June18 OpenOgilvy
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Geoff Ogilvy was in a much better mood when he left last year’s US Open.
The defending champion had another rough day Sunday, not spending nearly enough time in the fairway and shooting a 5-over 75. He finished at 19 over and was signing his scorecard before the leaders even saw the Church Pew Bunkers.
“I’m just frustrated,” he said. “I didn’t have much fun the last three days.”
The Aussie started the defence of his title well, shooting a 1-over 71 in the first round that left him three strokes back and tied for fifth. He was 1 under for the tournament after his first five holes Friday.
But Ogilvy played the rest of that round 7 over and could never pull his game back together. He shot an 8-over 78 on Saturday.
“I know I don’t need to practice out of the fairway bunkers. It’s no use,” Ogilvy said. “We should just add one shot and drop the ball in the fairway. … You should be penalised for missing a shot, but it shouldn’t be so black and white. I don’t like the one-shot penalty that’s almost guaranteed.”
The rest of his game wasn’t bailing him out, either. He hit only half his fairways and greens in regulation all week, and he needed 32 putts both Saturday and Sunday.
On Sunday, he couldn’t get any momentum going until the back nine, when he made three birdies in a four-hole span. But it wasn’t enough to salvage a bad week.
“It is what it is,” he said. “I just didn’t bring all my game here this week, and you need to.”
US Open champions who won with scores over par since 1965 (first year of four consecutive days of 18 holes):
2007 – Angel Cabrera 285 +5 Oakmont Country Club
2006 – Geoff Ogilvy 285 +5 Winged Foot Golf Club
1978 – Andy North 285 +1 Cherry Hills Country Club
1975 – x-Lou Graham 287 +3 Medinah Country Club
1974 – Hale Irwin 287 +7 Winged Foot Golf Club
1972 – Jack Nicklaus 290 +2 Pebble Beach
1969 – Orville Moody 281 +1 Champions Golf Club
1965 – Gary Player 282 +2 Bellevue Country Club
Photo: Getty Images
