Sunday, August 03, 2008
Fourth Round Running Updates
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Happy Calls
U.S. Senior Open champion Eduardo Romero capped his final press
conference Sunday with two calls from those closest to him in the
golfing world, the legendary Roberto De Vicenzo, who won the first
Senior Open title in 1980, and 2007 U.S. Open winner Angel Cabrera, who
called his friend while he was sitting at the interview table.
"All the people in the village are very excited," De Vicenzo told
Romero in the call. "They are all celebrating."
Cabrera finished early in his PGA Tour event in Akron, Ohio, and
couldn't stay to see his friend win, but called as soon as he heard the final
result.
'El Gato' Wins
As
he walked up the 18th fairway Sunday, fans gave Eduardo 'El Gato (The
Cat)' Romero a raucous applause that perhaps could have been heard all
the way back in Argentina. That's because the 54-year-old Cordoba
native had his first major championship in his grip.
Romero
got to the green, took off his hat in appreciation, bowed, and then
promptly two-putted from 30-feet before raising his arms in victory. He
shot 2-over 73, 6-under 274 for the championship, and finished four
strokes ahead of Fred Funk.
"This is great for me," said Romero immediately after walking off the 18th green. "This day is finally coming true."
Said
Funk: "I would have at least like to have made it close. ... If I made
the putt on 14, it at least might have given me momentum."
Funk had missed a 5-footer and registered a bogey.
Romero
said he realized that the title was on his mind on the the par-4 15th.
Funk had lost four strokes due to a double bogey and bogey on the two
previous holes that afforded Romero a safe lead.
Romero
stumbled in after going as low as 10 under through 10 holes. He
suffered four consecutive bogeys after that, but Funk's tumble helped.
A
couple days ago Romero received a call of support from 2007 U.S. Open
champion Angel Cabrera. The two have been close friends since Romero
financially supported Cabrera as he made his way into the professional
ranks.
Pulling For The Shark
This from our Fellow, Matt Keys:
A few Sundays ago, Greg
Norman tried to capitalize on his improbable
run to claim the Claret Jug for the third time in his career. On that day, some
5,000 miles from Royal Birkdale, I watched the broadcast from my living room
and did my best to summon a supernatural power that would allow me to
personally will Norman to victory – of course to no avail.
Milling about the East Course on this Sunday, I was hunting
for a noteworthy story when I came upon Norman’s
group in the fairway of the sixth hole.
Being a USGA employee, and donned in my USGA getup, I concertedly reminded
myself that, in the final round of this USGA championship, I must maintain an
impartial demeanor at all times.
Simple.
Gripping the club with just his right hand, Norman
methodically placed his wedge behind
the ball before fixing his feet in the desired position. He
waggled the club three times - pausing momentarily between each - then crisply struck the
ball and held his high finish. The ball landed 10 feet from the hole, and five
minutes later, Norman
walked off the green with his second consecutive birdie and an aggregate score
of two under par, just six strokes off the lead.
I’ll watch one more hole, I thought.
On the seventh
teeing ground, he pounded a drive that arched
down the fairway, finishing his stroke with his signature recoil.
Whispers of, 'He can win this thing' began floating about the gallery.
All pretenses were
dropped, and I began racing, albeit unsuccessfully, 10-year-old kids
down the
fairway to claim a highly sought-after vantage point for his next shot.
On eight, he missed a 10-foot birdie putt. No damage done necessarily, and a probable birdie
chance awaited on the par-5, ninth hole. But debauchery struck one again for
the Shark. In the greenside bunker in two, Norman
air-mailed his sand shot not just over the green, but over the heads in the
gallery. A damaging bogey was the result. Following up this hole with bogeys on
10 and 12, Norman
had officially taken himself out of the running. The contingent of Norman followers
was emotionally deflated once again, and I myself returned to the clubhouse
with slumped shoulders.
This certainly wasn’t the ’83 U.S. Open, the ’86 PGA
Championship, or the ’96 Masters for Norman.
It isn’t a devastating defeat that will be highlighted for years. But even
though Sunday was another disappointment for the Shark, his support from crowds
around the world will continually remain steadfast, as demonstrated at this
year’s British Open and all this week in Colorado Springs.
In victory or defeat (sometimes agonizing defeat), Norman
doesn’t waver from his cool, calm and collective demeanor.
The consummate professional, Norman
never throws flack on anyone else’s shoulders but his own for his shortcomings.
That is why this two-time British Open winner is a true
champion in my book.
Open Improvement
Mark McNulty wrapped up his
best-ever finish in the U.S. Senior Open with a 2-under 68. He placed third
at 1-under-par 279. His previous best was a tie for seventh in the 2005 Senior
Open. In 12 appearences in the U.S. Open, he never recorded a top-10 finish.
"I thought I played well
today, but just didn't do enough," he said.
Laughter Medicine
John Cook said he was very disappointed following his fifth-place
finish on Sunday after shooting a final-round 77, but he had a unique way to get
over his depression.
