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diggThe Ones to Watch
Even seasoned pros will find Prairie Dunes hard to beat. Who will win July’s U.S. Senior Open is anybody’s guess, but here are the likely contenders.
Gordon Wells
Courtesy U.S. Senior Open
Prairie Dunes Country Club is a shrine for golfers in Kansas. Playing only 6,650 yards for the tournament, all of the players will figure it as a pushover. Wrong-o. Prairie Dunes is always ranked in the nation’s top twenty courses by every major golf magazine in the country for a reason. The classic links design forces players to be precise with every club, and the wind—always present in our wonderful state—will play havoc with every player’s mind. Level lies are a myth at Prairie Dunes, except on the tees. But that’s not all.
What makes matters worse will be the USGA’s course setup. The rough will measure up to around four inches and the greens, as always, will be like pool tables after an earthquake. The cavernous bunkers that seem to be everywhere [there are 83 in all] have sand that can turn a high, soft shot into a fried egg. The green surrounds will be like a baby’s bottom in summertime. And with the spring we’ve had so far, you can bet that everything will be hard as a green rock. Getting a golf ball to stop in the right spot will be difficult.
Thanks to the Carey family, Prairie Dunes has a long history in tournament golf. Tom Watson is an honorary member. Jack Nicklaus has never broken par there. To play Prairie Dunes is an honor; to defeat it, impossible. Anything can happen. It will be a blast to watch the best senior golfers in the world crash and burn in person.
As for whom to watch, that is a personal choice. Watson has gotten off to a good start this year. After a very successful 2005 season on the Champions Tour, he finished twenty-third on the money list and has earned $7.25 million overall. He loves Prairie Dunes for the same reason every golfer does. How do you beat it? At 56, Watson shows no signs of slowing down like the averages prove for golfers of his age.
Ironically, Watson has played Prairie Dunes all of his life—it is his favorite course in the United States—yet he has not won a tournament there in his lifetime. The U.S. Senior Open is his last, best chance to come out on top at Prairie Dunes. Look for him to be focused and relying on the psychology degree he earned at Stanford in 1971. With five British Opens under his belt, he loves links. His ability and pride will be on display.
Another guy to watch is Loren Roberts. Roberts is not a bomber off the tee, but he generally hits it where he’s looking. That is critical at Prairie Dunes. Roberts has been on the PGA Tour since 1981, mostly flying below the radar. He didn’t start winning until well into his 40s. He won eight times on the regular tour, Bay Hill twice in a row, and has taken the Champions Tour by storm.
He turned 50 in June of last year and went on to win once on the Tour in 2005. So far—at this writing—Roberts is three for three in 2006. He is also known as “Boss of the Moss,” referring to his prowess with a putter. That will be huge at Prairie Dunes. He’s quite an anomaly in that his putting gets better the older he gets. Go figure.
Then there’s Dana Quigley. If you ever needed a partner for poker, he’s the man. Quigley is the iron man of the Tour. A former club pro, he qualified for the Champions Tour in 1997. He’s been there ever since, over and over again. One of the nicest men you will ever meet, he’s like a kid in a candy store. Considering he’s won close to $12.5 million on the Champions Tour, who can blame him?
Quigley won about everything on the Tour in 2005, finishing first on the money list with $2.2 million. Given his dedication, he deserves it. He lives in Florida, so he’s used to the wind, but the question is, can he handle Prairie Dunes? No matter what happens, you can count on him smiling when he walks off the course, hoping he can play it again. He is an animal when it comes to golf.
Another golfer to watch is Jay Haas. Haas has been closer to more wins in his career than a horseshoe. He is the ultimate professional. Whether he wins or loses, you can’t tell. At his age, he should have a contract with Rolaids. He’s been around forever but still hasn’t grown up. Haas is generally on the leaderboard in every tournament he enters.
Haas’ game is solid, thoughtful and accurate. While his stats don’t really prove his worth, you can bet he’ll be there on the weekend. And if you question that, his son, Bill, earned his PGA Tour card in qualifying school last fall with birdies on the last two holes to make it on the number. Father Jay was with him every step of the way. That is very cool.
Then there’s Hale Irwin. At 60, Irwin refuses to get old. He won 20 times on the regular tour—including three U.S. Opens—and an amazing 44 times on the Champions Tour. The all-time leading money winner on the Champions Tour with a casual $22.5 million, he finished second on the money list last year with a paltry $1.9 million.
To meet Irwin on the golf course is akin to meeting Hannibal Lechter, but you have the satisfaction of knowing he won’t eat you—he’ll most likely beat you. The man is so focused on his job, it is incredible. Off the course, he is a teddy bear. He was born in Joplin, Mo., but grew up in Baxter Springs, Kan., until the age of 14 when his family moved to Colorado. He was an All-American defensive back at the University of Colorado in Boulder. But golf was his love. And, boy, has he loved it.
Irwin’s game suits Prairie Dunes, but his physical ailments over the last few years might play a role. Also, his putting has been suspect from time to time. But given his history, when he enters a tournament, the other players all take notice. He is the Tiger Woods of senior golf. He just has more wrinkles. And he’s made a career of winning on hard courses.
Finally, there’s Fred Funk. Funk turns 50 on June 14 and, no, he is not a cartoon character. The U.S. Senior Open will probably be his first official tournament as an old fart. Funk is the guy who swept the Skins Game last year with a record $925,000. And he did it wearing a skirt when Annika Sorenstam out-drove him on a hole. He’s hilarious.
Funk also won the Players Championship, the PGA Tour’s flagship tournament, last year at the Tournament Players Club [TPC] at Sawgrass. If Funk can handle Sawgrass and beat the best the PGA Tour has to offer, Prairie Dunes should be a piece of cake. Maybe.
Picking a winner at Prairie Dunes is like picking the Powerball. Golf is a game of imperfection. Who will win week to week is anybody’s guess. The baby boomers hitting the tour these days are staggering. Greg Norman. Curtis Strange. Scott Hoch. Tom Kite. Craig Stadler. They’ll all be there.
Of course, you can sit on the couch and watch. But if you haven’t seen these guys in person, that is your bad. You’ve got to go.
