U.S. Senior Open standouts didn't get there by accident
I remember when I was a rookie on the PGA Tour. It was 1997, and I was a 24-year-old kid who really didn’t know much of anything. I was just happy to get free Titleists on the driving range and watch my idols hit balls next to me.
Anyway, one of my family’s friends, Scott Hoch, told me he couldn’t wait to play on the Champions Tour because most of his peers had moved on to play in tournaments without cuts and where they let you ride in golf carts. He wanted to play against the guys he idolized as a kid. I laughed and called him an old man.
Well, time catches up with all of us. It’s 2015, and most of the players I competed against have moved on to the Champions Tour. I can empathize with what Scott told me almost 20 years ago. A lot of the golfers I competed against are playing the U.S. Senior Open in Sacramento this weekend, and I can tell you, these guys can still play golf … incredibly well. And if you think the competitive fire has left them just because they are over 50 years old, forget about it. They all still want to win as badly as ever.
Seeing as how I’ve played golf against many of the greats near the lead, I thought I would give you an idea of what to watch for over the final 36 holes. They’ve all beaten me unmercifully on the golf course, and it’s my intention to tell you how they did it.
I’ve picked a few players to pay attention to whom I have played many rounds with, and I’ll tell you what impressed me about them. Let’s start on top of the leaderboard. …
Tom Watson
I never had the pleasure of playing a competitive round with Tom, but I don’t have to tell you how great he is. Tom has won eight major championships and is absolutely an all-time great. Incredibly, at 65 years old, he was at the top of the leaderboard after two days. We all know Watson’s story, but I’ll tell you something you may not know: I was (and continue to be) jealous of the way he strikes the golf ball. I used to claim if I were blindfolded I could pick out two players on the PGA Tour just by the sound they made striking a golf ball: Fred Couples and Watson. Their ball just sounded different coming off of the clubface. Tom may not putt the way he did in his prime, but he hits the ball so well that at age 65, don’t be surprised if he lifts the trophy on Sunday. I promise he won’t be.
Jeff Maggert
Whoever taught Jeff how to hit a golf ball must have said the old line “keep your head still” a few too many times. Watch as he swings the golf club this weekend -- you could rest a glass of water on his hat and he wouldn’t spill a drop as he swings.
His ability to drive the ball straight will keep him in the hunt as the U.S. Senior Open continues, but something concerns me: I’ve played many times with Jeff, and his patience can be an issue. Consider the fact that he has 91 top 10s on the PGA Tour but only three wins. Something -- I’m not sure what -- has held him back from winning more. Don’t be surprised if he wins, but watch out for his inability to close out the show.
Colin Montgomerie
Every golf fan knows how great Monty is. Although he never won on the U.S. PGA tour, he did win 31 times on the European Tour. His most impressive stat is the fact that he won the European Tour’s Order of Merit seven times in a row. Imagine you were the highest-paid worker at your job seven years in a row. That would make you pretty dang good at it.
After playing with Colin in the 1997 Bay Hill Invitational, I considered quitting the PGA Tour. You see, I knew after 18 holes with him that he was far better than me in every aspect of the game. Although I shot 70 in the final round and he shot 72, I knew it was just a matter of good breaks on my home course. I couldn’t beat him over 72 holes under any circumstances. He made golf look so easy. It seemed as if holding a club in his hand was second nature.
I’ve played with every great player from the past 25 years, and no one has impressed me as much as Monty. Don’t be shocked to see him defend championship this weekend.
Corey Pavin
OK, so Corey works for FOX Sports, the same company that hired me to work a few tournaments this summer. Please trust me, picking Corey as a player to watch has nothing to do with that. He is simply the most gifted golfer I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing with. Never in the history of golf (that I’m aware of) has a player been able to work the golf ball the way Corey does. He could hit a 6-iron 180 yards or 130 yards. Hook or slice. Either way, it ends up near the hole.
The only thing that kept him from winning 10 major championships was his distance off the tee. As time went on, and length got more important, Corey’s game just didn’t fit the courses the way it once did. Still, at a course like Del Paso Country Club, where accuracy is a premium, expect to see Pavin near the lead on Sunday.
Lee Janzen
Lee struggled in the second round, but difficult courses suit his game. After all, he won two U.S. Opens and a Players Championship, and those aren’t the easiest tournaments to win. The more difficult the golf course, the more Janzen loves his chances.
I’ve probably played more than 100 rounds with Lee, and I can tell you no one works harder on his game or his fitness than he does. Do yourselves a favor and pay attention any time you see Lee with a wedge in his hand. He can chip and pitch better than anyone I’ve ever played with, and wedges are more important than ever when a course like Del Paso has such deep rough. Given his fondness for USGA trophies and the fact he already won on the Champions Tour earlier this year, I expect to see Janzen contending for his first senior major this weekend.
