British Open Notebook
Calcavecchia Adds Comedy and Intrigue
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Friday, July 17, 2009; 11:58 PM
TURNBERRY, Scotland, July 17 -- With all the memories flooding back for Tom Watson at the British Open, it was easy to overlook the man who lurks just one shot behind Watson and Steve Marino after Friday's second round. That would be Mark Calcavecchia, who 20 years ago won the Open at Royal Troon, and now is back in contention after a second-round, 1-under-par 69 gave him a two-round total of 4-under 136.
"I think experience is way overrated," Calcavecchia said. "All that means is I've hit more bad shots than all the guys that are 20 years old, and they're lingering in my brain."
If not for the presence of the 59-year-old, five-time Open champion Watson, Calcavecchia's would be a story good enough to carry this tournament. He is 49, and has been cut or withdrawn from seven of the 16 tournaments he has played this year. He is also one of the tour's legendary comics, and he poked fun at himself Friday, talking about the four pints of lager he enjoyed each night.
"I'm actually kind of using my head," Calcavecchia said, "which is unusual."
But Calcavecchia's most astonishing statistic: He has placed second in PGA Tour events 27 times, third 17 more times. The 13-time winner's most notable runner-up spot came at the 1988 Masters, when Sandy Lyle made birdie from a fairway bunker on the 72nd hole to beat him.
"I should have won at least 20 tournaments," he said. Asked if he could do so again, he said, "I think I can win, if not this week, maybe somewhere later on this year down the road."
Turnberry Tiff
One story line that departs Turnberry for the weekend: The spat between Scots Lyle and Colin Montgomerie, one brought on by Lyle's remarks concerning a cheating accusation against Montgomerie four years ago, and stoked by Lyle's continued comments on the situation.
"I think a lot of us know he's an emotional person," Lyle said Friday, after he missed the cut at 8-over 148. Montgomery, who finished at 5-over to miss the cut as well, was asked whether he was distracted by Lyle's remarks.
"Very much so," he said. . . .
Other than Tiger Woods, maybe the most surprising person to miss the cut was 2003 Open champ Ben Curtis, who opened with a 65 to sit one off the lead Thursday. Curtis, though, played one nine-hole stretch in 9-over Friday, finishing with an 80 to miss the cut by a shot.
