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Weblog
Saturday, July 25, 2009
First 18 In The Bag
An observer's point of view - there seemed to be many tired swings out of Hwang and Spieth in the morning 18. Both gave different answers when they were asked which is more difficult to maintain: the physical or mental edge. Both said physical, which surprised me because of their ages. Thought they'd be mentally drained by now.
Due to the tired swings, they've had to scramble more than any time during their previous five rounds. This is the first time Hwang has trailed in a match since Thursday.
Spieth did appear frustrated a few times when putts didn't drop. He said the 12-footer on No. 18 that evened things gave him confidence into this afternoon.
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The Final
There is an innocence to Sam Hwang. He's ecstatic he's in the final, but to some degree, it doesn't seem like he quite grasps what he's accomplished. He cheerfully sat in a golf cart, sometimes all alone, Friday well after winning his semifinal match waiting to do interviews with NBC. When asked if he thought he could make it to the final, he only said his coach thought he could. He wasn't so sure.
Listening to his opponent, Nicholas Reach, and then Logan Harrell, who lost to Jordan Spieth, both echoed the same sentiment about what makes them so good. Hwang and Spieth simply don't make many mistakes.
They've played smart golf, meaning they're not going at every flagstick. Sometimes the best play is going for the fat part of the green or accepting par as a solid score.
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Friday, July 24, 2009
Semifinals
Always seems like a never-ending process until we get to this point. At the start of the week, there are 156 eager players full of ambition and hope. Then sudddenly only four are left. I've only seen three of the four semifinalists play this week. The only one, and I'll get to him this afternoon, is Jay Hwang. Know it sounds cliche, but anyone of these guys can win this.
At stake is the chance to earn an exemption into this year's U.S. Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club.
As an aside, off No. 12 I bumped into a doe. The animal was no more than 10 feet away. Soon I saw several more. They stared at me, but then ran off when one match came onto the green.
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Quarterfinals
Skies are overcast and there is a threat of showers - again. Seems as though this is the summer of rain. Standing water can still be seen in various places. As well as the New Course drains, it's hard not to walk off without enduring soggy shoes.
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Thursday, July 23, 2009
Nice Story
He's flown under the radar thus far but not anymore. Yaroslav Merkulov is fortunate to be playing. Born in Russia, Merkulov picked up the game when he was 5. Then at 11, he underwent open heart surgery. It's a tale worth following....
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Rain, Rain Go Away
It's coming down in buckets right now. The forecast called for heavy showers and intermittent thunderstorms. Not sure how this will affect play. Talked to a USGA official, who said he's taking a wait-and-see approach.
Whenever there are two rounds of match play, it's always a frenzied day. Trying to get to the winners immediately after their first match requires deft timing because they want to eat, rest and get prepared for the next match.
Watched the Spieth-Perry match earlier. Most impressed by their sportsmanship. They were competitive, yet complimentary toward one another. Sometimes all matches don't go that way, unfortunately.
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Unique Setup
Beginning Friday, both championships will segue onto one course. The U.S. Girls' Junior and U.S. Junior Amateur will be conducted on the New Course. The plan, not entirely new if one were to go back to 2000 when both championships were played at Pumpkin Ridge, is unique in that the boys will go off at 8 a.m. and the girls at 8:40.
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Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Tough Losses
It's always a bit heartbreaking to see a player so intent on winning lose a match. There were several incidents Wednesday where players got emotional at the end of their matches. No shame in that. They're so passionate and competitive to win that those pent-up emotions flow outward when they're off the stage.
It's also difficult on them because they've worked so hard to get to this level, and for whatever reason, have set attainable and unattainable goals.
My take is that anyone in this championship this week should be proud. The field was comprised of the top junior talent on a global scale.
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Wilson and Thompson
I was entertained watching the Wilson-Thompson match earlier. Both played hard and approached the course like junior tacticians. There were a couple of times that Curtis Thompson asked for relief from casual water in fairways. One time he had a favorable ruling; another he was denied. But it was clear he had trouble controlling chips. The ball either fell well short of the green or well short of the hole. There were times he got frustrated. But to his credit, he never exploded or lost his composure.
Wilson is an up-and-comer who has flown under the radar a bit. He's not showy by any means. When his 4-up lead started to evaporate, he could have folded. But he remained resilient, making tough shots out of the rough and always giving himself a chance at par.
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Playoff Results
And we have the player who secured the one remaining match-play spot.
After sleeping uncomfortably, eight players returned to the Old Course at 7 a.m. to vie for one remaining spot in the match play field of 64. After seven of the eight players parred the 16th hole, Chris Houston, 15, of Gilford, N.H., split the fairway on the par-4, 17th. With a 9-iron in his hands and looking at his approach shot, he thought, “I told myself that I was going to either win it right here with a birdie, or lose trying. So I just took dead aim at the flag.”
He hit a superb approach shot to short range, and when the other three competitors in his group all failed to make birdie, he calmly stepped up and drained the putt. He stood over his 4-foot putt thinking it was a must-make situation.
“I haven’t felt like that over many 4-footers in my life. Just a few. But this one is certainly the most special.”
As Houston waited by the green to watch the remaining three playoff competitors fail to match his birdie, his mom, dad and little sister all waited close by. The 2009 U.S. Junior Amateur is his first USGA championship, and they were all excited to stick around a little longer. Houston will now meet medalist Jordan Spieth in a first-round match at 9:33 a.m.
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