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For Marino, A Happy Homecoming
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"He's been living down in Florida trying to play a bit, but he's been hurt," Marino said. "I wanted to change it up and try a new caddie, so I gave him a call. I figured it would get him out of the cart barn so he wouldn't have to wash carts for a couple of weeks and get him out here. It worked out real well."
As Marino made his way around the back nine, he was followed by about 75 spectators, including his grandmother (herself a former high school golf coach in Connecticut), his parents Steve Sr. and Fran, several members of Fairfax Country Club (where he grew up playing golf) and all those rowdy friends. Now that he's in the lead, many more likely will be there today for his 12:25 p.m. tee time.
"Yeah, I got some crazy friends that came out to watch me, and today, I think it's safe to say, it was probably going to be the mildest day, especially if I keep playing well," Marino said. "I know tomorrow is July 4, and I'm teeing off in the afternoon so that gives them plenty of time to get looped up. They are rowdy, but it definitely feels good to have them out there supporting me."
They had plenty to support early in Marino's round. With a 7:35 a.m. tee time, some of his boisterous buddies might even have been stuck in Beltway traffic while he made birdies on three of his first four holes. After a 295-yard drive, he hit a wedge to within 3 1/2 feet at the 402-yard opening hole and made that putt.
At the 455-yard No. 3, he had a two-footer after a 310-yard drive and another wedge from 135 yards, then made a 12-footer for birdie at the 427-yard No. 4 to get to 3 under in a hurry. His fourth birdie came at the 187-yard 13th, when he rolled in another 12-footer, and he finished with an eight-footer at the downhill, 466-yard 18th.
Marino also salvaged his score with three fine saves of par on the back nine, none better than at the 437-yard 17th, when his 3-wood off the tee went dead right into deep rough. But he hacked a second shot out of the tall grass into a back greenside bunker, then blasted to three feet and made the putt to stay bogey-free. On a day when he missed six fairways and five greens in regulation, he needed only 26 putts.
"When you've got a lot of people out there yelling and screaming, it kind of takes your mind off things and makes you a laugh a little bit," Marino said. "I can't wait to see what it's going to be like on July Fourth."
