A hole-in-one is a kick, said Joel Edwards. The first time you do it–and even the ninth.
Edwards, 34, of Irving, Texas, said he was as surprised as anyone when his 7-iron shot to the par-3 14th rolled into the cup for his ninth career hole-in-one. Firing at the heavily bunkered hole, into a crosswind from 172 yards, Edwards said: “I didn’t like the shot at first. I knew the wind was blowing hard. I was trying to hit it at the right side of the green. I went `aah’ when I hit it. It caught the green and started going left. And I go, `Well, it should be pretty good, I guess.’ And they started going, `Go in the hole. go in the hole.’ “
“And I was kind of laughing, going, `Yeah, right,’ and it went in. Making an ace is fun.”
Five of Edwards’ nine aces have been in competition. Thursday’s was seen by a crowd of 50, including his wife, Rhonda, and father-in-law, Rich Olson, who was filling in for Edwards’ regular caddie Brian Bellenger. Bellenger is toting Tom Purtzer’s bag this week.
“I gave my wife the ball,” Edwards said. “I thought that was real sweet.”
Local updates: Lake Forest’s Chip Beck shot a 2-over-par 74, but fellow PGA Tour pros Dave Ogrin, formerly of Waukegan, and Gary Hallberg, formerly of Barrington, with 76s, and Jeff Sluman of Hinsdale with a 78 will be hard-pressed to make the cut.
“I actually played very well. I had one bad hole,” Beck said. “On the rest I was putting for some nice birdies. I had a lot of opportunities. Probably as many opportunities for birdies as I’ve had in a long time. The wind was a huge factor today.”
After a 1-under 35 on the front, Hallberg soared to a 41 on the back, thanks to a quadruple-bogey 8 on the 13th.
Chicago-area club pros fared even worse: Hillcrest Country Club pro Steve Benson shot a 77, Evanston assistant Jim Estes shot a 78, Brian King of Elgin and the Oak Club of Genoa, Ill., fired an 81, Dino Lucchesi of Highland Park Country Club had an 86 and Ravinia Green’s Jim Holmes, who definitely won’t be around after Friday, soared to 92.
Price not right: Nick Price’s hip was fine Thursday after his 75. It was Price’s short game that was really hurting.
“It was a tough day. I actually hit the ball well from tee to green, but my short game was poor,” Price said. “I had three or four three-putts, which ruined my score.”
Price would have had an excuse if the hip that he aggravated at the St. Jude Classic in Memphis had been sore.
“The hip is fine, thank goodness. I wish it wasn’t because of the way I played,” Price said.
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Ryder Cup material? Even though Tom Watson hasn’t won a tournament since 1987, when he won the Championship of Golf, he still has hopes of making the Ryder Cup. Captain Lanny Wadkins has two wild-card picks. The top 10 point-makers are automatically selected for the team.
“I’m thinking of the Ryder Cup,” Watson said. “If I’m playing well here and should happen to win and do well in the Open and the PGA , then even if I don’t get on the team, Lanny may consider taking me.”
Tiger Woods update: U.S. Amateur Champion Tiger Woods came back to the Western Open again this year.
The only amateur in the field shot a 2-over 74.
“I bogeyed the first hole and got off to a bad start,” Woods said. “Overall, I was patient and I hit some good shots.”