Conference 7.286::golf

    Hale Irwin wasn't having a bad day, he's a first class jerk. Usually he
    spends his time telling the spectators to shutup. He's probably the
    most disliked player on the pro tour, at least by the players. I hated
    it when he won the Open.
    
    Chris

         Gene,
    
                I had tickets to the Open in 1988 at The Country Club in
    Brookline, Ma. and I envy you.
    
     It was great to see all the stars in one place and having a chance to
    watch them. Enjoy yourself !   I wish that I could join you.
    
    
    
                             Ken

Gene,

Thanks for the run down, that was nice of you to take the time.

    Gene,
    Jack Nicklaus is playing in his 35th consecutive OPEN!
    Most people were not able to even attend one OPEN let alone 35
    straight!
    Many of you were not even born when Jack first played in an OPEN!
    
    Lucky you.
    Enjoy and collect the memories!
    Tom

    Gene,
    
    Thanks for the excellent and through recap of Monday's events. I hope
    you had a camera with you for the practice round(s) - I was lucky
    enough to get some pictures of Nicklaus, Watson, Norman, Crenshaw, etc.
    at the 88' Open - one of these days I'll get them in frames !
    
    Please continue the updates - hope you get a ticket to Sunday - it
    will last you a lifetime.
    
    Tom

RE: .4


Tom, are you sure Jack is playing in his 35th open ??

He was 16 when he played in his first, which was 1956 ?

Jim

    
    This is definatly Jack's 35th. 1st Open at 16?? Nothing he does amazes
    me anymore.
    
    Joe

    re:4
    
    16 + 35 = 51
    
    Great update...now I feel like I have played the course.  By the way,
    even though it was a typo...your 518 year hole filled my twisted mind
    with a bunch of humorous thoughts.
    
    Did anyone see the drive Boom-Boom hit on 18 on Saturday.  Par five,
    giving up several eagles.  Freddy smokes it 365 off of the tee, but his
    iron to the green hops off the back and he has to settle for a par. 
    But 365...no wonder a 518 year hole is reachable in two.
    
    SCD

    re: .8
    
    ya I saw it....did you also note it was downwind and wind was 10-20mph
    
    ;^)...
    
    check the conditions...!!

    re:conditions
    
    Wind, schmind...360 is still impressive in the third round of a money
    match, when you are trying to stay close.  Even if it was down hill and
    hit a cart path.  Even Norman was taking a 4-5 iron into that green
    when he eagled it.
    
    SCD

    Hi,
    The 16 + 35 = 51 is very correct and impressive.
    He nearly won the Masters at 18 and had two US Amatuers before 21.
    He won a US Amateur at Broadmoor South at about 18!
    
    Stories about Jack's success abound in Ohio.
    He drove a 424 yard hole at the Scarlet Course at OSU while playing in
    the Ohio State High School Championship. He was awesome long in those
    days!
    
    Well, this 35th had to be by special invite. He still has 4 wins in 7
    outings on the Senior Tour. He could play well into his 70s with luck
    on his side health wise. 
    
    Hope no one feels he is my golfing hero. Actually, he comes from nearby
    my old home in Ohio so is followed closely by me. Once a Buckeye,
    always a Buckeye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Tom

    Re:Hallett fans
    
    Saw a few holes this morning on the early coverage.  Mr. Hallett was in
    the lead at -2 after 12 holes.  Missed a birdie put to put hi in sole
    possession.  Billy Andrade was streaking on the front nine.  The wind
    was blowing and the rough loomed long.  No Boom-boom report, but I
    still have hope.
    
    SCD

    
    Was Francis Ouimet the only amateur to ever win the Open?
    
    Who is Boom-Boom?
    
    			Jimbert

    
    Gene,
    thanks for the great update on the OPEN.. you should write
    for GD.
    
    Hale Irwin,Bruce Crampton,Mark Calcaveccchia and Gary Player
    have no use for fans. Mark calls them "magets".
    
    And the other three look like we are !
    
    16 looks like a fantastic hole . It's a 3 or a 6 with one mistake
    separating birds from DBs.
    
    Looking forward to watching, thanks again..
                 Ang
    

Fellow Golfers,

This is a brief update of my visit to the US Open on Wend. 6/12/91.

