Thursday
Aug202009
Hurricane Camilo visits Bellerive
Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 11:08PM
Friday, September 5, 2008
Writing from Town and Country, Mo.
Camilo Villegas said Friday the soggy conditions at Bellerive Country Club didn't preclude his doing his Spiderman routine, dropping to the ground and balancing as if on the edge of a building, when he lines up putts.
"Same thing," Villegas said of his unorthodox procedure. "It's laundry."
Villegas covered Bellerive like a wet blanket, clearning up with 5-under-par 65 to match the competitive course record and take a one-stroke lead after the storm-delayed first round of the 105th Western Open Championship. Right behind him in the second Western to have the BMW Championship sobriquet attached to it are a quintet of familiar faces, including 1996 Western Open winner Steve Stricker, Stuart Appleby, and Kenny Perry.
Tim Clark and Dudley Hart, whose bogey-free round was the only one of the day, were among the crowd at 3-under 67, while Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia led the contingent at 2-under 68. Padraig Harrington and Trevor Immelman, the winners of the three majors who are on hand this week, both settled for 1-under 69.
All of which adds up to this: The Western Open is just beginning. Villegas will sleep Friday night, but may not sleep comfortably, given the pedigree of those chasing him, and surely will not sleep for long. Saturday will bring a 36-hole grind, the second and third rounds jammed into the day's schedule thanks to Thursday's rainout.
"If you've got to play 36 holes, you've got to play 36 holes," Villegas said.
For what it's worth, Villegas started with a 65 last year at Cog Hill, which earned him a tie for second behind Jonathan Byrd after 18 holes. Villegas finished tied for seventh. Perhaps that's why he didn't sound all that excited, except when describing a string of four birdies in as many holes on the front nine. That moved him to 5-under through eight holes, and he got to 6-under with a 24-foot putt on the par-3 16th before surrendering a stroke thanks to a pushed approach and pushed par-saving putt on the par-4 18th.
Villegas tied for third last week in Boston. Stricker tied for 13th, having gotten back into a groove he really hadn't seen since last year's PGA Tour playoff tournaments. That groove comes just in time for the Ryder Cup, which is a fortnight away.
"What can I say," Stricker said. "It's playoffs."
And he's on the U.S. PGA team, a pick of team captain Paul Azinger earlier this week. That's even bigger.
"Today, I was relaxed," Stricker admitted after finishing his round by holing a 36-foot birdie putt. "It was a lot easier to play. I was trying to get that Ryder Cup process over with. I was gearing up all year for (that). It would have been a big disappointment if I hadn't made the team."
There was little doubt that Azinger wasn't going to pick Stricker, given his position at No. 8 in the world ranking.
For Stricker, then, this Western is something of a tuneup for the showdown at Valhalla in a fortnight.
For Mickelson and Els, second and seventh in the world ranking respectively, it's an opportunity to make a statement. Mickelson hasn't been heard from since making a 9 in the U.S. Open, and Els, while he finished third in Boston, has had a quiet year for someone who won the Honda Classic and posted top-10 finishes at the Players Championship and the Open Championship.
The course was in remarkably fine shape, with spectator areas devoid of puddles, and only a few mushy spots. Considering 3.10 inches of rain fell from Wednesday night through Thursday, as measured at nearby Lambert Field, and there was still drizzle Friday until just before the first groups teed off, the conditions were exceptional. The $9.5 million invested in reconstruction in 2006 paid off.
As impressive as the footing after a record one-day drenching for a Western Open site was the number of feet taking advantage. Golf-starved St. Louis fans turned out early and in large numbers, given the number of tickets sold, for the first round. Fans poured out of the first busses to reach the spectator gate at 10 a.m., when the course opened, and they kept coming. Most, if not all, of the 25,000 ticket holders turned out.
For a moment or two, so did the sun. As one spectator said after Padraig Harrington teed off on No. 1, starting the festivities, "What's that?"
Harrington's day went well enough for someone who needs to move up 14 places in the PGA Tour point standings to advance to the Tour Championship in three weeks. He went around Bellerive's front side in even par 35, then toured the back in 1-under 34 for a 1-under 69. Nothing fancy, but nothing harmful, either.
Contrast that with the 6-over 76s turned in by John Merrick and Charlie Wi. On a virtually windless day when a pro could put his hand on the ball, they had to feel like they shot a million.
Saturday may be different. With the sun finally coming out for good in the late afternoon Friday, the course will be drier, the ball will likely be played down, and the 36-hole grind may take a toll on those less fit than the likes of the trim Villegas.
Then again, Tim Herron is among those tied for second. The course may be drier, but that doesn't mean things won't get Lumpy.
