The Port Arthur News
June 16, 2009 09:27 pm
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Chris Stroud’s first trip around Bethpage Black Tuesday, site of the upcoming 109th U.S. Open, sent him digging to another driver that will enable him to carry the ball farther.
“This course is so long and so wet, said Stroud of the 7,445 yard, par 70 layout. “I’ve been getting a lot of roll with the driver I’ve been using but I’ve got to have more loft. I had to hit 3 hybrid into three of the par 4s and a 4 hybrid a couple of other times. What you hit it on the fly is what you get.”
Stroud, on the whole, says he really likes the course Tiger Woods won on in 2002, especially the greens and the width of the fairways.
“The greens are very calm and flat compared to most U.S. Open,” he said. “ There are a couple on the back with some undulation but there is no circus stuff like you sometimes run into in the U.S. Open. You will see a lot of long putts holed. And the fairway landing areas are generous.
Stroud’s foursome on Tuesday included former Lamar University teammate Shawn Stefani, Kenny Perry and big-hitting J.B. Holmes. The guy in the group that impressed him most was Stefani.
“It has been a couple of years since I played with Shawn,” he said. “I couldn’t believe how far he’s hitting the ball. He was right there with J.B. Holmes all day long. If he can hit it like that when the tournament starts, he might surprise some folks.”
Other than the 517-yard par 5, 4th, Stroud said there are no birdie holes at Bethpage and predicts no more than two or three players will break par for the tournament.
“I’d love to shoot one over for four straight days,” he said. “That would be a top 10. I’m really hitting the ball well right now, so I’m feeling pretty optimistic. I had one bad hole last week in Memphis that really cost me, but other than that I had an excellent ball-striking week. Unfortunately, I putted poorly.”
Stroud will have to wait a long time before hitting his first drive on Thursday. Paired with Memphis champion Brian Gay and Andrew McLardy of South Africa, he’s in the second to last group out at 1:20 p.m. on the 10th hole. He’ll be back early Friday for a 7:50 start on No. 1.
CHIP SHOTS: Jimmy Williams of Beaumont is the latest area player to celebrate a hole in one. Williams sank a 4 hybrid on the 184-yard, 3rd hole on the Links Course at Bayou Din for his first ever ace. The shot was witnessed by Ed Galloway and Rob Newton . . . PN-G ex Andrew Landry, who helped former Lamar golf coach Brad McMakin’s Arkansas team finish second in the NCAA tournament, has been named honorable mention All-America by GolfWeek magazine. Landry hasn’t wasted any time turning pro. He’s playing in the Nationwide Tour’s Fort Smith Classic this week in Arkansas . . . Tanner Lowe of China shot rounds of 69-76 for a 36-hole score of one-over-par 145 to win Boys 16-18 in the Bruce Lietzke Junior Classic at Idylwild. Lowe finished two shots clear of Jordan Soper of Beaumont. Other flight winners included Cody Holder of Sour Lake (149 in Boys 14-15), Brandon Soileau (168 in Boys 12-13), Kelly Bellard of Beaumont (180 in Girls’ 15-18) and Allison Davis of Silsbee (179 in Girls 12-14) . . . George Hawkins of Nederland, after shooting his age (76) for the first time last week, came back and went one-under it with a 75 at Babe Zaharias. His witness was Katie Roth . . . Alex LeBlanc of Port Neches also joined the shooting-your-age club at Babe Zaharias when he put together nines of 35-42 for a 77. His playing companion was Tommy Hatcher. The team of Robbie Van Zandt, Robbin Giddens, David Cripps and George Flores won the Crabfest 2009 tournament at Belle Oaks, but needed a playoff to do so after shooting 59. Also posting a 59 was the team of J.K. Miller, Shannon O’Brien, Hoss Strimple and Billy Bouse. Third place with a 61 went to the team of Craig Colbert, Rene McFarland, Major Rising and Becky Schmidt. Closest to the pin winners were Craig Colbert (No. 8) and Jeremy Porter (No. 12). Dustin Huff was the long driver winner for men, while Margo Johnson took first in the women’s long drive . . . The Seniors at The Babe was played in a team points format, with the team of Gerald Huebel, Jim Malcolm, Dutsy Abshire and Harold Wilkinson winning with 19 points. Second place with 17 points went to the foursome of Richard McClelland, George Besse, Ron Overstreet and John Culbertson. Third with 15 points was the team of Jim Jordan, Ray Kerwin, Sheldon Arnaud and Charlie Macha. Closest to the pin winners re Richard McClelland (No. 2), John Fong (No. 7), Tommy Prejean (No. 12) and Ray Holm (No. 15) . . . Ben Fuller shot a net 60 to win the Friday Seniors at Belle Oaks. Ralph Childress was second with a 67 and Twyman Ash was third at 68. Fuller won closest to the pin on No. 8 . . . Jimmy Fetters teamed with Joe Castleman, Charles Scott and Gene Harrison to win the front at minus 7 and tie for the back at minus 7 in The Patch Senior Game. Also finishing at minus 7 on the back was the team of Gerald Huebel, Don MacNeil, Ron Theriot, Adam Noel and Dave Campbell and the team of Charles Cooksey, Don Storey, Carl Certa and C. Huckaby . . . The team of Mike Hebert, John House, Gene Harrison, Charlie Huckaby and Leonard Hendrickson won the Belle Oaks DogFight at 17&5. Placing second at 15&6 was the fivesome of Richard Briggs, Hilario Padia, Tom Stirling, Brian Roy and Jack Faubion. Stirling was the closest to the pin winner No. 15 . . . The Babe Zaharais DogFight was won at 17&2 by the foursome of Buddy Sepeda, Harry Green, Jim Cooper and Harold Wilkinson. There was a tie for second between the team of Murphy Demarcay, Glenn Judice, Cecil Bourgeois and Paul Brown and the team of Billy Tucker, Tom Lawton, Pete Reobroi and Jim Thompson. Closest to the pin winners were Dave Martin (No. 2), John House (No. 7), Larry Johnson (No. 12) and Cap Hollier (No. 15) . . . The Bayou Din DogFight finished in a three way tie for the top spot. The team of Nathan Wolf, Pete Reobroi, Jesse Smothers and Gary Anderson finished 17&6, the foursome of Troy Touchet, Larry Johnson, Jerry May and Rusty Harrel was 17&4 and the team of Tom O’Grady, David Arnaud, Ron Theriot and Charles Huckaby was 17&3 . . . The Knights of Columbus Council 2461 is staging a charity scramble Saturday at Bayou Din. Proceeds go to St. Elizabeth Church and other charities. Play will be over the Bayou Front and Links nine. Cost for a four-man team is $300. Numerous specialty prizes will be available, including $500 for closest to the hole on No. 2 on the Bayou Front. Anyone wanting to enter or with questions should call 722-0865, 724-7711 or 722-1752.
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