PINEHURST, N.C. -- It had gotten almost laughable. Doubles from the fairway. Bogeys when you’re on in two and looking at eagle. Rough. Deeper rough. Bad lies. Bad reads. Bad shots.
Retief Goosen and Jason Gore -- the unflappable Iceman and the people’s choice, respectively -- were looking at snowmen (80s) when they stepped to the 16th tee. They were a combined 23-over par and playing like us, not Sunday’s final pairing at the 105th U.S. Open.
So they decided it was time to laugh. Hard.
Goosen brought up cricket, explaining that runs were called “overs.” That, he said, was the only thing he and Gore were resembling.
Then they decided on a friendly wager, just to make it interesting. Goosen came out ahead. “Unfortunately, he messed up on the last one,’’ Goosen said.
He used the term loosely.
Goosen started the day with a three-shot lead over Gore and Olin Browne and, since he has already won two U.S. Opens, everyone handing him the trophy. He ended it with an 81 and a tie for 11th.
“What can I say?” said Goosen, who was hoping to become the first back-to-back U.S. Open champ since Curtis Strange and only the third player to win three U.S. Opens since World War II. "I messed up badly. I threw this away.
“I played like rubbish at the end of the day. There is nothing else to say. It happened to Ernie (Els) last year and it was my turn this year. I just couldn’t find a hole on the greens and that was really the end of the story.’’
And Gore? The people’s choice, the gregarious Californian built like an old high school linebacker and ranked 818th in the world, the feel-good story of the week, shot 84 and shot himself out of all kinds of automatic berths into tournaments like the U.S. Open and Masters and PGA Championship. He finished tied for 49th.
“If I had my druthers, I’d go out and play it again,’’ said Gore, who went through both stages of qualifying. “It’s golf. It happens. It just happened on the biggest stage of my life.’’
When was the last time he shot an 84?
“Junior golf,’’ he said, pausing and chuckle. “Actually, about 10 minutes ago.’’
Honest. Refreshing. Open. That’s why everyone was pulling for Gore to hang in there. And he did. For three rounds. Then things came unwound.
“I still had a chance to win the golf tournament after nine holes,’’ Gore said. “I just didn’t play well. I can’t give you a better explanation. That’s the bottom line.’’
That and Pinehurst No. 2. The course was set up tough. Pins were in tougher spots than the rest of the week, the expected rain never materialized and the course ate everyone’s lunch.
“It was a good golf course,” Gore said. “It was everything you ever wanted and more.’’
Added Goosen, “if you were on the wrong side of the flag, it always feels like you can putt it off the green on the other side or chip it over on the other side, so it was very difficult to commit yourself to hit hard enough at places.’’
Gore fell off the pace fast, but Goosen hung in there for a while. He was still leading after a double bogey on the second hole, but wound up in a share of the lead when he bogeyed the third hole. By the time he turned in 41, he was 6 over for the day and falling farther behind.
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| Retief Goosen shot 81 on Sunday and finished tied for 11th. (AP) |
By the back nine, they were fading fast, watching Michael Campbell try to hang on and Tiger Woods try to play catch up. They became accidental spectators in a tournament they expected to win.
Almost, Gore laughed, players in a country club outing. What else can you say about a combined 25-over par?
“We were wondering if we were going to get shots at the end,’’ he said. “When we went in we were going to score our scorecard and ask what the winning net was.’’
Yes, it was that bad. So bad that the No. 5 and No. 818 players in the world were separated by three shots. On Father’s Day.
Gore said it was like being told, “Happy Father’s Day. Here’s an 84.’’
So bad they had no choice but to try to laugh it off. But make no mistake. It hurt.
“This is nothing serious,’’ Goosen said. “Nobody has died, I think or anything. I had a great Father’s Day this morning with the kids and the family is a lot more important than playing anyone out here today. But it was disappointing. I would have obviously loved to have been up there giving myself a half a chance going down the strip, but next time.’’
Gore, who got a surprise visit from old friend Carson Daly in his gallery, agreed.
“It was a wonderful, overwhelming week,’’ he said. “Next time I’m in the last group of a U.S. Open, I’ll do better.’’
You have to think they know it couldn’t have gotten much worse.
