Katieshack

U.S. Open Sectionals produce hopefuls and disappoint Tour veterans

Today was a somewhat surprising day as far as U.S. Open qualifying is concerned. Across the country, hundreds of hopefuls teed it up at 12 sites to earn a coveted spot in the U.S. Open Championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links (two international sites saw action in May). Many advanced. Perhaps the larger story, however, are those that didn't make the cut.

Fresh off their one-two finish at the Memorial, neither Justin Rose or Rickie Fowler actually made it through sectional qualifying. A little jaw-dropping that someone can win a PGA Tour event and the next day not top a field of U.S. Open hopefuls? Definitely. But that's the allure of golf: You never know what a particular day on the links will bring.

It's a feat in itself to even make it to a U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier. This year, the USGA accepted 9,052 entries, the second-most entries in the event's 110-year history. After that, those golfers enter 18-hole U.S. Open Local Qualifying at one of 111 sites. Make it past that, and the last thing standing in a golfer's way is that pesky Sectional, a 36-hole day that produces the final players in the U.S. Open field.

I've attended some of these sectional qualifiers, and it's both an amazing and weird cross-section of players. You have your young outstanding amateurs, like a Rickie -- circa 2008 -- and Joseph Bramlett, with their dad or buddy (or nobody) on the bag. In the same group you may have a Vijay Singh or other pro who fell below the top 50 mark (Vijay, incidentally, earned a coveted exemption to avoid qualifying this year) with his PGA Tour caddie complete with white jumpsuit and bib. Don't forget your Tony Romo or other famous athlete, setting aside their lifeblood for a moment to pursue their passion for the sticks.

Here's some names you definitely know who teed it up in Sectionals today (click here for the full list of sites and qualifiers):

Tom Kite (Colorado): DID NOT QUALIFY. Kite tied for third at his qualifier today, shooting 69-68--137, 7 under par. Kite actually won the 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble. It's unfortunate they only took two from this site, Kite would've been fun to watch.

Corey Pavin (Illinois): DID NOT QUALIFY. The 2010 Ryder Cup captain and 1995 U.S. Open winner secured a Second Alternate standing with his fourth-place finish (70-71--141), but fell three strokes short of qualifying.

Jason Gore (Maryland): QUALIFIED! The 1997 California State Amateur champion, current PGA Tour pro and Valencia resident  tied for medalist honors at his qualifying site, shooting 72-64--136. Truly nice guy to boot. He's one to root for.

Tony Romo (Texas): DID NOT QUALIFY. The Dallas Cowboys go-to withdrew after a second rain delay at his site pushed the qualifier to tomorrow. He gave it a great shot.

Colin Montgomerie (England): DID NOT QUALIFY. Wonder why, karma perhaps? No comment.

Eric Axley, Stuart Appleby, Bo Van Pelt, Tom Lehman, Ben Curtis, Aaron Baddeley, Davis Love III, and John Mallinger (Ohio): QUALIFIED! This motley crew of big names (including Long Beach native Mallinger) are going to the open. In their wake include (among many other known names) Rocco Mediate, Kevin Sutherland, Jonathan Byrd, Tim Petrovic, D.J. Trahan, Bubba Watson, Justin Rose, Kevin Streelman, Bill Haas, Charley Hoffman, Rickie Fowler, J.B. Holmes, Jeff Maggert, Woody Austin, and Jay Haas. Wow.

Spencer Levin, Charlie Wi and David Berganio (Sacramento): DID NOT QUALIFY. This California trio collectively missed the boat, and were really not even close to qualifying. It happens.

In the amateur circuit, the No. 2 amateur in the world, Nick Taylor, failed to qualify in  Portland, while Saratoga's Joseph Bramlett did make it through at the Sacramento site (go Joseph!). Bakersfield's Bhavik Patel lost in a playoff at that Sacramento site.

After seeing all of the golfers that missed the cut, it gives a little different appreciation for the talent that did make it to the Open, doesn't it?

San Diego teen scores 6-under-par in three holes at Barona

In the category of "all teenagers are apparently better golfers than me," 16-year-old Xander Schauffele of Scripps Ranch scored a double eagle, a birdie and an eagle on consecutive holes at Barona Creek Golf Club, shooting 6-under par for three holes. Wow.