"I'm going to Vegas Saturday night to see (Jerry) Seinfeld,
so maybe that will get me laughing. But I'm very disappointed now," he said.
We Wait
Looks like Eduardo Romero will be the second Argentinean champion in
the Senior Open's history. He'll join Roberto De Vicenzo, who won the
inaugural championship in 1980.
Naturally, as soon as I write that, Fred Funk pulled closer with a birdie on the par-4 17th. Still, he's three strokes back.
Ball Tossing
On a day when the 18th green yielded few birdies, one the biggest
sources of excitement centered on players and caddies tossing balls in the
grandstand as they entered the clubhouse tunnel . Of the participating players,
only two, Loren Roberts and Hale Irwin, failed to clear the grandstand railing on the 18th
green with their balls bouncing back onto the green.
Funk Falls
Fred
Funk is now on the ropes after absorbing a triple bogey on the par-4
13th. Funk drove into the left rough, hit a branch on his second shot
and then was short of the green. He ultimately three-putted.
He helped little that Eduardo Romero bogeyed. He's four strokes up.
Romero Not Into Double Digits
And
just as Eduardo Romero went to double digits, he fell back like a
redwood tree in a California forest - if that makes sense. He's at nine
under now. However, Fred Funk also bogeyed the 11th hole, so Romero is
still three strokes up.
Romero Into Double Digits
I
shouldn't say this, but game over? That's because Eduardo Romero just
sank a tricky 22-footer on the 10th green to create a three-stroke
cushion. When it dropped, Romero allowed for three animated fist pumps.
They Have Made The Turn
And,
according to our Webmaster, Bill Lacey, "it's now basically match play
golf." That was in reference to the top two players making the turn.
Eduard Romero shot even-par 36 to stand at nine under while Fred Funk
also shot the same.
Funk narrowly missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the ninth hole that would have pulled him one shot closer.
And We Are Back
Play has resumed. Officially at 1:17 p.m. MDT.
Play Suspended
Play has been suspended due to a threatening weather situation. It was called at 12:53 MDT.
Romero Increases Lead
Eduardo Romero birdied his third hole
and drop back to nine under. He's three strokes up on Fred Funk through
five holes and five ahead of John Cook.
Dark Shark
Greg Norman came out for the final round Sunday wearing a black shirt
and a black hat. It seemed to match his mood as his putting woes continued. He
missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-4 first hole and an uphill 15-foot
birdie effort on the par-5 third hole. His sidehill birdie try on the par-3
fourth was his third miss of the day.
Both third-round leader Eduardo
Romero and Fred Funk came out in light colors on Sunday. A white shirt
with black sides for Romero and white hat. A light brown shirt for
Funk with a light hat.
Bogey Starts
An ominous beginning for Eduardo Romero
(eight under) and Fred Funk (six under). Both bogeyed the first hole.
Maybe they've had their eyes opened for bears.
Speaking of which, and to belabor the point, but it's been quite a week
for the wildlife here. It makes one (ahem, me) a bit nervous while
walking the course. It's been years since I took a bear-wrestling
class, so I may be a bit rusty if the time comes.
Marker Man
Arkansas amateur Stan Lee was last in the U.S. Senior Open field after
Saturday's third round, but he achieved a first on Sunday, playing by himself in
a championship.
"I had never done that before. I felt kind of lost out
there," said Lee, who shot a 5-over 75.
He did walk with non-competing marker David
Delich, who kept him from being totally lonely. Delich picked up once, but
completed the other 17 holes. The pair finished the round in a speedy time of
3:26.
"It's a wonderful course, but it's really more course than I have game,"
Lee added.
That Pesky Bear
A bear 'visited' the concession stand on the seventh hole last night and had a
smorgasbord of candy bars, bananas, hot dogs and bread. It knocked over the cash
register but did not destroy the tent, which will be operational today.
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Saturday, August 02, 2008
Third Round Running Updates
Fleisher DQ
Former Senior Open champion Bruce Fleisher was disqualified after failing to sign his scorecard before leaving the scoring area. Now you know.
Argentine Combo
Third-round leader Eduardo Romero said he heard
from countryman and 2007 U.S. Open Champion Angel Cabrera after Friday’s second
round, urging him to win the Senior Open on Sunday to complete the
Argentina two-step.
“It would be a great combo for us,
for Argentina, for everyone,”
said Romero, who helped sponsor Cabrera in America.
Romero
said his friend had one other piece of advice for Sunday’s final round.
“Go find
the Argentine restaurant in town, have a big steak, get some sleep and practice
lots before your round tomorrow. If I play like this, I think I’ve got it.”
Getting It Right
After his round, John Cook said the USGA got the course setup right for Saturday's third round, leading to some low scores and an exciting final round for Sunday.
He shot a 4-under-par 66 but said the setup was fair for everybody.
"They got it right today. They had some good pins and it wasn't impossible like yesterday."
