Southern California's No. 1 Source for Golf
STROKE OF THE DAY |
"If you think it’s hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball." |
-Jack Lemmon |
SITE
SEARCH
GOLF
CALENDAR
People
|
||||
 (From top to bottom): Pat Perez, Rickie Fowler and John Mallinger Photos by E.J. Clair Other Southland golfers also had memorable weeks because they, too, were able to compete on a familiar track with friends and family members in the galleries. Here’s a recap of how other golfers with Southland ties fared at the 108th U.S. Open. Hunter Mahan: When the final round began, Mahan was in a tie for sixth and in decent position to post a solid number and see if it might be good enough to hold up against the leaders’ scores. But it wasn’t to be, as the Orange native failed to capitalize on a 2-under 69 in the third round and ended with a 3-over 75, finishing in a tie for 18th place. Regarded as one of the PGA Tour’s most talented drivers, Mahan showed why at Torrey Pines, tying for second in the field by hitting 71.4 percent of the fairways for the week. “I love playing the majors, and I love playing the U.S. Open,” said Mahan, adding that his experience at Torrey Pines aided his performance. “It’s nice to play a major where you’ve seen the course a few times.” Anthony Kim: The winner of May’s Wachovia Championship posted a 7-over 149 through 36 holes to make the cut on the number. But Kim, a Los Angeles native, got into a groove on the weekend, going 70-72 for an even-par second half and a tie for 26th place. “It was a good week,” he said. “I didn’t play very well, but I hung in there.” Returning to Southern California made the championship even more memorable for the 22-year-old, who was able to hang out with friends and family all week. “Being around my friends every night, this was the most fun I’ve had at a golf tournament in a long time,” Kim said. Rickie Fowler: The 19-year-old amateur from Murrieta, who found himself on the first page of the U.S. Open leaderboard after a 1-under 70 in the opening round, was never able to re-capture the magic from that day. “The first day I played fairly well. And then these last three [days] I just struggled with my ball striking and missing a few putts here and there,” Fowler said after his final round, which included birdies on the last two holes. Fowler concluded with rounds of 79-76-72 for a 13-over 297 and a share of 60th place. The Oklahoma State sophomore, one of three amateurs to make it to the weekend, finished five shots behind former University of Alabama standout Michael Thompson, who topped the trio of non-professionals. “It’s been an awesome week,” Fowler said. “It was great learning from the guys I got to play with and seeing how they’re able to score.” Pat Perez: The San Diego native didn’t break par in his first three rounds, but he saved his best for last, making a birdie on his 72nd hole to post a 1-under 70 and finish in a tie for 36th, his best standing in four career U.S. Opens. “I’m disappointed in myself,” said Perez, 32, a former Torrey Pines driving range picker who had lots of friends and family members in the galleries. “Everyone was rooting for me. I wish I could have played better, but everything else was phenomenal.” John Mallinger: The Escondido native and graduate of Long Beach State showed flashes of brilliance, but ultimately couldn’t find the consistency needed to make a run up the leaderboard. A student of Virginia Country Club PGA professional Jamie Mulligan, Mallinger finished tied for 65th, making at least three birdies in each of his four rounds but also carding one double bogey each day. Mallinger ended the week on a high note, posting a 1-over 72 — his lowest round — on the final day. Pete Tomasulo: The Long Beach native shot 63-65 in sectional qualifying at Springfield Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, to make the field. After opening the tournament with a 5-over 76, Tomasulo had his work cut out if he hoped to join fellow Mulligan students Mallinger and John Merrick on the weekend. However, a second-round 75 left him at 151, two shots off the cut. Mark O’Meara: The two-time major champion and Mission Viejo native shot rounds of 75-76 and finished at 9-over par to miss the cut by two shots. Jason Gore: The Valencia native had a magical run in the ’05 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, but any chance of rediscovering that magic disappeared after he missed the cut with rounds of 79-76. Jay Choi: The 24-year-old qualifier from Cerritos, who works with Rowland Heights PGA instructor George Pinnell, posted 79-80. SG |
||||
RSS Subscribe
Digg This Article
