US golfer Heath Slocum debated whether to come to the Open as a first reserve, but now he doesn't want to leave.
Slocum had planned to be in Milwaukee this week for the US Bank Championship, but that was before Kenny Perry stood by his decision not to play in golf's oldest championship and David Toms withdrew.
That moved Slocum up to No 1 on the standby list
, and it left him with a difficult choice – fly to England with no guarantee of playing, or go to Milwaukee with the chance of passing up a spot in the Open.
"It was 50-50 to come here and sit," Slocum said. "You hate to miss out, especially in a Ryder Cup year. It's an opportunity to earn some points, get another win or help with the FedEx Cup. It's effectively a week off if I'm not in here."
Slocum is at No 22 in the Ryder Cup standings, and with the exchange rate, no other tournament offers more points than the British Open. He is No 41 in the FedEx Cup standings with only five tournaments left before players are ranked for the play-offs.
So why not just go to Milwaukee? "Because if I got in here, I'd be sick to my stomach," Slocum said.
On the eve of the tournament, Slocum's best hope of a late call-up was defending champion Padraig Harrington, who injured his right wrist. Harrington said after 18 holes of chipping and putting that it was 75 per cent he would play, 50 per cent he would finish.
"I don't want to see anyone get hurt," Slocum said. "But if they withdraw, I'm here."
Harrington said yesterday: "Yesterday I was fully sure I would play and was just worried I would inflame it. Today I am not so fully sure I will play. The plan is to go to the range (he is due off in the ninth group today at 7.58am) and see what it's like."
Unlike the US Open, it hasn't been a total waste of his time. The US Open policy is that standby players are not allowed to play the golf course until they officially part of the 156-man field.
The top four reserves at the Open are allowed to play. In fact, they are extended full privileges, which surprised Slocum when he arrived on the charter from the John Deere Classic.
"They give you credentials, your allotment of tickets, everything," he said. "And I do have privileges on the course. It would be tough if I didn't. I couldn't imagine playing this course blind."
The toughest part might be the waiting today. Among the three majors with at least 150 players, the Open is the only one that sends everyone off the first tee. The first tee time is 6:30 am, and the last group goes off at 4:21 pm.
Slocum can't stray too far from the first tee if his name is called. "It could be a long day," he said.
And it could be a very short week, which could leave him with one big regret.
"This is my first links experience, which almost makes it worse," he said. "Because now I really want to play."
Meanwhile, last-minute qualifier Jay Williamson makes his debut in the Open today, alongside a doyen of caddies.
The American did not even have time to go back to his home after losing a playoff to Perry in the John Deere Classic on Sunday, and his normal caddie was unable to follow him to England.
When he arrived at Royal Birkdale, Williamson was delighted to recruit 65-year-old Dave Musgrove who was alongside Seve Ballesteros and Sandy Lyle for their Open successes.
"I'd spoken to Jay over in America before so I knew who he was and knew he was a good player and asked him if he'd like me to work for him," Musgrove said. "I'm sure he's going to take full advantage of being the last player to get a spot (by finishing second in the John Deere).I don't know whether he thought he had a chance in Illinois because by some miracle he had his passport with him.
"He had to send his family home because they were supposed to be going on holiday and he got on a charter flight straight after the tournament from Chicago to Manchester."
Musgrove has caddied at the Open for five decades, accompanying Ballesteros to victory at Royal Lytham and St Annes in 1979 and guiding Lyle at Royal St George's in 1985.
"He (Williamson) has not only never played an Open before but he's never played a links course so we've been going over quite a few things," said the caddie. "He actually hits the ball quite low so that's going to be a help in the wind.
"I've been showing him the lines off the tees, where to land the ball downwind, there's a special spot where you can then let the ball run. He now knows all about the bunkers. I've told him whatever we do we've got to stay out of them."
The full article contains 871 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