Romero In Driver's Seat
Eduardo
Romero put an exclamation point on his third round, finessing in a
3-footer for birdie and heading into Sunday with a two-stroke lead over
Fred Funk.
Romero, shooting 5-under 65, dropped to 9-under
total for the championship. He's bidding to become the first
Argentinean Senior Open champion since Roberto De Vicenzo won the
inaugural event.
"I think so, I think so, I think so," said
Romero when asked if winning Sunday would be his biggest career win.
"It's my dream to win this event."
Romero has posted had three sub-par rounds. He credited it to his confidence on the green.
"I
start two months ago with a belly putter," he said in broken English.
"When I get to green, it's gone from a two- to a one-putt now."
Funk
had a masterful par save on the final hole after deciding to lay up
short of a pond that protects the green. He sank a 12-foot putt and
raised his right arm in triumph.
"My ball game disappeared on the back nine," said Funk.
Catch The Spirit Junior Tent Thrives
From our esteemed USGA Fellow Matt
Keys:
As the 50 and over group battles with the East Course, and
each other, to claim victory this week, the Catch the Spirit Junior Tent is already
winning in its own right.
This year marks the first that a Junior Tent has been
stationed on the grounds of a Senior Open for an entire week. And the children
of the Colorado Springsnoon
on Saturday, nearly 1,200 children had passed through the tent for the day, bringing
the weekly total up to nearly 5,200.
The Junior Tent, located on the first hole of The
Broadmoor’s West Course, offers myriad activities to encourage youngsters to
participate in the game of golf. A full-swing hitting net, a chipping station
and a putting green are available to allow kids to practice and fine-tune their
games. Additionally, to satisfy the high-tech cravings for this Generation Z constituency,
the Junior Tent includes a computer lab and a Nintendo
Wii station (appropriately loaded with Wii
Golf).
The Junior Tent is operated and managed by the USGA Grants
and Fellowship Department located here in Colorado Springs.
This department facilitates the “For the Good of the Game” grants initiative. Over
the past 11 years, the USGA has awarded more than $62 million to junior golf
programs that serve economically-disadvantaged and minority children, as well
as programs that serve individuals with disabilities.
Additionally, the USGA Grants and Fellowship Department
initiates a handful of local and national outreach programs to make the game
more affordable and accessible, including the Catch the Spirit initiative.
Even when the last truck, packed with remnants of this
year’s Senior Open, heads back east, the presence of the USGA in Colorado
Springs will remain steadfast.
Cook Hangs Around
John
Cook stayed in contention with a solid 4-under 66 and aggregate 6-under
204. He knocked in a 4-footer on the 18th hole for his sixth birdie.
"I played a nice back nine," said Cook. "It got me back in the championship."
Eduardo
Romero (eight under) missed a golden chance to increase his lead on the
par-4 17th hole, but he pushed a 5-footer wide. He stood one stroke
ahead of Fred Funk.
Funk Tumbles Out Of Lead
Fred
Funk bogeyed the par-3 12th. His iron shot off the tee fell short of
the green. He ultimately two-putted, knocking in a 4-footer. Eduardo
Romero is now the leader.
Logjam At The Top
And
we have a stalemate again. Fred Funk got in trouble on the 11th hole,
finding a right greenside bunker. He had a marvelous out, to 8 feet,
but couldn't convert the up and down.
The
circumstances for Romero, who is playing with Funk, were different. He
sank a 6-foot birdie putt from above the hole. Both were tied at nine
under.
Geography Challenged
Finding out where a player
is from is not always as easy as looking on the pairing sheet or golf bag. Case
in point is Des Smyth, who has lived in Ireland his entire life and is the
head pro of a course there. He is now listed as being from White Oak, N.C., as the
result of a new marketing deal.
“It was an agreement I had to do,” he said.
Mark
McNulty, a native of Zimbabwe, now lists himself as from
Ireland where he has distant family
ties.
Funk Having A Ball
Through his front nine Saturday, Fred Funk shot 4-under 32 to fall to 10 under for the championship.
Things are going right for him. That was evidenced on the par-5 ninth
hole when he drove into the first cut of rough, found a greenside
bunker and wedged out to within 15 feet of the hole before nailing the
putt.
Funk Goes Lower
Fred Funk knocked in a 20-footer from
below the hole on the par-3 eighth to drop even lower. He's now nine
under. Eduardo Romero is hot on his trail as he also birdied the hole.
He's two strokes behind.
Record Territory
Jeff Klein flirted with USGA 18-hole
scoring history early Saturday, going to 8 under par after 14 holes
before settling for a 6-under 64, the low round of the championship.
But Klein said he was unaware of his record run.
"I didn't know the record or I might have played it different. You
never know though."
His local caddie, James Nagel, said he knew his player was
closing in on Loren Roberts' Senior Open mark of 62.
"We didn't talk scores out
there, but you have eyes, you can see," said Nagel.
Klein Posts 6-Under Round
Getting
as low as eight | | |