By Paul Gotham
A first-round rain delay and its possible impact, an eagle landing and the fine line between budding star and one-hit (or so) wonder: reflections on day one of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club.
“There’s a building off there to the right…”
Not the words Justin Rose wanted used when describing his tee shot on the first hole. Yet, that is how radio announcers described his opener. There was something mentioned about a drop, but the reigning U.S. Open champ recovered nicely. Bogeying that first hole and eventually getting himself to three under before ending the day minus two.
As for the radio announcers – thanks to the corporation which encourages customers to always take their product with them (don’t leave home…). They provided single-ear radios for fans. It came in handy while waiting out shots.
Have you ever seen the rain comin’ down on a sunny day?
Rain halted play for an hour and Lee Westwood couldn’t have enjoyed the timing. Westwood’s name is familiar in top five finishes of the last few years. If he comes up one short this weekend, he might go back to number 13 on day one. That is where his third shot landed eight feet shy of the cup on the par five. Westwood looked like he had momentum on his side. Then came the some thunder and one hour later, he got a chance for the birdie. Instead, his putt grazed the edge of the cup. Westwood played bogey-free golf for the round and sits in a tie for third with David Hearn one off the lead. How important will that one shot be one Sunday?
On the other hand, Martin Kaymer came through two groups later and provided this gem on 13. Kaymer’s eagle had that remember-when quality to it. Standing there with the crowd and watching that little white ball trickle into the hole was special and will be a reference point on the timeline of sports events. Kaymer rode the momentum to the next hole for a birdie. He was four under at one point before bogeying 17 and 18.
Budding star or one-hit wonder?
Ellen Page burst on to the scene with her Oscar-nominated performance in Juno. She followed that three years later with Inception. In between she had a few forgettable outings including a voiceover on The Simpsons. Juno and Inception are solid, but the star tag requires consistency. Rory McIlroy’s 2013 has been forgettable, and the Northern Ireland native is in danger of going a year without a major win. McIlroy’s first round eerily played out like the past year as he birdied five holes but bogeyed four.
Running uphill
There is no better way to describe Phil Mcikelson’s one over 71 in the first round. “Lefty” finished with a pair of double bogeys including one on 18 where field marshals had to pull up the stake for Mickelson to get outside the boundary line and take his third shot. Nothing like walking up the fairway to the rapping of a sledge hammer as volunteers replace the metal stake needed to hold the restraining line.
Hi Yo Silver Away!
What is more disappointing? The box office returns from The Lone Ranger? Or Angel Cabrera’s 10 over 80 in the first round?
Nod to the Lilac
Not confirmed, but it is hard to overlook Tom Watson’s choice of shirt color for the first round. Whether intentional or not, the venerable one fit right in with the city whose Lilac Festival kicks off the summer season and brings in people from around the state. Watson, though, is not a fan of the dri-fit wear, and his shirt exemplified the steamy temperatures early in the afternoon. What appeared, at first, to be a two-tone design proved itself as a healthy lather which Watson brought from the practice range on to the course. By the time he teed off at number two, Watson’s shirt was more purple than lilac.
Should I stay or should I go?
To stay at one hole or follow a group? That is the question. Or better yet, find an area which provides prime viewing for more than one hole. Obviously, sitting in the bleachers at 18 is top shelf, but one can go a step further by sitting at the top of those bleachers. This allows the spectator to peek over the top and catch golfers teeing off at the first or 14th which share the same tee box. The hill on ten allows fans to catch the activity on the ninth green and 13th.
First group tees off at 7:10 in the a.m. Get the coffee brewing.
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