What an experience. It really humbled me. I spent 11 hours at the open 
yesterday (the 12th). The weather was beautiful (fairly calm and 88 degrees
today - the 13th - is ugly. 25-35 mph winds hazy and humid - look for some
high scores by the late starters). I shot nearly a hundred pictures 
About 2/3rds of players and 1/3 of the course. I camped out on the 7th tee 
for 4 hours as most of the major players paraded through. I got close 
pictures (less than 10 feet) with a 35mm Nikon with a zoom lens (I 
borrowed the camera from my neighbor).

I hope the pictures turn out. I got pictures of the pros joking and chatting
as well as in action (in various swing poses). All from very close range.

Some more about the course.

I watched about 40 pros tee off on the 185 yard par 3 17th and less than
half of them were on in regulation. The hole is all uphill with a very small
and severely undulated green. Several pros putted it off the green. The hole
has ponds to the left and right - but they won't be the real problems. To
the left of the hole (about 10 feet from the green) is no mans land. It's drops
off very steeply to the left and the ruff is 6 inches at least. I saw two
pros (Phil Blackmoor and Jumbo Osaki) hit it into the hillside left of 17
and each took 3 (count 'em 3) swings to get it out and on the green. 16, 
17, and 18 will be extremely difficult finishing holes.

Hole 15 is a 590 yard par 5 that was said to be unreachable in 2. On
Tuesday witnesses reported that Greg Norman indeed reached the green
in 2 shots. It was reported later that, all in fun, Norman hit a huge 
drive and teed it up in the fairway and hit another driver - thereby
proving that indeed the 15th hole is reachable in two.

A little more about players.

ASU's Phil Mickilson (sp) has to be the nicest, most courteous player
in the tournament. Maybe it's just that he is young but he was really
nice to the crowds - especially the kids.

I might get a ticket for Saturday. If I do I will camp out on the 14th
or 17 green and will be wearing my DIGITAL visor. If I don't get the
ticket I will be glued to the TV like many of you will. At any rate
yesterday was enjoyable and a day I will remember fondly for life.

Signed,

Just another hack who loves the game.

Gene.

    Fellow Golfers,
    
    It is my sincere regrets to announce a tragedy has just occured at the
    US Open golf championship. Lightening has struck a tree on the 11th 
    hole and several spectators have been injured - some seriously. There
    will be more on your newscast this PM. It's just extremely 
    unfortuneate. I don't have anymore details. It's just really really
    unfortuneate.
    
    Rgds,
    
    Gene.

    re: .14
    
    Bobby Jones comes to mind as another amateur who won the Open
    
    
    Boom-Boom is the nickname often use to refer to Freddie Couples...
    of the PGA tour...smooth swing you'd ever want to see and
    l..o....o...n...g

    May I request that somebody posts the leading scores please. I am
    living in Switzerland, and have cable TV (NO US GOLF), and the
    newspapers over here are printed before the results are available.
    Would appreciate leaders plus Ballesteros, Olazabal, Faldo, Woosnam,
    Norman and Sandy Lyle. Hope you will forgive the request.
    
    Norman

    
    Am way off base but in light of the tragety on the course should play
    have been cancelled for the day. I just got the strangest feeling that 
    the golf was more important than someone actually loosing thier life.
    I don't know just kind of left me with a wierd feeling.  

    
    Hi,
    
    	I know what you mean... I felt the same way. The USGA exec was
    	asked the same question, and it's impossible to answer it
    	without sounding like "golfs" more important. 
    
    	But I think the
    	option of cancelling isn't really an option at all under these
    	circumstances. I'm sure	there has been many tragic situations
    	that have occurred when viewing a sporting event, and although
    	everyone feels terrible and helpless... the event still
    	continues. The only time they'll cancel is if they cannot
    	continue play. Which is always weather related. The storm
    	passed, so they continued.
    
    	
    	Walta

One and All,

Since I live in the area of the Open I will post the leaders in this note 
each morning until it's over. For our friends in the Far East and Europe
I will try to post the results of players from your part of the world
regardless of their position.

As most of you know a tragic storm cost the life of one spectator and
injured 5 more - one seriously. The storm caused nearly a 3 hour delay so
not all golfers completed their round yesterday. So here is a composite 
of what's done so far. Greg Norman fans can begin weeping now.

