Notebook: Local Player Prefers To Be Nowhere Else

By Ken Klavon, USGA

Oakmont, Pa. – In a fervent case of home town player makes good, Sean Knapp was still excited despite muddling to a 78.

The affable 41-year-old Oakmont native, who lives “a driver and a 3-wood from” Oakmont Country Club, marked this event on his calendar ever since the USGA made the announcement it was coming back several years ago.

An accomplished state player, Knapp owned the Western Pennsylvania Player of the Year honor from 1994-2001 and won seven West Penn Amateurs. This year he bypassed the state amateur championship – a tournament he won last year – because it conflicted with Amateur qualifying. He has qualified for the Amateur 10 times.

Before qualifying at New Castle Country Club, New Castle, Pa., Knapp asked exempt player Trip Kuehne if he could caddie for him in case he didn’t make the field.

Upon learning he had qualified, Knapp called Kuehne and said, “Your caddie has been fired.”

"It’s a thrill of a lifetime,” said a perspiring Knapp after signing his scorecard in the early afternoon. “I’m trying to savor every moment.”

Even after a 78?

"I had Oakmont take a big body blow to me today,” he said amid laughs.

There were some highlights. Birdies on holes two, nine and 14, all par 4s, bolstered his confidence. He drained a 15-footer on No. 9.

A non-member of club, Knapp still has had ample opportunities to play the course. The experience helped, but not as much as the average hacker would think. The greens, measuring between 12 and 12.6 on the Stimpmeter, are tough to judge. Fast wouldn’t begin to describe them, said Knapp.

"Oh, they’re perfect,” he said with tongue in cheek. “I think I hear them beginning to hum.”

On A Roll

Nineteen-year-old Matt Johnston of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, had a shot that could make the blooper and highlight reel. On the 379-yard par-4 11 th hole at Oakmont, Johnston reached the green, which had the flagstick tucked tight in front, in two.

Looking at an unforgiving downhill putt, Johnston sent the birdie offering 10 feet below the hole. No sweat, he still could make par. That’s when the fun began.

Johnston knocked his next putt uphill two feet above the hole. When he went to mark it, the ball moved. He tried to mark it again. And again and again and again. At least a dozen times. Finally, he got it marked and crouched behind it. The ball took off again, this time finding the hole for an unlikely par. Smiles all around.

"I called my playing partner [Alan Scheer] over,” said Johnston. “I pulled my coin away after it stopped. … It stopped for 10-15 seconds. Then it took off again into the hole.

"I shook my head and started looking for a Rules guy.”

Thinking he’d get a one-stroke penalty, Johnston was pleasantly surprised to learn that since he never addressed the ball, the stroke and score stood. Johnston finished 12-over 82.

Return Engagement

Last year at Oakland Hills Country Club, Bill Haas of Greer, S.C., was so hot that his clubs were figuratively charring. The 21-year-old son of longtime PGA Tour pro Jay Haas cruised to medalist honors with a 5-under 135, riding the wave until losing to eventual champion Ricky Barnes in the semifinals.

This year his strategy has changed a bit, yet the song remains the same: hopefully embrace the Havemeyer Trophy come Sunday.

"All I want to do is finish 64 th and beat the guy I play first,” said Haas after shooting a 4-over 74 in the first round of stroke play.

No need to do a double-take. He said it, which requires an addendum. By being medalist last year, Haas felt the pressure of being the top seed. Theory says that more players in the field won’t know the second-place finisher from the 61 st entering match play. But they’ll definitely know who is No. 1.

The 74 Haas shot didn’t provide much solace even when the difficulty of the course was taken into consideration. All he knows is that he felt beat up before having to trudge over to Pittsburgh Field Club Tuesday.

"I’d say this is the hardest golf course I’ve ever played,” said Haas. “It penalizes every mistake.”

In what was a veiled compliment to the course, Haas said that on the back nine he shot even par and "played about the best golf I can play.”

A recent selection to the U.S. Walker Cup Team, Haas added he felt relieved that he wouldn’t have to press this week in order to make two of the final spots.

What A Year

How many 16 year olds would jump at the chance to play in a U.S. Open and Amateur in the same year? All told, countless. The rare breed to do it this year was Tom Glissmeyer of Colorado Springs, Colo.

A year removed from his round of 32 placing at the U.S. Junior Amateur, Glissmeyer has lived this summer like a touring pro. So much so that he hasn’t had a chance to salivate over his Open experience at Olympia Fields, where he failed to make the cut.

He did take the last two weeks off, but that time was spent preparing for the Amateur.

"This summer has been …,” Glissmeyer paused searching for the perfect word. “Crazy. I’ve been on the road in what feels like every week.”

Glissmeyer shot a 4-over 74 at Oakmont Monday.

Beljan’s Back

In the same vein as Glissmeyer, last year Charlie Beljan had a year to remember. First, he won the U.S. Junior Amateur, then made it to match play at the U.S. Amateur before losing to Spencer Levin in the second round.

He got off to an unpleasant start by firing a 13-over 83 at Oakmont.

"I’m not hitting driver. I’ve had to step it back a bit,” said Beljan referring to the premium on fairway accuracy. His cause wasn’t helped when he lost a couple of balls.

Low Odds

Think it’s a piece of cake to make match play? Think again. With 312 players battling for 64 spots, that equates to 21 percent of the field advancing.

Ken Klavon is the USGA Web Editor. For questions or comments, e-mail him at kklavon@usga.org .