THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 15, 1996 TAG: 9606150443
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MICH. LENGTH: 56 lines
``Stupid'' was the word Curtis Strange most often used to describe his second-round play at the U.S. Open Friday. Thanks to the back-nine blowup of leader Payne Stewart, however, the 41-year-old Norfolk native has an opportunity to show he can tour Oakland Hills in smarter fashion this weekend.
Strange followed an opening-round 74 with a 3-over 73 Friday. At 7-over 147, he wouldn't have made the cut had Stewart parred in after making the turn at 5-under.
Instead, Stewart played his incoming holes in 3-over 38, including bogeys at Nos. 16 and 18.
Thus Strange - and 21 others who finished 7- or 8-over - qualified for the weekend play under the U.S. Golf Association's 10-stroke rule. The Kingsmill touring pro trails the leader by nine.
The Open-record 108 cut survivors is the most at a major since 113 qualified at the 1991 British Open at Royal Birkdale.
David Fay, executive director of the USGA, indicated Friday evening there likely will never be that large a weekend gathering again at the U.S. Open.
In August, the USGA will discuss whether to stay with the 10-shot rule or change to the lowest 70 scores and ties, the standard that all tournaments except the Masters employ.
``The concentration of talent is such that one day you could have 140 players within 10 shots of the leader,'' Fay said. ``I think there is a good chance we would go to the low-70s and ties.''
Strange started the round with six pars, then put a 6-iron approach into the right bunker on the 405-yard seventh hole and made bogey.
``It was a stupid, bad shot,'' said Strange. ``You can't play good golf in an Open missing 6-irons to the green. Heck, you don't get that many 6-irons.''
Strange also bogeyed the 440-yard par-four eighth and made the turn for the second straight day in 2-over 37.
But what upset him more was a pair of three-putts on the par-five 12th and par-three 13th. The former was from 15 feet. And he missed a 2 1/2-foot par putt on a slope between the 13th green's tiers.
``Those stupid three-putts. I don't know. I just wasn't very sharp today,'' Strange admitted. ``At one point on the back nine, I'm walking down the fairway counting the number of times in the last two days I've had (that type of over-and-up) putt. That shows you where my head was.''
For the record, the answer is 16, eight times each round. Even shots just slightly mishit have left him with roller-coaster attempts at birdies.
``It's not that I've hit the ball that far from the hole on some of these,'' he said. ``But let's face it, you aren't going to make many of those, are you?''
He finally made his first birdie on the par-four 16th, then parred out before heading to the practice range for more work and to wait for what turned out to be good news.
``I deserved my 73 today,'' he said. ``I didn't play real well.'' ILLUSTRATION: Curtis Strange was 2-over on the front nine for a
second straight day and didn't get a birdie until the 16th. by CNB