in-one.

Lietzke accomplished his feat on the par-5 sixth hole, using a rescue club from 219 yards. It moved him from 1 over, where he started, to 3 under, which is where he finished.

It is only the second double eagle in a USGA Open championship.  The only previous double eagle was scored by T.C. Chen in the first round of the 1985 U.S. Open at Oakland Hills at the 527 yard second hole.

Rhoden's ace came at the 170-yard, par-3 second hole with a 6-iron.  It was the 13^th ace in Senior Open history and the third in the championship.

Both Walter Hall and Curtis Strange carded aces on the par-3 13^th hole.  Hall used a 4-iron and Strange a 3-iron.

In the last two years six aces have been recorded at the U.S. Senior Open.

Rhoden's ace was also the eighth hole-in-one on the Champions Tour this year and fifth in two weeks, as Tony Price and Nick Job made aces in the first round of the Senior British Open last week at Royal Aberdeen.

Low Amateurs

Greg Reynolds of Grand Blanc, Mich, and George Zahringer of New Your, N.Y., tied for low amateur with 4-over 288s.  Both Reynolds and Zahringer were playing in their third Senior Opens, but it was the first time either had made the cut.  

"Well, it was a great week," said Reynolds.  "Having a chance to play with Arnold (Palmer) for two days and to play well, that was very special.  That will be one of my most memorable golf experiences."

Hard Holes

It's not often the hardest hole on the course is a par 3, but for the week the 13^th hole at 202 yards played the most difficult in the final round and for the championship.  With a stroke average of 3.406 for the final round and 3.335 for the championship, the 13^th hole caused the field fits.

The 13^th had only three birdies and 29 bogeys in the final round, but none felt it more than Loren Roberts and Stadler.

Stadler and Roberts were at 10 under par when they reached the 13^th hole; neither made par nor would either reach 10 under again.

The three birdies were accomplished by Hale Irwin, Levi and Rhoden.

In contrast, the easiest hole was the par five sixth hole that played to a stroke average of 4.531 for the final round and 4.801 for the championship.

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