As reported by Tod Leonard, FORE Magazine contributer and golf writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune, the feat this kid accomplished is so rare, the PGA Tour doesn't even have a record of it happening. The odds of shooting a double-eagle are actually much higher than a hole-in-one also (12,000-to-1 for an ace compared to anywhere from 1-million- to 6-million-to-1 for an albatross), making Xander's hotstreak even more impressive.

Playing with dad Stefan and with PGA teaching professionals Ross Marcano (of Barona) and Paul Marchewka, Xander told the Union-Tribune that “I was so happy I couldn’t stop smiling. I had a face cramp from smiling...It’ll be a good story for my kids. This will never wear off.”

If you want to be depressed about your game, read the entire story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Tim Hogarth and Howie Knodt are SCGA Players of the Year!

Kudos to Southern California's most decorated amateur, Tim Hogarth of Northridge. The owner of the Triple Crown title has earned 2009 SCGA Player of the Year honors! The SCGA Senior Player of the Year is Howie Knodt of Chula Vista, who also earned the title last year.

Hogarth (left), 42, has a portfolio of titles almost too long to list. He had quite a run in 2009 though, and the victories that went toward his Player of the Year award include first-place finishes in the SCGA Mid-Amateur Championship, SCGA Tournament of Club Champions and (for the third year in a row) Pasadena City Championship; second-place finishes in the SCGA Amateur Championship and Los Angeles City Championship; semifinalist at the SCGA Match Play Championship; Round of 32 at the California State Amateur Championship (an event he won in 1999); and a fifth-place tie at the SCGA Four-Ball Championship. Hogarth was also the medalist at U.S. Open Local Qualifying by shooting a course-record 65 at Annandale Golf Club, and earned co-medalist honors at U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifying at El Caballero Country Club (he missed match play at the U.S. Amateur after being eliminated from a 27-man playoff).

Hogarth is also the only player in SCGA history to win the coveted Triple Crown title: SCGA Amateur (2004), SCGA Mid-Amateur (1999, 2007 and 2009) and California State Amateur (1999). If Hogarth can win the SCGA Four-Ball and Match Play events, he will have won every SCGA scratch event offered (excluding senior events, which he will likely dominate as well when he turns 55!).

Knodt, 56, had a magical 2009 season with several notable victories, including first place finishes in the SCGA Senior Amateur Championship, SCGA Senior Match Play Championship and (for the second year in a row) the San Diego Senior City Championship. He also took third place in the SCGA Tournament of Club Champions' Regular Gross Division.

Both of these guys are a lot of fun to watch and they'll be two to keep an eye on going into the fall tournament season!

SCGA alum Rickie Fowler signs with Puma

He's Southern California's current boy-wonder, and now Murrieta's Rickie Fowler has a pretty cool sponsorship deal with one of golf's hippest apparel companies.

Puma Golf has signed the 20-year-old, a former CIF high school standout, Oklahoma State player, and two-time U.S. Open participant and Walker Cupper who turned professional immediately following the U.S. Team's victory in this year's matches.

Currently playing in his second professional event, the Nationwide Tour's Soboba Classic at the Country Club of Soboba Springs, Puma surprised RIckie during the event with a tricked-out, off-road golf cart, complete with roll cage, off-road tires, a push bar and a state-of-the-art stereo system. Fowler will use the cart during the Sept. 30 pro-am, where he'll play with dad Rod Fowler and famed motocross racers Jeremy McGrath and Brock Glover.

Earlier in September, Rickie signed a multi-year equipment deal with Titlist. In October, Rickie will join Justin Timberlake and other celebrities in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open in Las Vegas. He's a busy guy, so keep up with him by checking out his website.

Barona Million Dollar Hole-In-One winner welcomes new baby hours before victory

A new daughter in one arm, a cruise in another. What a great way to spend a day.

The finals of the Barona Million Dollar Hole-in-One Shootout were held yesterday at Barona Creek Golf Club in Lakeside (San Diego), and Oscar Lopez, 32, of San Diego took home the coveted first-place prize of a seven-day Mexican Riviera cruise. He was awarded something a little more special before that magical shot, though.

At 12:16 a.m. that morning, Oscar's wife, Diann, gave birth to the couple's first child: Mia Maria Lopez.

