News
Monday, June 22, 2009
Ending On A Positive Note
Farmingdale, N.Y. – Ricky Barnes, leader after the second and third rounds of the 109th U.S. Open, left Bethpage State Park Sunday night without comment, turning down a Golf Channel request for an interview and hurrying off to his courtesy car.
Sporting a dour countenance, he was in no mood for chitchat.
Whether or not the former U.S. Amateur champion can shake out of his doldrums by the time the National Open resumes at 9 a.m. EDT Monday could well determine his fortunes in the final round.
Of course, you couldn’t blame Barnes for being impatient to leave the grounds of the Black Course at Bethpage. Earlier in the day he had gotten to double digits under par in the Open, only the fourth man to reach such heights. He also was ahead by as many as six shots before he spilled a few strokes, including a bogey on his final hole, which capped an even-par 70 and 202 total and left him one ahead of Lucas Glover.
Then he went out and bogeyed the first hole of his final round and was staring at an ugly lie – and another potential bogey – in the right fescue rough short of the green at No. 2 when play was suspended at 8 p.m. because of darkness.
It’s hard enough sleeping on a lead. Barnes had to sleep knowing his scoring ability was starting to bleed. He has to keep it from hemorrhaging.
State of mind is key to that. It will be the key to how this marathon Open finishes up Monday.
“Every shot helps. We’re running out of holes, and the last thing you want to do is finish dropping a shot,” said former British Open champion David Duval, who ended his day by saving par from the rough at the par-4 second after a bogey at the first, and remained tied for third with three others at two under par. “It certainly helps to do something good to end the day.”
Veteran Billy Mayfair said it’s up to each individual in how he bounces back after a bad finish. “It can really ruin your next round, or you can look at a delay like we have as a chance to sort of collect yourself and start fresh,” he said.
“You’re asking a guy who just made bogey on his last hole,” said Steve Stricker, who stumbled at the par-4 sixth to end his day. “It’s been a long week, and I think everyone’s patience is wearing a bit thin, so, really, the last thing you don’t want to do is finish on a bad note. But I know it’s on me to come back ready to go [Monday].
“If you’re mentally tough, then it might not matter. The players who come out mentally tough tomorrow have a real chance to win, I think.”
Like Stricker, Henrik Stenson bogeyed his final hole, the par-4 ninth. He was angry enough to chew on rocks. “You want to keep fighting, and I did that to a large degree, but I messed up the last hole. Not good. Yeah, I am unhappy. But I have to let it go.”
After double-bogeying the par-3 third, former British Open champion Todd Hamilton was sizing up a 15-foot birdie putt when play was halted. He decided to mark it and wait until morning to try and sink it. “I’m having trouble on the greens anyway,” he said.
Even players out of contention agreed that their mindset returning to Bethpage was predicated on how they ended their marathon day.
“You could be a million behind, and you still don’t want to leave here making bogeys and feeling like you’re going the wrong way,” said Masters runner-up Kenny Perry, who birdied two of his first four holes of the final round, one of the few players under par in round four. “I think those of us who don’t have a chance, we just want to get the heck out of here, but we still have work to do, and we’re going to try as hard as we can. I know I’m going to give it my best. Leaving here with a birdie on my last hole, I will sleep pretty good.”
Doubtful all of the 60 players remaining can say that. But those who didn’t let Sunday’s little nightmares on the course invade their dreams overnight are the best bets to handle the harsh realities of a final round in a U.S. Open on Monday morning.
Dave Shedloski is a freelance writer whose work has previously appeared on http://www.usopen.com/.
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