Notebook: Going The Long Route To Make The Cut

By David Shefter, USGA

Southampton, N.Y. -- It’s often the story within the story at each U.S. Open. While guys such as Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, et al battle it out for the trophy, those competitors who have battled their way through local and sectional qualifying just to earn a spot in the 156-player field, making the cut is a huge accomplishment.

For one thing, anyone who plays all 72 holes is exempt from local qualifying for the 2005 U.S. Open. And, of course, there’s a decent paycheck waiting Sunday evening, unless you are an amateur.

Thirty-five golfers came to Shinnecock Hills Golf Club who advanced from both qualifying stages. Considering there were 8,726 entries filed for this year’s championship, they defied the odds by just getting here.

	Scott Verplank experienced a wacky sequence during his second round on Friday. (John Mummert/USGA)

Geoffrey Sisk of Marshfield, Mass., has survived the process each of the last two years. It’s not an easy feat. But the 39 year old will have the luxury of skipping local qualifying next year as Sisk made the cut with a 36-hole total of 144. He birdied the ninth hole – his final of Friday’s second round – to get within 10 strokes of the lead. The low 60 players and ties, and anyone within 10 strokes of the leader, qualifies for the weekend.

"It will be nice to get rid of this local (qualifying) stuff because there are a lot of good players at that stage," said Sisk, who played on the PGA Tour in 1999, but now competes in mini-tour events in New England.

"I’ve played some great golf the last two rounds," said Sisk, who tied for 30th at Pinehurst in 1999, but missed the cut in his first Open, which was 1995 at Shinnecock Hills. "I am going to try and change my tee time for Monday morning at the Mass(achusetts) Open."

Four others who went through local and sectional qualifying made the cut. They included amateur Kris Cox, Spencer Levin, David Roesch, Kevin Stadler.

No Heaven On 11

The par-3 11th hole might be the shortest on the course, but it can be a true demon. Just ask Miguel Angel Jimenez, who would have made the cut except for the nine he made in Thursday’s first round. He still managed a 77 and added a 69 on Friday to miss the cut by one stroke. Or in layman’s terms, he played 35 holes in even par and one hole in 6 over.

From The Sublime To The Ridiculous

At the par-5 fifth hole, Scott Verplank sent his second shot left into the weeds. He chopped the ball out into the fairway and then holed out a pitching wedge from 50 yards away for a not-so-routine birdie.

Two holes later, Verplank’s tee shot hit the front of the green and rolled back into the bunker. His next two shots failed to go far enough, with the ball rolling back into the bunker each time. His fourth shot went some 20 feet beyond the flag and he holed his putt for a double bogey.

Eye Opener

U.S. Amateur champion Nick Flanagan had quite a wakeup call. In his second major, Flanagan made it 0-for-2 in made cuts. At Shinnecock Hills, playing with defending U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk and British Open winner Ben Curtis, Flanagan shot a 14-over 154.

	Nick Flanagan, who won last year's U.S. Amateur, shot a 14-over 154 to miss the cut. (Steve Gibbons/USGA)

At Augusta earlier this year Flanagan missed the cut there as well, firing a 78-74.

So, what did he take away from playing in both?

"I didn’t how good these guys actually are," he said. "But I’m not that far off."

Flanagan said he needs to improve his short-iron game and work on other "minor" areas. Still, he leaves Shinnecock fulfilling a dream to play in a U.S. Open and Masters. And something Furyk passed on.

"Jim said he couldn’t believe how good the amateurs are now. Even though I didn’t play well, he was telling me that he didn’t get on the [PGA] Tour until he was 25 or 26," said Flanagan.

Low Amateur, So Far

At 2-over 142 Levin claimed low amateur honors at the halfway point. Having just turned 20 years old on June 15, he will experience his first weekend of U.S. Open golf after having made the cut. His proud father, Don Levin, himself a participant in the 1983 U.S. Open, saw firsthand his son’s hole-in-one on the 179-yard par-3 17^th hole Thursday. That’s because he’s serving as his caddie.

Neither father nor son could seem to put an end to their celebration of the shot, much to the dismay of the other two players in Levin’s group, Payton Osborn and Sisk.

While Levin faces more pressure when he plays this weekend, he has something in common with a former champion of the event. Levin and Lawson Little, 1940 U.S. Open champion, are the two youngest winners of the NCGA Amateur Championship, with Little winning that event in 1928. If Spencer becomes truly inspired and blasts through to win the U.S. Open title this year at age 20, he still would not be the youngest winner of the event. That would be John J. McDermott, age 19 when he won in 1911.

Furthermore, the last time an amateur won the Open was when John Goodman did it 1933.

Father/Son Combo

Bill and Jay Haas made a little history on Friday, becoming just the second father/son combination to make the 36-hole cut in the same U.S. Open. The only other time it occurred was in 1948 at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles when Joe Kirkwood and Joe Kirkwood Jr. accomplished the feat. Jay Haas, 50, is at 140, while Bill Haas, a recent Wake Forest University graduate and a 2003 USA Walker Cupper, made the cut on the number (145). Bill and Jay Haas also competed together last year at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club, but only Jay played on the weekend.

And Finishing Last …

Two David’s, Carr and Duval, shot the highest scores at 25-over 165. Duval, who hadn’t played competitive golf in eight months, capped off a surreal week with a 12-over score Friday.

His round may have been summed up on the famous Redan-style seventh hole. Hovering over a 3-foot putt, he missed it for par. In all, he recorded 13 bogeys, six double bogeys and one triple bogey for the week.

Upset over the final result? Just the opposite.

"My favorite moment of the week was probably getting to play, and where I was staying this week and not wanting to leave," he said.

He was semi-apologetic toward the alternates who waited patiently for the call that never came.

"I can’t think of a better place to go play your first tournament," he said. "I know a lot of people were trying to qualify. But to have an opportunity to play an Open at Shinnecock, it’s something a lot of people can’t do."

At this point, Duval remained non-committal about when he’d return to the tour.

Ken Klavon and John Companiotte contributed.