All the talk this year has been about the Big Four. Well, so much for Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh this weekend.
Take a look at the Big Four on the heels of Retief Goosen: Jason Gore, a Nationwide Tour player; Olin Browne, a journeyman pro who hasn’t won a tournament since 1999; Mark Hensby, a solid tour pro who nevertheless flies under everyone’s radar; and Michael Campbell, a New Zealander who missed the cut in his previous four U.S. Opens.
That’s one of the beauties of golf. Anybody in the field is capable of catching some magic for four days and experiencing a tournament for a lifetime. Usually, the favorites win, but the majors have a way of sneaking in the surprises, i.e. Ben Curtis, Shaun Micheel and Todd Hamilton.
So here’s a birdie to the no-names. They showed once again that golf is an equal-opportunity game.
Birdie: Goosen. If he wins his third U.S. Open in five years, he will knock somebody out of the Big Four.
Bogey: Els. He’s the likely candidate to lose his honorary status in the Big Four. A round of 72 Saturday left him at 9 over par. Much more is expected of Els, who is looking for his first win in the U.S. this year.
“It sounds crazy to you guys (the media), but I’m not swinging badly,” Els said.
You’re right, Ernie. It does sound crazy.
Birdie: Hensby. Spend a few months sleeping in the Cog Hill parking lot, and you, too, might be able to contend for a U.S. Open.
Bogey: Woods. He’s lurking, but he still hasn’t made a move. Will Sunday be the day? He hasn’t given the sign that he is about to explode.
Birdie: Browne. After his opening-round 67, everybody figured he would disappear. But he has stuck around for Friday and Saturday. And who knows? He might just be in for the long haul.
Birdie: Corey Pavin. Pavin continues to have a great Father’s Day weekend. He recorded a 70 and is at 5 over, tied for 15th. It helped Pavin that he was able to get some rest Friday night after making a cross-country trip to California to be at his son’s graduation Thursday night.
“I feel so much better [Saturday], it’s unbelievable,” Pavin said.
Birdie: Peter Jacobsen. A hole-in-one and tying for the low round of day with a 69 counts as a pretty good day for a 51-year-old golfer. Somewhere, old friend Payne Stewart is proud.
Bogey: Singh. A round of 74 counts as a poor day for the No. 1 player in the world. At 4 over, Singh still has a chance, but he will have to come up with something spectacular on Sunday.
Birdie: The weather. Don’t want to jinx anything, but it has been a long time since a major tournament hasn’t been plagued by weather delays.
