Low scores dominate at Olympia Fields

The blue blazers who run the U.S. Golf Association like to say they set up Open courses to identify the best golfers, not embarrass them.

So far, though, Olympia Fields has managed neither.

The second round Friday was one of the lowest average scoring days in the 103-year history of the U.S. Open. Old-timers insisted that if you squinted at the leaderboard just right, you could divine several signs of the golfing apocalypse.

Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk, the co-leaders at 7-under, sat perched just above Steven Leaney, Eduardo Romero and Jonathan Byrd. A day after 53-year-old Tom Watson shot an opening round for the aged, Nick Price was among a handful of 40-somethings who played like Dorian Gray, turning the clock back a decade or so. Tiger Woods shot 66, but still found Robert Damron clinging to his trousers like a terrier.

This place has fewer defenses than the Denver Nuggets did during the Doug Moe era. The sod is so soft from several days of rain and overcast skies, you half-expect to find the golfers stashing divots in their bags to improve their lawns at home.

Those same guys have been firing at the pins so often, it's a wonder the flags atop them haven't been replaced by catchers' mitts.

``It's more about the climatic conditions as opposed to the way they set the course up,'' Price said. ``This is what I believe. This kind of golf course is what they need to do more of.

``And I'm not just saying that because I shot 65 today. I said that in practice rounds.''

Romero was keen on the weather and fond of the crowds, but he left no doubts what he credited for his 66.

``The new driver, the new ball, it's going miles. I think I do the same thing always,'' the Argentine said, ``but now the balls go 350 yards.''

So blame the benign weather, the soft course, the manufacturing arms race that has turned clubs into titanium trampolines and the dimpled orbs into 7,500-rpm marbles.

The fact is, this place is playing like the Bob Hope Classic.

``This is not like Shinnecock in 1995, where you were just waiting for the guys to come back to the field,'' said Phil Mickelson, who shot a second consecutive even-par 70. ``This is a course where you can make birdies and you have to catch the leaders.''

The average score Friday was 71.9, making it the lowest Open round in 10 years and the lowest second round ever. The cut at 3-over par was also the second-lowest ever for an Open, trailing only the 1-over at Medinah Country Club in 1990, the last time the Open was played in the Chicago area.

All told, there were 38 rounds in the 60s Friday -- more subpar rounds than Jack Nicklaus amassed in 44 Open starts and 160 rounds. Those numbers emboldened just about everybody.

Even guys who missed the cut were trashing Olympia.

``The golf course is easy,'' said Joe Ogilvie, who shot 144 over the two days. ``Relative to a U.S. Open course, it's easy.''

It wasn't just the words that hurt Olympia Fields, either. The deeds were just as devastating.

Masters champion Mike Weir took a 7 at No. 1, yet still managed to shoot 67. Reigning U.S. Amateur champion Ricky Barnes spent nearly as much time chasing his ball into the gallery as down the fairways, made five bogeys and still brought back his second straight 71, good enough to play into the weekend.

Woody Austin was once so bewitched by fast greens that he walked off a putting surface banging himself in the head repeatedly with the short stick. On Friday, he needed only 26 putts to shoot 64.

``I'm not one to think that you're going to shoot 64 in the Open very often,'' he said.

But here, it seems increasingly possible.

The USGA once considered 10-under an almost mystical barrier. No one had gone that low before Gil Morgan did it at Pebble Beach in 1992, and the response wasn't as obvious as putting up a tree overnight, as the USGA did at the Inverness Club in 1979 to block long-hitting Lon Hinkle from cutting a dogleg.

Because of where Pebble Beach lies, they just counted on the winds to kick up and then conveniently forgot where the watering hoses were stored. Turning off the spigot is not an option here.

Two years ago, Woods shook the USGA to its core by finishing the Open at Pebble Beach at 12-under. By Sunday, those could seem like the good old days.