The Leaders

   67 - Noaln Henke
   67 - Payne Stewart
   68 - Tom Byrum
   69 - Scott Hoch
   69 - Mark Calcavecchia

The Followers

  70 - Jack Nicklaus
  70 - Craig Parry
  70 - Davis Love III
  70 - Scott Simpson
  70 - Kieth Clearwater
  70 - Jim Gallagher
  70 - Fred Couples
  
Others

  72 - Nick Flado
  72 - Fuzzy Zeoller
  73 - Wayne Grady
  73 - Ian Woosnam
  74 - Nick Price
  75 - Bernhard Langer
  76 - Billy Andrade (snowman on 15 and 16)
  77 - Lee Trevino
  77 - Jumbo Osaki
  77 - Ian Baker-Finch (picked by local writers to win)
  78 - Greg Norman (43 on the front 9)

Did not Finish

  Seve Ballesteros (even with 3 holes to play)
  Sandy Lyle (-1 with 4 to play)
  

    re:  Boom-Boom
    
    I can see his name close to the leaders.
    
    As for cancelling the tournament...Is this like the earthquake at the
    World Series?  Maybe. Is it a tragedy?  Definitely.  As for continuing
    to play, even some of the golfers felt bad...but consider also that
    there were over 40,000 people there and 100,000 planned for the
    weekend.  Golf is not easily rescheduable(sic).  Today they are playing
    in rain.  I say play on...not quite like the "hit the ball,drag
    Charlie" joke...but once the danger has passed, tee it up again.
    
    SCD

    re .11
    
    Exactly what IS a buckeye ? Is it something like a Hoya ?

    Jack Nicklaus continues to amaze me. I am not a big fan of Jack but the
    man continues to go were no golfer has gone before. Has any other
    golfer played so well at age 51. Was Arnie, Hogan, Player,Snead playing
    so well at that age. Everytime I say Jack dosen't know when to call it
    quits on the regular tour there he is battling it out with the young
    bucks.

    Spent the lunch hour watching the Open. Here's an update as play goes
    off the air until 4:00 CST:
    
    More spectator injuries as a portable bleachers collapses. Many cuts
    and bruises but nothing as severe as yesterdays tragedy. Still another
    mark on the Open.
    
    Norman withdraws with a back injury. Spasms overnight and forces a WD
    
    Some of the Leaders:
    
    Payne Stewart   -7
    Fred Couples    -5
    Nolan Henke     -4
    Ian Woosnam     -4
    
    There are a couple of players in the hunt, names escape me.
    
    Jack +3, +5 for the day 
     
    Ken

    
    What's the latest at the OPEN ?????
    How are the Europeans doing ?????
    How is Fred Couples placed now ?????
    
    Cheers
    John.
    

One and All,

This is a brief update on scores/stories surrounding the US Open's
second round on 6/14/91 at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

Many European, Australian and other favorites are now headed home.
Much has been printed lately about Europeans dominating US players
in Walker Cup and Major tournaments. I think Tom Watson summed it
up best. The European players are just better than anyone else 
right now.

The weather again proved to be a factor. All morning a slight 
drizzle fell and the winds blew. In the PM the sun came out and
the heat and humidity went up. Because of the rain the scores
have been relitively low. That should change for Sat. and Sun. 
in that it is supposed to clear up and dry out. I have been 
living here for over 12 years - so I will remain cautiously 
optimistic about the weather.

Much of what I said in previous notes about certain holes is beginning
to come true. Through 2 rounds the most difficult hole (scoring wise)
has been the par 4 16th with an average score of 4.307. The easiest
has been the par 5 7th hole with an average of 4.76. 

The Leaders

   67-70  137 - Payne Stewart
   71-67  138 - Corey Pavin
   67-71  138 - Nolan Henke   
   70-68  138 - Scott Simpson 

The Followers

   69-71  140 - Scott Hoch
   70-70  140 - Fred Couples
   71-69  140 - Craig Stadler
   73-68  141 - Ian Woosnam
   71-70  141 - Jodie Mudd
   72-70  142 - Sandy Lyle
  
Others

   144 Jose Maria Olazabal
   144 Tom Watson
   145 Chris Perry (hometown boy is making good)
   145 Phil Mickelson (low amateur)
   146 Nick Faldo (can't make a putt)
   146 Hale Irwin
   146 Jack Nicklaus (distressed by son's best friend's accidental death
         in auto accident yesterday)
   146 Tom Kite
   147 Wayne Grady
   147 Ian Baker-Finch

