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When a 78 is good
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Frank Dobbs isn't used to shooting 78. After Saturday's 88, however, he wasn't about to start complaining. "I'm usually right around par, so 78 isn't all that hot," said Dobbs, the only club professional to make the cut in the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. "But compared with (Saturday), it felt like a great round." Dobbs entered the third round at 3 over but put up the 88 Saturday, which included a 12 at the 348-yard 13th hole. He hit his drive into the right rough and hit four balls into the shallow creek surrounding the island green before finally reaching the green safely. But on Sunday, Dobbs, the assistant pro at Club Med at Village of Sandpiper in Port St. Lucie, Fla., drilled his approach shot from the middle of the fairway within 15 feet of the pin. Upon seeing the result, Dobbs threw his hands into the air -- exactly as he did after finally reaching the green on Saturday -- and exclaimed, "I can hit the green," bringing a raucous ovation from the gallery. "We started walking up to the green and [playing partner] Robert [Damron] slid his arm around me and said, 'Those people must have read the paper this morning,'" Dobbs said with a grin. He slid his birdie putt by on the right side but tapped in from about 18 inches for his par, bringing another rousing cheer from those gathered around the green. Dobbs said the entire week was an enjoyable experience. "The goal was to make the cut, and I did that," he said. "I played in two other PGAs and didn't make the cut in either one, so being around for the weekend was a positive step forward. "Like I said on Saturday, if that awful round is the worst thing that ever happens to me, I'm in pretty good shape."
Hole in twoGroundskeepers did some emergency work on the green at No. 2 on Sunday morning after a 6-inch deep hole formed on the green. The hole appeared about 30 feet from the pin when a drainage tile under the soil shifted, officials said. "The tile didn't do its job," said tournament official Clyde Luther, who supervised the repair work. "The ground just collapsed." Workers used sand from the greenside bunker and two plugs to fix the hole. Jesper Parnevik and Chris Perry were in the fairway when the crew repaired the hole, and had to wait about five minutes. "It was probably caused by all the rain we had Thursday night," Luther said. "Three inches is an awful lot."
Bad omenJose Maria Olazabal became the sixth player in PGA Championship history to shoot a 63. Only one went on to win the season's final major. Raymond Floyd opened with a 63 in the 1982 PGA at Southern Hills and went on to a three-stroke victory. Olazabal followed up his third-round, course-record 63 with a 3-under 69 Sunday to finish in a three-way tie for fourth place at 12-under 276. Bruce Crampton followed a second-round 63 with a 75 at the 1975 PGA at Firestone. He shot a 69 in the final round but lost by two strokes to Jack Nicklaus. Gary Player was the first player to score a 63 on a par 72 course, doing it during the second round of the 1984 PGA at Shoal Creek. Player finished second by four shots to Lee Trevino. Vijay Singh shot a 63 during the second round of the 1993 PGA at Inverness and finished fourth, two shots behind Paul Azinger. Both Michael Bradley and Brad Faxon fired 63s in the 1995 PGA at Riviera. Bradley shot his 63 in the opening round but shot 7 over par the rest of the way and finished tied for 54th. Faxon shot his 63 in the final round and finished tied for fifth, four shots behind champion Steve Elkington.
Monty's massesMaybe the American fans have accepted Colin Montgomerie after all. Montgomerie, who has lost 20 pounds since this past month's British Open, has had an adversarial relationship with the stateside fans ever since he began playing PGA Tour events in 1992. The tide, he said Sunday, appears to be turning. "It's the first time in a couple of years I've enjoyed playing over here," said Montgomerie, who shot 70 to finish at 2-under 286. "I wish I had a dollar for every time someone yelled, 'You look good, Monty!'" "It was a big change in the way the American crowd accepted me. I'd like to thank the American public for accepting and respecting me. I was encouraged the crowd reacted to me the way they did."
QuoteableDobbs, after a 78 Sunday which, combined with an 88 Saturday, left him at 25 over 313 for the tournament: "A 78 is still awful, but it looks a lot better than 88. I mean, I could have shot 68 - heck, I could have shot 58 -- and it still wasn't going to improve my position on the scoreboard."
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