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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Putts Fall At Snail’s Pace

Associated Press

It was like one of those rain delays that always seem to come at Wimbledon when someone like Pete Sampras is serving at match point.

At the U.S. Open on Saturday, Jack Nicklaus, Paul Goydos and Peter Teravainen all had 3-foot putts remaining for par on the 18th hole when the thunderstorm came.

After a 2-hour delay, the threesome returned and took 90 seconds to sink the putts and sign the scorecards. Before that, Nicklaus warmed up by going through his usual driving range routine, even though he only needed a putter to complete his 5-over 75, which put him at 9 over for the tournament.

“Now I don’t have to go back to the range,” he shrugged. “I’m through for the day.”

Nicklaus said he was told during his round that his 10th hole was the 10,000th in his record streak of 150 consecutive majors appearances.

“Boy that was exciting, wasn’t it?” Nicklaus said facetiously. “The thrill passed me right by. Somebody told me that as I walked off and I said, ‘Boy, that’s terrific, we’d better start the next 10,000 right now,’ and I hit a good tee shot, knocked an 8-iron to about 2 feet and made birdie at the next hole. So I started the next 10,000 with a birdie.”

Only one problem with that: According to tournament officials, the 10,000th hole in his streak doesn’t come until the 10th today.

Merchandising madness

With its departmentalized look, sophisticated layout and 30 cash registers, the merchandise tent at the Open looks and feels more like J.C. Penney than a souvenir stall at a sporting event.

“Over the years, they get more and more refined,” said Doug Lang of St. Louis, attending his eighth consecutive U.S. Open. “It’s like walking into a department store.”

While some changes in golf may seem glacial, the USGA has no qualms about keeping up with the times to improve the cash flow. Items on sale include the 1997 U.S. Open Computer Screen Saver and tailor-made, laser-engraved pictures. There’s also an entire section devoted exclusively to women’s wear, featuring a three-piece golfing outfit for $248.

Vendor Pat Chapple said one of the most popular items is the $17 bag towel, with 17,000 expected to be gone by today. Given the prices, it’s probably not surprising that the No. 1 seller was the cheapest thing in the store, the $2 ball markers. All 20,000 are sold out.

Watching the son go down

Nicklaus started his second round in a funk over his son Gary’s failure to make the cut.

“I was really in a state of depression this morning,” Nicklaus said after finishing his round late Friday. “I was upset for him. Once he got here he started driving poorly, and the one thing he does best is drive the ball.”

Nicklaus was so upset that he was glad for a rain delay because it gave him time to get his mind set for his round. The elder Nicklaus put in a respectable round of even par.

Earlier, though, he arrived at Congressional Country Club and went straight to the USGA scoring computer, which tracks players’ rounds as they unfold.

“The first thing I turned on was the computer and saw that he was 10 over after 14,” Nicklaus said. “I was depressed for him as any father would be.”

No-am

For the third time in four years, no amateurs made the cut.

Former Tiger Woods teammate Joel Kribel, who lost to Woods in the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur Championship last year, came closest among the five amateurs in the 156-player field, missing the cut by a stroke.

The 20-year-old Stanford junior knocked himself out on the par-3 18th, dumping his tee shot in the water and then three-putting.

Kribel had spent much of the first two days on the leaderboard. He shot an even-par 71 for the first round and parred the first six holes of the second.

Too much Sweatt

The 17th hole caused Gregory Sweatt a great deal of perspiration during the second round.

Sweatt, who plays the Nike Tour, took an 11 on the 480-yard par 4, which played as the hardest hole.

Sweatt drove his tee shot into the trees on the right and had to chip back to the fairway. Then he hit his approach into the water and had to take a drop. His fifth shot found the rough.

It took him four shots to get out of the rough and onto the green, where he two-putted for the highest onehole score in the tournament.

Sweatt shot 48 on the back nine. He missed the cut at 27 over 167.