Missed Cut

   148 Paul Azinger
   148 Tom Byrum (native of my home state of South Dakota has a disaster
          of a second round - shoots 68-80)
   149 Bernhard Langer
   149 Seve Ballesteros (72-77 and on his way home)
   149 Fulton Allem
   149 Lee Trevino
   151 Bill Andrade (winner of last 2 consecutive PGA tour events)
   151 Curtis Strange
   152 Jumbo Osaki
   154 Robert Gamez

Highest scores for two rounds belong to

   167 George Daves
       Paul Olgesby

However, there are those that did not finish and withdrew from the
tournament:

   78-WD Greg Norman (back pain and spasims after 9 holes yesterday)
   79-WD Ronan Rafferty (no excuse given)
   81-WD Ken Green (no excuse given - but 81 might have been incentive)
  
The weather seems to be getting better as the hours go by. Enjoy the
tournament as worldwide telecast begins today on "free" TV.

Rgds,

Gene.

One and All,

This is a brief update on scores/stories surrounding the US Open's
third round on 6/15/91 at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

The round can best be described as a winner for Hazeltine. The rain
stopped and the wind began to blow out of the northwest - making holes
14, 15, 16, and 18 play directly into the teeth of the wind. Only 2
players broke par - and they were done before the winds really began
to howl. No player carded a birdie on the 385 yard par 4 16th hole.
The average score on the 16th yesterday was 4.938 Most players hit two 
woods on the 458 yard par 4 18th.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is Lanny Wadkins who, after yesterday's
80, is one stroke out of dead last. However, Lanny is not complaining
about injuries, the weather, the course, etc.

Today' weather will be different. It is now 10 AM, clear, sunny, mild, 
with only a slight breeze. However, the winds usually come in the PM in 
this part of the country. So we shall see. A brief summary:

The Leaders

   67-70-73 210 - Payne Stewart
   70-68-72 210 - Scott Simpson 

The Followers

   69-71-74 214 - Scott Hoch
   74-69-71 214 - Nick Price

   70-70-75 215 - Fred Couples (bad back nine for Freddie)
   67-71-77 215 - Nolan Henke (scores going in wrong direction for Nolan)
   69-73-73 215 Brain Kamm (noted recent winner of the North Dakota Western
                            open in Minot, ND)
   
   71-75-70 216 Hale Irwin (got done before BIG winds - on live TV hoped the
                           winds would get even worse for the leaders - jerk)
   74-79-73 216 Rick Fehr
   72-70-74 216 Sandy Lyle (good to see Sandy playing well again - the press
                           here indicates he had a rough go of it lately)
   70-73-73 216 Craig Parry
  
Others

   217 Corey Pavin (79 yesterday cost him his chance)
   218 Jodie Mudd
   219 Jose Maria Olazabal
   220 Tom Kite
   220 Chris Perry
   220 Ian Woosnam (79 yesterday - blames his poor play - class act)
   221 Ray Floyd
   221 Tom Watson
   222 Ian Baker-Finch
   223 Jack Nichlaus
   225 Wayne Grady
   225 Larry Mize
   225 Phil Mickelson (80 yesterday - but only amateur still playing)

Highest score yesterday was 81 and belonged to Rodger Davis and Stan
Utley. I am surprised there wern't many much worse than that.

Rgds,

Gene.

    So we've got another playoff.
    
    Stewart must be favourite, but don't write off Simpson, who could be
    the worlds best player if they played courses like this every week.
    
    My impression of the last days play ( watching in Ireland ) is that it
    was a bit boring. No charges. I'd say that next years Open at Pebble
    Beach will be better for excitement. It's got the easy holes in the
    front nine so a charge is possible.
    
    Hazeltine seems to be uniformly difficult, especially the last three.
    Its a pity when the excitement is generated in watching someone backing
    up to the rest of the field. Still, thats the nature of the US Open.
    
    I pick Stewart to win the playoff  73-74.
    
    martin

    Gene,
    
    
        Thanks for posting the results upto now. I saw a tape of the third
    days play yesterday evening (Sunday), and have to agree with you about
    the finishing holes being extra tough. The 16th would be real test of
    nerves at the best of times, but with a strong wind blowing...watchout.
        I was very sorry to read about the tragedy that occurred on the
    first day. Awful for the young man's family. However I feel they were
    right to carry on after all the preperations done by so many people.
        Is it right there is a play-off between Stewart and Simpson ? If so
    I'm rooting for Stewart, who I feel is a very underrated player, but
    who I think has a lovely swing and tons of character. 
    
