U.S. Senior Open: John Smoltz scores No. 1 career accomplishment but posts 85 in Round 1

This was an eye-opening quote from one of the better pitchers ever

John Smoltz has accomplished a lot in his career. The former Atlanta Braves pitcher is in the Baseball Hall of Fame, won a World Series, a Cy Young and was an eight-time MLB All-Star. After all of that, he became a world-class broadcaster for Fox calling the World Series.

But he puts all of those accomplishments behind the one he achieved this week. That's because Smoltz qualified for the U.S. Senior Open in Colorado.

"It's probably the No. 1 thing that I've ever accomplished," Smoltz told reporters this week. "Everything I've been part of before has been a team thing, and I'm proud of all my accomplishments from a team aspect, but an individual role or accomplishment, I haven't had anything anywhere close to this."

"I think this is the coolest thing I've ever done," Smoltz added to USA Today Sports this week after winning a playoff to get into the event. "Qualifying was the most emotionally fired up I've ever been."

Unfortunately for Smoltz, Round 1 on Thursday did not go as well as he would have hoped. Smoltz, who said he was hoping to shoot something in the mid-70s, shot an 85 on Thursday. His round included six bogeys and a triple ... and that was just on the front nine.

He finished with a 15-over 85.

"It's hard. It's hard," said Smoltz of the course. "I think the back nine -- which unfortunately I had to start on today -- the back nine is the hardest back nine I've played in a while."

"I don't have enough game for this course yet," he added. "I don't play enough. I was hoping to avoid some of those areas so it didn't expose it. But that's what happens in the best tournament of the year. You know, the USGA puts on an incredible venue. And certainly I never expected to get that many bad lies. I got some really bad lies. Nothing I could do about it. I tried to stay patient. I got frustrated the last three holes, understandably so."

Smoltz did say that being in the arena is a little different than most of us probably think when we're watching at home.

"It's weird, I don't think anybody who is sitting at home thinking ... when I watch golf you think 'I can do that, I can break 80 at that course.' Not in an Open," he said. "There's not a 5 or 6 or 7 handicapper that could break 90 at most USGA Opens that the big boys play at. And this is ... almost right there up with it."

Smoltz will have to go super low on Friday to have a shot at making the cut. He was 17 back of the clubhouse lead at the time he finished.