After 10 days of qualifying and 29,077 shots earlier this month at Stadium Golf Center, 17 golfers advanced to the final at Barona, where Oscar landed his ball 16 feet, 10.5 inches from the hole to take home the cruise. If Oscar, or any of the finalists, had aced 170-yard hole, $1 million would have been theirs. The event is sponsored by Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, a beneficiary of several San Diego City and County entities with a football game to be held December 30. In its 31-year history, the Holiday Bowl has generated an impressive $486 million in economic impact, with the 2008 game bringing in 36,052 visitors to San Diego, filling 40,481 San Diego hotel room nights and contributing $34.7 million to the local economy.

Defending champion and SCGA member Matt Sparks of San Diego took second at 20 feet, 9.5 inches, while San Diego's Hien rounded out third at 23 feet, 8.5 inches short of the hole.

The Lopez family's going to need a cruise after all the excitement, congratulations!

The (True) Spirit of the Game

The SCGA recently held its first Parent/Junior Championship at Marbella Country Club in San Juan Capistrano, which is not only our first SCGA junior tournament in recent years, but the first family event we’ve held as well.

I have been fortunate in my time at the SCGA to be privy to many tournaments and have been around many wonderful players (both personality- and talent-wise), but this particular tournament was different: with young players (both male and female) ranging from age 7 to 17, teaming up with their fathers, grandfathers and step-fathers in the modified foursomes format, it was perhaps one of the most inspirational and refreshing tournaments I have been exposed to.

In a nutshell, this tournament reflected the true spirit of the game of golf. Let me explain.

In general, most golf tournaments you go to these days or see on TV, both professional and amateur, feature someone (or a few people) who dampen the mood of the day by complaining about whatever it was affecting their round: “the greens were awful,” “the rough was dangerously thick,” and “that hole placement was unfair” are pretty much the standard lines no matter the level of golf being played (I won’t argue with validity of these statements, although they’re frequently said out of frustration). The term “sandbagger,” used both in jest and seriousness, is a popular one whether in a leisurely game or competitive match, as is, “that person shouldn’t be out here,” or “they aren’t good enough to be in the field.” They sink a putt for par and aren’t happy, or hit a drive offline and slam their club into the ground. Relaxing to watch, similar to a ticking time bomb.

This tournament was different, though. Most, if not all, of these talented kids are not jaded by competition (yet). To see the genuine excitement on the faces and in the voices of the players, both kids and parents, after making a long putt or hitting a great approach shot onto the green was, for lack of a better phrase, REALLY fun. The praise, high-fiving, pats on the back and motivation out there was nice. Although there were two flights, different ages of players were playing together. Many players could not stop talking about what a beautiful course it was and how much they enjoyed playing it. When 12-year-old Frank Cuccia, Jr. scored his first ace ever on the 117-yard 11th hole with his 5-iron, he was beaming the entire day. When 7-year-old Blake Keesey, the youngest and perhaps most talked-about player in the tournament (see the next issue of FORE), came to the scoring area with his father, Victor, and saw the table of silver winners’ plates, he gasped and said, “Wow, those plates are so beautiful.”

When he and his father ended up winning the Vice President Flight of the championship and Blake raised the oversized champions’ plate over his head, the entire field roared with applause and chanted his name.

All and all, it was good, clean golf fun.

This “true spirit” of the game may be different things to different people. To me, however, it’s about appreciation of the sport, enjoyment of the surroundings, camaraderie with both your playing partner and the players in the group, maybe even feeling some sort of pride or satisfaction in an aspect of your game, like a great shot (no matter how dire the round as a whole may have been). Does the true spirit embody competition? Of course it does. That doesn’t mean players have to be excited if they lose — disappointment’s a natural feeling, but is true negativity necessary? No. It doesn’t hurt anyone to be a little happy for the person that wins.

I overheard one of our SCGA committeemen volunteers ask a father if he enjoyed the day. The father smiled, nodded his head, and said something that we should all think about:

“I signed my son and I up for this tournament to spend time with him,” he said. “I work so much and thought this would be a great chance for us to take some time out of our day to be together. I need to do it with all my kids. It was so much more than golf, and we’ll sign up next year because of it.”

Next time you go out to play, think about what golf really is to you, beyond winning. Above anything else, it’s a great opportunity to spend a few hours of quality time with someone you care about and appreciate the activity, which, in the grand scheme of things, is really what’s important.