Watson’s Lead At Prairie Dunes Elicits Old Memories

By Ken Klavon, USGA

Hutchinson, Kan. – During his heyday on links-style courses, Tom Watson's name was synonymous with leads.

Why should this U.S. Senior Open be any different? The 6,646-yard Perry Maxwell design has all the features of a links track, which can only mean one thing – that the rest of the field is looking up at the native Kansan, whose 4-under 66 this morning held up through the end of the day. He leads the championship with an aggregate 4-under 136.

"Had the Watson-of-old feeling out there today," said Watson, winner of five British Opens. Overall, six of his 11 one-putts led to all of his birdies.

His one-stroke advantage entering the weekend certainly isn't insurmountable, not with the likes of defending champion Allen Doyle, Bob Gilder, Morris Hatalsky and Mark James all in the hunt at 3-under 137. Then there are the likes of 2004 U.S. Senior Open champ Peter Jacobsen and last year's runner-up, D.A. Weibring, waiting in the weeds respectively at 2-under 138 and 1-under 139. The cut fell at 7 over par with 61 players staying for the weekend; only one amateur – Randy Reifers at 4-over-par 144 – made the cut.

Earlier in the week, another former Senior Open winner, Bruce Lietzke (1-under 139), chose Watson to win at Prairie Dunes. By Friday evening, he wasn't backing off that prediction.

"Tom had a real reputation of holding on, and the tougher the conditions, the better, the more disciplined he was, the better decisions he made," said Lietzke. "Jack Nicklaus was like that to a certain extent, but when it comes to a links-style course and the wind blowing, I don't think there ever was a better one."

Even Doyle took notice. He was three groups behind Watson, hearing non-stop roars for the home-state favorite.

"When I say you hope you don't get paired with him, I think it would be better for whoever to be paired with someone more mortal than Tom in Kansas," said Doyle, who matched his 27 putts from Thursday.

There were challengers in the afternoon, however. When Hatalsky stepped over his 25-foot putt on the rolling ninth green, his final hole, he had a chance to catch Watson. But the ball broke left at the end and Hatalsky completed his round with one less birdie than the leader, the difference between first and second.

Hatalsky's name on the leaderboard might elicit thoughts of ‘who's that?' But the former PGA Tour

Morris Hatalsky waves to the crowd on the seventh hole during the second round of the 2006 U.S. Senior Open Championship held at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kansas, Friday, July 7, 2006. (Copyright USGA/John Mummert)

veteran claimed four victories in his career and three on the Champions Tour. Moreover, he's fared well in Senior Opens. He finished fifth at Caves Valley in 2002 when Watson lost in a playoff to Don Pooley, then tied for 12^th the next year at Inverness.

He even sounded like a seasoned player.

"The mistakes are magnified when you're playing a U.S. Open golf course. So you just have to accept the bumps and bruises that you're going to get out there," said Hatalsky.

Besides Watson, Gilder and Jacobsen were the other two players who bestowed a shiner onto Prairie Dunes, also firing rounds of 4-under-par 66 in the second round.

Jacobsen gave himself a chance with a highlight putt on the par-4 ninth. After his approach shot was repelled by the concave green, he sank an uphill 22-footer for birdie from the fairway.

He overcame a chronic sore knee that has been operated on.

"I'm trying to swing like Walter Hagen, but I walk like Walter Brennan out there," he said.

Gilder, unbelievably, had nine birdies on a baked-out track that saw its scoring average rise a quarter-stroke higher (75.26) than Thursday. The downside to his round was that he incurred three bogeys and one double.

So far Gilder has taken an aggressive approach to the course, placing him squarely in the minority.

"I don't care what they think," said Gilder, whose best finish came two years ago when he placed fifth. "All that matters is what I think if I'm going to play well."

James, holder of one senior major title, had an opportunity to match Watson's score, but a bogey on his final hole relegated him to the second-place tie.

Still, the onus is on Watson.

"It's been a very satisfying round from a scoring standpoint," said Watson.

Tom Watson, satisfied with his second round, said he needs to straighten out his driving. (Steve Gibbons/USGA)

Always the perfectionist, Watson wanted to clarify what he meant since it's rather difficult to be dissatisfied with a 66 in a major championship. He said he felt his ball-striking was weak, citing nine fairways and 12 greens hit. He compared his game to an inefficient engine.

"I'm like one of those engines – the old four, six, eight – you never know what cylinder you're going to be hitting on," said Watson smiling.

On top of that, that Kansas native definitely had the crowd on his side as they elicited guttural cheers whenever they could.

And he gave them good reason. For it's been rare that the putter has been his friend. It admittedly torments him on short putts, where of late a problem lies in his inability to bring the club straight back and through. But that wasn't the case Friday.

Home-state advantage or not, Watson finds himself in familiar territory in the championship. He led after the second round last year and after the opening day in 2003. He, more than anyone, realizes what he needs to do to seal the deal.

"Basically it's a trust in your ability to do the job," he said. "Right now my trust in my golf swing is a little bit lacking.

"You know, it's great playing in front of my home crowd. … But I have great respect for this golf course. This golf course can eat your lunch if you're not playing very well."

Ken Klavon is the USGA Web Editor. E-mail with questions or comments at kklavon@usga.org.