Glissmeyer Glistens After Taking Down Williams

By Ken Klavon, USGA

Mamaroneck, N.Y. - It was supposed to be one of the marquee matchups of the day.

Except it didn't exactly live up to its billing.

By the luck of the draw -- or to be more accurate, based on stroke play standing -- 17-year-old Tom Glissmeyer of Colorado Springs, Colo., looked at his opponent late Tuesday and saw Lee Williams' name. The same Lee Williams who reached the semifinal round last year at Oakmont. Glissmeyer knew to beat him he'd have his work cut out.

It didn't help that on Wednesday at Winged Foot, Glissmeyer made life worse than it had to be in somehow bouncing the 22-year-old Williams from the championship. Glissmeyer won, 2 and 1, based on guile and extraordinary scrambling ability. The two players struggled mightily all day.

Tom Glissmeyer follows through out of the rough on the ninth hole Wednesday. The 17-year-old played most of the day out of the thick stuff. (John Mummert/USGA)

"I have all the respect for what he did last year," said a relieved Glissmeyer afterward.

Coming in, both possessed golfing resumes to die for. Glissmeyer, the youngest player since 1941 at 16 to play in the 2002 U.S. Open, had a state high school title and slew of USGA championships under his belt. Williams, a senior at Auburn University and USA Walker Cupper in 2003, could boast of winning the 2002 Southern Amateur.

"Very, very fortunate," said Glissmeyer, describing the victory.

He wasn't lying either.

Glissmeyer, who fully ripped out the nail on his right ring finger after a prom party in the spring, couldn't locate a fairway. He registered only two, striking No. 2 and 17. Except for an unforgiving fade on No. 15, he consistently hooked everything. Twice he had to take provisions, the first on the pivotal 12^th (more on this later) when his ball found nasty brush, and the second one off the tee on No. 14.

Williams wasn't much better off the tee, registering seven greens in regulation. With how penal the Winged Foot rough is, it's an important statistic.

And both were less than mediocre in greens hit, Glissmeyer carding nine to Williams' seven. All of this means both scrambled more than hopefuls at a 4-H egg preparation contest.

"I just treat it as a bad day of golf," said a sullen Williams of Alexander City, Ala.

Glissmeyer knew something was awry with the driver from the get-go. It forced him to alter his strategy by not trying to short-side holes. He knew he couldn't capitulate because of driver woes. Not now, not at the U.S. Amateur.

By the time the 17^th hole rolled around, he discovered something that clicked off the tee. The problem had been with his mechanics. Fortunately, he had been buoyed by a 1-up lead. Lee never led at any point.

Inexplicably, his wildness off the 640-yard par-5 12^th, a dogleg left, proved to be the essential moment of the match. After taking the provisional when his ball found the brushy home, Glissmeyer grabbed a 7-iron. He had about 175 yards to the hole.

The approach shot fluttered high, landing 20 feet past the hole. Then it did a U-turn, crawling back until it disappeared. Glissmeyer jumped up and down, yelling "Sorry!" repeatedly at Williams, who had started to address his ball in the fairway. With the one-stroke penalty, Glissmeyer carded a birdie and eventually a 1-up lead.

Glissmeyer was trying to get the ball close to the hole to at least give himself a chance at par.

"He was telling me he was sorry for making birdie after the penalty," said Williams. "There were several times today that I wouldn't shoot at the pin because I didn't think he'd get up and down. But he did."

The birdie on No. 12 effectively took the wind out of Williams' sails. The mop-headed Glissmeyer won the next hole too with a 3-footer for par. That was after Williams lipped a 4-footer.

Williams would cut into the lead on the 14^th with a bogey to Glissmeyer's double bogey, but he never came any closer to squaring the match.

It's definitely a heavy blow after where he finished last year.

"It's disappointing, but you have to keep it in perspective," said Williams. "It's just a golf tournament. There's always next year."