Chambers Bay Golf Links more than held its own at the start of the 110th U.S. Amateur.
Since 70 of those players did not break 80, and most of them left the course wondering if there truly was a more difficult challenge in golf, the results produce obvious questions.
Is this layout too fast?
Is it too firm?
Is it too difficult?
Folks, we’ve still got six more days left.
“In the morning, there was water on the course,” said Canadian Eugene Wong, a University of Oregon golfer who played in the early wave. “But we couldn’t tell it was there by the end of the round. It was baking.
“I know for the guys in the afternoon, it’s going to be some joy ride.”
In the afternoon, the wind kicked up. Greens weren’t holding on many occasions. Scores soared.
Late Monday night, when asked if the course played unfair, USGA senior director of rules and competition Mike Davis admitted “between 2:30 and 4 p.m., it got too firm on us. What we were seeing was really well-struck shots were ending up in places where players weren’t rewarded for it.”
Three golfers got their licks in, and finished under-par – led by Patrick Reed’s 3-under-par 68, which was aided by an 180-yard holeout from the 14th fairway for an eagle-2.
Reed, the star at NCAA champion Augusta State in Georgia, came in on the short list of favorites.
“I had pretty good momentum after that,” Reed said. “I only had one or two bad swings all today, and only one of them hurt me. If you play solid, you can shoot pretty low – 68 out here is pretty low.”
Experienced tournament champions performing well out here is one thing.
Having two teenagers exhibit five hours of steely nerves was a whole another impressive feat.
Patrick Rodgers, a 17-year-old from Avon High in Indianapolis, had a 69 with three birdies and one bogey. Two of his birdies came on the front-nine par-5 holes, which he played as his second nine holes.
“It was very, very tough, And I played really, really, really well,” Rodgers said. “I kept the ball in front of me, and I knew where it was going. I sank a lot of 6- to 8-foot (putts) that saved my round.”
Rodgers, a Stanford commitment, started his senior year of high school last year.
“I’m keeping in contact with my teachers,” he said. “I’m trying to get a little homework done.”
Among the early starters, UCLA-bound Patrick Cantlay of Los Alamitos, Calif., and reigning state prep champion from that state, was 2-under for most of his round and settled for a 70.
“You can’t be too aggressive,” Cantlay said. “The greens are so firm.”
Tacoma’s T.J. Bordeaux easily brought the largest gallery with him to the first tee Monday afternoon – 75 followers – and posted one of the best rounds in that wave (73).
“Dude, being on that first tee, that was cool,” Bordeaux said. “I was a little nervous, but I ripped a drive, and I calmed down.”
The Bellarmine Prep product birdied the 17th hole and almost had another on the finishing hole, but his 2-foot birdie putt lipped out.
“The ground is so firm around that cup, it hit it and it repelled it like it was cement,” Bordeaux said.
University Place’s Andrew Putnam also had a sizable gallery, but wasn’t as boisterous. The Pepperdine standout shot 84.
“Just kind of kills momentum and everything else,” Putnam said. “I hit it really bad today. On a really hard course, that equals a really bad score.”
Todd Milles: 253-597-8442 todd.milles@thenewstribune.com
