US Am at Olympic

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

So many of us have been fortunate enough to play there or see this wonderful course. The Ocean course does not get much play but the local guys know it scores as tough as the Lake. It will be interesting to see how the scores fair Monday and Tuesday during qualifying.

On a most person note to all those attending the US Am next week and Members of the Olympic Club who post or read on here. I have a good friend whose son Michael Smith is playing this week. His Dad(Dennis) will caddie for him. They are from Lafayette, Louisiana. Please say hi to them and make them feel at home and supported. He plays on the local University golf team (ULL) here and reflects in his way of life all the good things the game teaches us. I watch him practice(works very hard) every day and eat lunch with him and or his Dad every week. He is a 4.0 student as well. We have a prayer group every Monday for friends and people in the community who are fighting illness and other challenges etc. He and his brothers do the dishes for us each week. I would love to be there as a one man Tiger Bernhardt cheering section. Please let him know Tiger Bernhardt is there via GCA being supportive. Seeing his hard work paying off makes me proud in every way.

[Joel_Stewart]

If I see him I'll say hello.   Not the best tee times, 9am on Monday off #10 on the Ocean and 2:15 on Tuesday off #1 on the Lake.

There are alot of good players there, keep your eye on Jamie Lovemark the USC player who won the NCAA last year as a freshman.

http://www.usamateur.org/

[Joel_Stewart]

Also for those of you in other parts of the country, the weather has been very cool, mostly in the 60's, with 50's possible in the mornings.  Still the course should play firm and fast.

Two years ago during the US Junior Am, every kid and their parents showed up in shorts.  The club and nearby department stores made a killing selling sweatshirts, sweaters and long pants.

[ed_getka]

Tiger,
    I will be out there with my son on 8/24, I will make it a point to say hello for you if I can find Michael and his father.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

It does surprise me how tough the Ocean plays. It seems a few strokes easier to me though. thanks Ed and Joel

[igrowgrass]

There are alot of good players there, keep your eye on Jamie Lovemark the USC player who won the NCAA last year as a freshman.

http://www.usamateur.org/

If you don't know who this kid is you should start paying attention.  Closed 64, 64 at NCAA to win the Individual Title.  Lead wire to wire at the Pac 10 Championships.  Tied for first but lost in a playoff to former Ryder Cup Team member, Chris Riley, at a Nationwide Event in Minnesota.
Makes birdies like it is his job.

[Kevin_Reilly]

Tiger, I'll be a marshall (i.e. ball-in-rough-locator) a good part of the week and I'll look at for Michael and his dad.  I'll be at #6 on the Ocean during the qualifying rounds, and then elsewhere on the Lake later in the week.

[Mike Benham]

Tiger, I'll be a marshall (i.e. ball-in-rough-locator) a good part of the week and I'll look at for Michael and his dad.  I'll be at #6 on the Ocean during the qualifying rounds, and then elsewhere on the Lake later in the week.

What's your uniform for the week?

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Kevin let them know we are with him. He and his Dad will really appreciate it. Oh Michael is a tall young man like 6' 4". thanks Tiger

[Kevin_Reilly]

What's your uniform for the week?

Who are you, Marty Hackel?

[Mike Benham]

What's your uniform for the week?

Who are you, Marty Hackel?

Of course not, just curious at what clothing you were required to buy to be a volunteer ...

[Kevin_Reilly]

What's your uniform for the week?

Who are you, Marty Hackel?

Of course not, just curious at what clothing you were required to buy to be a volunteer ...

Sorry, thought for a second you were the fashion police.   Anyway, red Polo brand shirt (looks good), cap and wind vest.  Nothing too fancy.

[Matt_Cohn]

A day before registration and I've yet to secure a bag for the week. I sent in my form a week ago. At the suggestion of the man in charge of these things, I'll be at OC bright and early Friday morning.

I just don't want to caddie for someone who I'd beat more than 5 times out of 10.    

My friend who I used to work with at Presidio Golf Course got Drew Weaver's bag which you'd have to consider a better-than-average result.

I'll report back Friday evening with a player (hopefully) and maybe some insight on the course setup.



I've never played the Ocean Course. If any of the OC members on this board could message me with some local knowledge to pass on to my player, I'd appreciate it greatly.

[igrowgrass]

Maybe the hardest course I've ever seen, except for Oakmont setup for the US Open. (that was ridiculous) Every hole doglegs and the fairway and wind blow the opposite direction!  The ball does not fly very far there, you really can't over power the course, just hit it to the end of the dogleg, hit a longer club into the green and stay out of the rough.

