June 21 — Despite missing the cut at last week’s U.S. Open and flying back from California less than 24 hours his tee time, Boston golfer Jon Curran was brimming with confidence after firing an opening-round 67 on the first day of the Massachusetts Open at Wellesley Country Club.
The pride of Hopkinton, Mass., Curran was in a tie for fourth place, just four shots off Jeff Castle’s (Baltimore, Md.) pace after day one of the three-day event. A field of the top 150 amateur and professional players from across the country qualified to play in the 101st Mass. Open.
Well-qualified. Of course, his home-state tourney was not the only major golf event for which Curran had qualified of late. In fact, he was the only Bay State player in the field of the top 150 amateur and professional golfers from across the country to play in the 2010 US Open Championship.
While Curran failed to make it to the weekend at Pebble Beach, he learned some valuable lessons that he believed would help him at Wellesley.
“The Open definitely gave me confidence that I could compete against [anyone],” Curran told Boston Golf Examiner. “I narrowly missed the cut, and it was not my best showing.”
With rounds of 75 and 77 at Pebble Beach, Curran missed the cut by just three shots.
Bring it on. After the rigorous challenge that the tortuous Pebble Beach Golf Links threw at him and at the best golfers in the world, Curran was ready for the cozy confines of the 6,903-yard layout in Wellesley Hills. Hey, if the 23-year-old mini-tour veteran could conquer the spirit-killing demands of the 14th hole at Pebble Beach, he was probably ready for Wellesley.
Indeed, Curran could take pride in knowing he was not among the many top golfers who carded eights and nines on the hole that derailed many a round. In fact, Curran bogeyed the treacherous par-5 hole Thursday and made par on Friday on the same patch of real estate on which Zach Johnson posted a nine and Paul Casey, Ian Poulter, and Y.E. Yang each made an eight.
“It sounds silly, but for a hole that could be devastating,” Curran observed, “it wasn’t that bad.”
Good position. The key for Curran was to put himself in good position for a third, aggressive shot to the turtle-backed putting surface that drained golfers’ dreams down to collection areas to the front and back.
“I’d rather be 150 yards in the fairway than 100 yards out in the rough,” he said.
Still, Curran understood why golfers from Tiger Woods to Ryan Moore blasted the condition of the firm, fast greens. Moore went absolutely postal, ripping the USGA for tricking up holes like 14 and 17.
“It would take not much to make that green at least halfway reasonable, and they [USGA officials] refuse to do it,” Moore told a group of reporters after finishing the Open at 12-over. “I think they go for a spectacle; they want some hole to draw attention and make everybody look stupid, I guess. It doesn’t reward good golf shots like Augusta [National] does, and I don’t understand why you’d have a tournament that doesn’t reward good golf shots.”
Interestingly, while Moore posted a seven on the 14th on Thursday, he played the two holes in just three-over par for the week. He even made a birdie on 14 in the second round.
The importance of being patient. As for Curran, he learned another valuable lesson about patience from his “awesome” experience at Pebble Beach.
After three quick bogeys on Friday, he tried to force too many shots. Instead of going for the green in two on 18 and ending up in a bad spot, for instance, he might have given himself a better chance to make birdie by playing it safer.
“I could have easily laid up and had a perfect look at the hole and made birdie,” Curran said.
Busy golf season. Curran has a busy season ahead. After Wellesley, he’ll head down to Nashville, Tenn., pick up the car he parked before flying to California, and then drive to Texas for two Hooters Tour events.
“I’ll spend the rest of the summer on Hooters,” Curran said, “and pick up where I left off.”
Visit the Massachusetts Golf Association website at MGALinks.com for the schedule of Mass. Open play and an updated leaderboard.
(Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. She also writes the Boston Golf Examiner and National Golf Examiner blogs.)
Related posts:
- U.S. Open 2010: New England golfer Jon Curran hopes to
- New England golfers Curran and Henry miss U.S. Open cut; women take Open stage next month
- Massachusetts Will Be Well Represented on the 2010 PGA Tour; Three Bay Staters Earn Tour Card and Others Still in the Hunt at Qualifying
- Massachusetts Golfer Kevin Blaser Makes 3 Aces in 24 Hours
- MGA Links at Mamantapett & The First Tee of Massachusetts Open Their Doors to the Perkins School for the Blind