    Norman

    Back to NOTE 1274.8......
    
    More Nicklaus arthmetic came out of a recent Seniors event where his
    second shot to a par 5 was 160 yards, or:
    
            507-160=347  
               

    Re: Couples
    
    I know he didn't win, but he sure put to rest some people's belief that
    he can play the big ones.  I find his style the most exciting to watch. 
    Quite a contrast to Scott Simpson.  Especially when he knows he has to
    bang it to ring up birdies and eagles to reduce the five shot deficit. 
    He looked a lot like me, under bushes, in the trees  of course he got
    out, I'd still be in there.
    
    How bout the birdie at 18.  Only three all day.
    
    SoCalDandy

    re: .33
    
    saw his drive on that 556 yard par five...266 second shot to pin with
    250 to the front and he hits an iron and just gets to the front
    edge...!
    
    on Sat. when Nicklaus was in booth Couples takes out a 6 iron on
    one of the long par threes...tees were set up so on Sat. it was
    212 to the pin according to Nicklaus, then he says Fred is hitting
    the wrong club there...after Couples puts it 10 feet from the pin
    Nicklaus just say "that's a big six iron..."
    
    there's no question in my mind...Fred Couples can hit a golf ball
    outa sight...;^)...

    Re: .30
    
    After watching the Open in person a couple of days I agree with you
    that the course is uniformily difficult. There is only 1 hole where
    the pros could stand on the tee box and say to themselves - I have 
    a good shot at birdie here. That hole is 7 and only if the wind is
    not blowing out of the NW. 
    
    The course is that tough because the USGA wants Open courses where
    the best players of the world have trouble breaking par. I can't
    say I agree with that position but that the way it is. The final
    round was a bit boring unless you like a two man race.
    
    I beleive Simpson will win today because this is his type of course.
    However, I'm betting the scores will be more like 74-76. It's
    12:30 PM, the two players are about to tee it up, and the wind
    is blowing 15-25 mph out of the NW. The last 4 holes are going to
    be extremely tough.
    
    Rgds,
    
    gene.

    Fuzzy tied the course record yesterday (67).  The pros were right in
    their forecast that even on the best of days there will be no 63-64s
    shot at Hazeltine. 
    
    For those of you who may not have heard Payne Stewart and Scott 
    Simpson each shot even par 72's and are playing an 18 hole playoff
    starting about now (12:35 PM Minneapolis time). No one challenged the 
    two leaders in the final round even though weather conditions were
    almost perfect.
    
    Gene.

    It's over. Stewart wins 74-76. Simpson kind of folded towards the end.
    He had a 2 stroke lead but lost it at 16 (again) when he bogeyed and
    stewart holed a 30 footer for birdie. On 17 Payne hit his shot within
    20 feet while Simpson hit his in the water on the left. Simpson made
    an incredible bogey but was now behind by 1. On the 18th both hit
    poor tee shots. Stewart in a fairway bunker on the right. Simpson
    in the rough on the right. Neither hit the green in regulation. 
    However, Stewart got up and down for par, Simpson made bogey to 
    lose by two strokes.
    
    Incredibly, 44,000 fans attended today's proceeding in sunny, warm, 
    breezy weather. A good time was had. I look forward to another open
    some day.
    
    Rgds,
    
    Gene.

    Yup, Simpson lost it more than Stewart won it; but that 4 at 17 will
    long remain in my memory as one of the gutsiest bogeys I've ever seen!
    Though he was still down a stroke, it kept pressure on Stewart, who
    couldn't really relax until Simpson missed his par putt on 18.
    
    Not great golf, but exciting, for sure.
    

>    Yup, Simpson lost it more than Stewart won it; but that 4 at 17 will
>    long remain in my memory as one of the gutsiest bogeys I've ever seen!

	On the other hand, Payne's birdie putt at 16 would still be going if
	it didn't hit the back of the hole, he probably would have made bogey
	and then Simpson makes par and goes 3 up...

	I agree his 4 at 17 was truly impressive.  And I think he was VERY 
	unlucky at 18. From the rough he hits a beautiful shot that lands in
	front of the green and rolls all the way off the back, into more deep
	rough, leaving him an 'impossible' chip...