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DEL.ICIO.USStricker dooms Tiger’s weekend
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
Mamaroneck, N.Y. – With one swing of the sharply angled club, his 69th of the day, Steve Stricker made U.S. Open history, as some golf historians put it Friday. With that swing of his sand-iron, out of a bunker by the 9th green, he effectively eliminated Tiger Woods from the U.S. Open Championship at Winged Foot.
Tiger missed the cut! That was the news of the day in Westchester County. Woods had never missed a 36-hole cut in all the majors he has played as a professional, here or abroad. Thus was snuffed out the major news source of this 106th national championship of golf, smothered for days beneath the deluge of exhilaration over Woods’ return to the game, and the drawn-out mourning in print over the death of Earl Woods, his father, nine weeks ago.
Check here the expansive comment of the defending champion, Michael Campbell of New Zealand, who also missed the cut, playing in Woods’ group. “I mean, God,” he said, “you’ve got to give him credit for actually turning up.”
Stricker had been the first player off the tee Friday, beginning at par and plying an even course into the 9th hole, where he found himself in a greenside bunker. He had started on the back nine, and at this juncture found his way back to par. The line to the pin was at a hard angle, leaving him little green to the target.
“Truthfully, I was just trying to get it on the green,” he said. “I caught it perfect, and it checked and rolled right down [to the hole].”
Actually, the ball took a couple of bounces and rolled straight in. Stricker was now 1 under par. Playing five groups behind him, Woods was then 10 under par, and even under the USGA championship rule that allows any player 10 strokes or closer from the lead after 36 holes to continue play, he was closed out – unless he converted a birdie somewhere on the way. Instead, he bogeyed the 8th and for all intents and purposes, surrendered on the 9th where he bogeyed again. He was now 12 over par, and unless the field ahead of him was stricken with some dreadful affliction, Woods was done, and he knew it.
As he plodded heavily down the 9th fairway, some pained voice rang out, “Thanks, Tiger. Thank you, Tiger,” with the ring of sincere appreciation, not a sarcastic dismissal.
It had been a strange quietly peaceful gallery, barely a sound, save for the shuffling of feet and the occasional collision of bodies. None of the usual cries of exhortation, “C’mon, Tiger!” “Go get ‘em, Tiger,” for they knew it was done.
Tiger himself pronounced his own benediction later, when he said, “I was not ready for golf.” His extended home on water, a spacious yacht called “Privacy,” is docked on Long Island Sound, and there is the prospect that it is there he may be found the next few days. The last lingering sign of his entourage was that of his caddie, Steve Williams, in his short trousers, disappearing into the players’ parking lot, Woods’ Buick golf bag across his back.
On the other hand, there was rejuvenation in the story of Steve Stricker, though one would hardly single out Winged Foot as a course to relocate your game. Once Stricker ranked fourth on the PGA Tour, and still later, won the World Match Play Championships at Carlsbad. But then came recession, and after his three-year exemption that came with the Match Play Championship ran out in 2004, he has been without a tour card. The gossip was that after winning the match play title, he switched equipment connections, and he and his new gear never hit it off.
Stricker is a native of Wisconsin, 39 years old and a player on the PGA Tour since 1990. Once one of the brighter prospects on the tour, it all got away from him after the most accomplished victory of his career. Here today, gone tomorrow, as they say, and the mystery is, where did it go?
“I am in a good position,” he said, “but, you know, I need to work on some things on the range, some things I didn’t do so well coming in.”
When last seen, Stricker was toiling away in the unseasonably hot sun on the practice range. Tiger Woods was on his way to no one knew where, but a few days on “Privacy” sounded like a comforting destination.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: Furman Bisher
Comments
By Rick
June 16, 2006 07:54 PM | Link to this
Stricker finishes -1 and Tiger finishes +12, but you blame Stricker anyway? If Stricker had bogeyed nine would you blame Monty? How about placing the blame for the missed cut squarely on the shoulders it belongs on?
Tiger doesn’t make all these phony excuses, why do sportswriters feel the need?
By stin
June 16, 2006 08:19 PM | Link to this
how can tiger be “10 under par” on the 9th hole, then “12 over par” one hole later? don’t know much about golf, but i thought i knew how it was scored. very curious.
By Leroy Rogers
June 16, 2006 08:27 PM | Link to this
I hope we can enjoy the last 36 holes of the U.S. Open without hearing about Tiger Woods! He is gone!
I don’t have a clue why he said he entered to win and then after 36 holes he made the statement it was a mistake to enter.
Come on Tiger…show some class!
By Westchester Express
June 16, 2006 10:36 PM | Link to this
David Duval is the story this weekend. Him being in the hunt come Sunday would be a bigger story than Tiger missing the cut.
By bob
June 17, 2006 12:10 PM | Link to this
hey stin, you clown. Stricker was on 9, Tiger was 5 groups BEHIND @ 10 over. I didn’t even have to re-read, I just know that a writer as experienced as Bisher won’t make that error.