OPEN NOTES
OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – No rest for the weary champion.
Depite being exhausted by his U.S. Open victory, Jim Furyk yesterday revealed that he’s sticking with his commitment to play the Buick Classic this week at Westchester Country Club.
“I love playing Westchester,” Furyk said. “I have no idea what this week will bring to me. I’m sure I’ll be tugged and pulled in a lot of directions and be doing things other than hitting balls on the practice range.”
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Phil Mickelson’s lament in the majors continued this week as he finished well out of contention at 9-over-par following his final-round 73. Mickelson, how 0-for-44 in major championships, is simply having an out-of-kilter year.
Though he had some close finishes early in the year, with four top-10s in his first five events and a third-place finish at the Masters, Mickelson’s best finish is a tie for 13th in his last six events.
“It seems like Phil just wants to reboot and start the whole year over,” a close friend of his said.
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No one in the field began this week better than Englishman Brian Davis, who was playing his first Open. Davis began his first round eagle, birdie, birdie, birdie to go 5-under on his first four holes. He finished the tournament yesterday at 12-over-par following his final-round 75, meaning he went 17-over-par in the final 67 holes.
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There will be no grand slam winner in golf this year. Masters champion Mike Weir, who entered yesterday’s round in a tie for 12th place, rallied to finish in a tie for third, meaning no player will win all four majors in the 2003 season.
Kenny Perry, the hottest player in the field entering the week having won the Colonial and Memorial, had his two-tournament winning streak ended when he failed to win here. He made the cut on the line and, with a 67 yesterday, vaulted himself onto the first page of the leaderboard at 1-under.
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Mark Calcavecchia carded the only birdie of the week on the 247-yard par-3 17th hole, hjitting as 7 wood to 25 feet and making the putt and later asking, “Where’s my skin money?”
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Dallas businessman Trip Kuehne slipped in as the low amateur, finishing 10-over for the tournament after his final-round 73.