[Dustin Knight]

       Only two Aussies have won the event and I have to say that the U.S boys need to look out for Rick Kulacz, this guy can play! He won an Aussie tour event last year(NSW Open with the field including MCI Heritage winner Peter Lonard) and he hit some form this week at the Scratch Players tourney

I played with a very great mate of mine today who has just arrived home after playing the U.S Amatuer circuit for the last 8 weeks and he said Kulacz consistantly took Nick Flanagan's cash every round they played together.. Flanagan Oakmont, Kulacz Olympic?? game on!

I do find it hard to believe though that Tim Stewart (British Am runner up to Drew Weaver) does not receive an exemption into the U.S Am, the guy almost received an invite to the U.S Masters yet is not exempt for Olympic!!!

Any one else think that the British Am runner up should be competing at the U.S Am? I reckon that is a joke!

Our Aus Am champion Rohan Blizard doesn't even qualify. (he won the Am at NSW golf club in a hurricane) the guy shot par or better the whole event!

[AndrewB]

Dustin,

When you have to narrow 7,398 entrants down to a field of 312, a lot of very good players don't qualify for the actual event.

[Matt_Cohn]

And it's not because all of those 312 guys are studs, either.

The USGA really likes local qualifying, despite the fact that the resulting field is generally not as "strong" as if they gave more exemptions.

[Tom Huckaby]

Question:  if they gave exemptions to people such as British Am runner-up, Aussie Am champ, etc., would these exemptions actually be used?

I wonder... I can see them being offered and declined.  The US Amateur isn't THAT big of a deal, is it?

TH

[Kevin_Reilly]

It appears that none of the GB & Ireland Walker Cup team will be in the field...I count just two players from England (including Gary Wolstenholme who did not make the team this year).  There is a player from Glasgow Kentucky, but no one from the home of golf.

[Tom Huckaby]

Shivas:

I was and am serious.

I have absolutely no doubt that the US Amateur means all that you state TO AMERICANS.  We both know plenty of guys who would seem to be good enough to qualify to play in it, and would give their left nuts to make that dream come true.

If you read my post though, you'll note that I referred to the runner-up from the British Am and the winner of the Aussie Am - not bloodly likely to be Americans.  The question is how meaningful is the US Am to THEM?

Perhaps it does have the same meaning, but I wonder.  You of course know that Bobby Jones also won the British Am several times - how many Americans pine away to play in that?  How many really do pay the type of travel money required to get over there?  Isn't it a fair question to wonder how it works in reverse?

TH

[Tom Huckaby]

Doing such would require quite a bit of money - that might be the answer.  But yes, sadly such thoughts don't tend to occur to American golfers until after they leave college - likely because that's when they start to have some money - but the sad part is that's also likely when they have less time and ambition for wine, women, song and golf!

In any case, as you can see I was neither on injections nor crack nor anything else.

 

I kinda think exemptions of the sort suggested would be a waste.  Reading the other thread on this, I also say I have to agree with Mucci and Paul and others who say too many of such are counter-competitive.

TH

[Mike Benham]

I have always been amazed by the dearth of American college golfers who are smart enough to head over to GB, play golf all day, party all night, chase skirt, and play in all their big tournaments over there.  I wish I had been smart enough to think of that back then!  

Let's have Andrew answer this question, he goes back every year, sometimes twice.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I wish I had been good enough and smart enough to play in the UK during my college years. Or should I say why the hell my dear ole Dad did not underwrite my lifestyle rather than think I should work all summer each year. The US AM is the biggest of the big to me.

[Matt_Cohn]

Friday, August 17

I have a player.

George Cestia, Lake Charles LA

7:10 Lake #10 Monday
12:25 Ocean #1 Tuesday

The players didn't have privileges at Olympic today so we went up to Stonetree. (He and a friend from Louisiana played, I didn't.) I can understand most of what he says, which is a better result than I've had with most people I've met from Louisiana.  

A nice happenstance was that he knew of me from playing at the Maxwell college tournament in Oklahoma a number of years back.

Showing off San Francisco to people from Louisiana is a blast. Accepting my role as a caddy for the week is a torturous but worthwhile process.

We'll be out there very early this weekend - 7:10 on the Lake Saturday, and I believe 7:10 on the Ocean Sunday. Come say hello if you're around.

[Joel_Stewart]

I've never played the Ocean Course. If any of the OC members on this board could message me with some local knowledge to pass on to my player, I'd appreciate it greatly.

Matt:

Check your mail box here on GCA, I've sent you a few tips on how I break 90 almost always:)

I haven't played the ocean in a while so I don't know how its tricked up but aside from what I sent you the greens on #14 and #15 are new and USGA specs which are different than all the others so they may roll different.  Let me know if this guy is super long because that could make a difference on a number of holes.