Oberholser nabs invite for 2006 U.S. Open, but not Masters

PINEHURST, N.C. -- Arron Oberholser's first trip to the U.S. Open resulted in a tie for ninth. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough to give him another first - a trip to the Masters. The top eight and ties get exemptions to Augusta, leaving Mark Hensby as the only one making his inaugural trip.

At least Oberholser gets to come back to the Open as one of the top 15, a total that included Champions Tour player Peter Jacobsen. He got in this year after a victory in U.S. Senior Open but automatically will be invited back to Winged Foot in 2006.

Also getting a return ticket was Corey Pavin, whose 10-year exemption for his 1995 victory at Shinnecock Hills ran out this year. He tied for 11th.

DALY REPORT: John Daly shot a 2-under 68 the first time he played Pinehurst No. 2 six years ago. He hasn't broken par in a U.S. Open since then, and his return this week was not much help.

He didn't swat any moving balls with this putter as he did in the final round in 1999, but Daly had a triple bogey on the second hole and a double bogey on the par-5 10th to close with a 76 and finish at 19-over par.

"You were 1 under," his caddie told him. "Par is 20 over this week."

That brought a smile from Daly, who was more perplexed than he was frustrated..

"I tried as hard as I could," Daly said. "I don't think anyone can shoot under par. It's just brutal, and that's what the U.S. Open is all about."

EVERY EFFORT: Reality sets in quickly for University of Florida junior Matt Every, the low amateur in the Open. On Tuesday, he leaves for the Northeast Amateur, where his gallery likely will including his family and maybe his hosts for the week.

"Talk about a buzz kill," Every said with a laugh. "I'm not knocking the Northeast Am. It's an awesome amateur tournament, but it's not the U.S. Open."

Every was solid throughout the tournament, finishing his 72 holes without a double bogey. On the 18th in the final round, he made a knee-knocker for par to complete an even-par 70, one of eight one-putt greens for the 21-year-old.

"Yeah, it's crazy," he said. "I moved the ball back in my stance a little bit. I don't know if that helped - it probably helped me mentally, just something to fool around with - but they rolled a little better, so it worked out."

He hopes the improvement on that part of his game will continue before he turns pro.

"I think I can make a living out here, to tell you the truth," Every said. "But if I want to be great, or better than average, I definitely have to roll it a little better."

QUICK START: Officially, Chris Nallen was the only player in the first group off the tee. But he had an unofficial partner.

Good friend Trip Kuehne, an amateur who didn't make the cut and the older brother of Tour player Hank Kuehne, paired with Nallen as a marker, trying to keep pace of play within reason. Still, they went around Pinehurst No. 2 in exactly three hours, with Nallen finishing with a 5-over 75.

"We played Walker Cup together and it was nice to have him out there, kind of just keeping me loose and playing," said Nallen, who was in his first Open. "He was gracious to me, courteous, and we had a good time. We talked the whole way around."

Nallen's claim to fame in a brief career is becoming the first player in Nationwide Tour history to Monday qualify for his first start, then win it by leading wire-to-wire. In 1994, Kuehne lost to Tiger Woods in the U.S. Amateur final, but he never turned pro.

"We just went out and played," Kuehne said. "It was two friends playing golf, and I was trying to encourage Chris so he could shoot a low score, and we had a good time. We took our time. You obviously don't have to wait, so you just get up there, get a yardage and hit it, and go find it."

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