– Tim Cronin
Writing from Town and Country, Mo.
Camilo Villegas said Friday the soggy conditions at Bellerive Country Club didn't preclude his doing his Spiderman routine, dropping to the ground and balancing as if on the edge of a building, when he lines up putts.
"Same thing," Villegas said of his unorthodox procedure. "It's laundry."
Villegas covered Bellerive like a wet blanket, clearning up with 5-under-par 65 to match the competitive course record and take a one-stroke lead after the storm-delayed first round of the 105th Western Open Championship. Right behind him in the second Western to have the BMW Championship sobriquet attached to it are a quintet of familiar faces, including 1996 Western Open winner Steve Stricker, Stuart Appleby, and Kenny Perry.
Tim Clark and Dudley Hart, whose bogey-free round was the only one of the day, were among the crowd at 3-under 67, while Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia led the contingent at 2-under 68. Padraig Harrington and Trevor Immelman, the winners of the three majors who are on hand this week, both settled for 1-under 69.
All of which adds up to this: The Western Open is just beginning. Villegas will sleep Friday night, but may not sleep comfortably, given the pedigree of those chasing him, and surely will not sleep for long. Saturday will bring a 36-hole grind, the second and third rounds jammed into the day's schedule thanks to Thursday's rainout.
"If you've got to play 36 holes, you've got to play 36 holes," Villegas said.
For what it's worth, Villegas started with a 65 last year at Cog Hill, which earned him a tie for second behind Jonathan Byrd after 18 holes. Villegas finished tied for seventh. Perhaps that's why he didn't sound all that excited, except when describing a string of four birdies in as many holes on the front nine. That moved him to 5-under through eight holes, and he got to 6-under with a 24-foot putt on the par-3 16th before surrendering a stroke thanks to a pushed approach and pushed par-saving putt on the par-4 18th.
Villegas tied for third last week in Boston. Stricker tied for 13th, having gotten back into a groove he really hadn't seen since last year's PGA Tour playoff tournaments. That groove comes just in time for the Ryder Cup, which is a fortnight away.
"What can I say," Stricker said. "It's playoffs."
And he's on the U.S. PGA team, a pick of team captain Paul Azinger earlier this week. That's even bigger.
"Today, I was relaxed," Stricker admitted after finishing his round by holing a 36-foot birdie putt. "It was a lot easier to play. I was trying to get that Ryder Cup process over with. I was gearing up all year for (that). It would have been a big disappointment if I hadn't made the team."
There was little doubt that Azinger wasn't going to pick Stricker, given his position at No. 8 in the world ranking.
For Stricker, then, this Western is something of a tuneup for the showdown at Valhalla in a fortnight.
For Mickelson and Els, second and seventh in the world ranking respectively, it's an opportunity to make a statement. Mickelson hasn't been heard from since making a 9 in the U.S. Open, and Els, while he finished third in Boston, has had a quiet year for someone who won the Honda Classic and posted top-10 finishes at the Players Championship and the Open Championship.
The course was in remarkably fine shape, with spectator areas devoid of puddles, and only a few mushy spots. Considering 3.10 inches of rain fell from Wednesday night through Thursday, as measured at nearby Lambert Field, and there was still drizzle Friday until just before the first groups teed off, the conditions were exceptional. The $9.5 million invested in reconstruction in 2006 paid off.
As impressive as the footing after a record one-day drenching for a Western Open site was the number of feet taking advantage. Golf-starved St. Louis fans turned out early and in large numbers, given the number of tickets sold, for the first round. Fans poured out of the first busses to reach the spectator gate at 10 a.m., when the course opened, and they kept coming. Most, if not all, of the 25,000 ticket holders turned out.
For a moment or two, so did the sun. As one spectator said after Padraig Harrington teed off on No. 1, starting the festivities, "What's that?"
Harrington's day went well enough for someone who needs to move up 14 places in the PGA Tour point standings to advance to the Tour Championship in three weeks. He went around Bellerive's front side in even par 35, then toured the back in 1-under 34 for a 1-under 69. Nothing fancy, but nothing harmful, either.
Contrast that with the 6-over 76s turned in by John Merrick and Charlie Wi. On a virtually windless day when a pro could put his hand on the ball, they had to feel like they shot a million.
Saturday may be different. With the sun finally coming out for good in the late afternoon Friday, the course will be drier, the ball will likely be played down, and the 36-hole grind may take a toll on those less fit than the likes of the trim Villegas.
Then again, Tim Herron is among those tied for second. The course may be drier, but that doesn't mean things won't get Lumpy.
– Tim Cronin
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