Wind, cold can’t stop hot scores

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This article was published 17/07/2009 (6217 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Canada’s favourite topic, the weather, was front and centre Thursday during the first round of the Players Cup at Pine Ridge.

Every angle was used to describe the dreary, cold and blustery day.

Regular summer day in Calgary, some said.

Flurries are in the forecast, others joked.

It’s the city’s new mosquito-fighting weapon, someone cracked.

Americans Rob Oppenheim and Shawn Jasper and Australian Luke Hickmott may have had the best comments, however, a 66 and a pair of 67s to send a spitball into the weatherman’s eye.

Oppenheim’s 5-under round in the morning was better than any of his 155 rivals could produce on a day that saw a laughable high of 15C with gusty north winds near 60 kilometres per hour, especially in the afternoon.

"It was tough," said Oppenheim, who estimated par for the conditions was 75 or 76, not the 71 it says on Pine Ridge’s card. "You could still get to some of the par-5’s, but some of the holes, well, I finished up on No. 9 and that was a three-wood there and it was tough."

The Andover, Mass., native, 29, suffered his only bogey of the day on No. 9 after six earlier birdies.

"Bogey on nine is not going to hurt you," said Oppenheim, who finished third here in 2006 and has two Canadian Tour wins to his credit. "You never like to bogey your last hole but nine played almost like a par-4 today. I’m not complaining."

The best Manitoban Thursday was Dauphin’s Ryan Horn, who posted a tidy 68, tied with three others just two back of the lead. John Ellis, Saskatchewan’s Graham DeLaet, Saskatchewan Open winner Andres Gonzales and defending Players Cup champ Wes Heffernan were in the group at 69.

Winnipeg amateur Scott Loewen went 3-under on his back nine for a 70, while Winnipeggers Adam Speirs and Rob McMillan were in at 1-over 72.

Hickmott, who hails from Melbourne, said he just putted well for his 67 and seemed surprised by all the weather chatter.

"I haven’t felt too many warm days in Canada in my life," he said. "I expect this."

Did the wind make the course any more difficult?

"It was tough but I think (par’s) still 71," said Hickmott, 28, a tour member since 2005. "You could make a score. The course is not as hard as it’s been in previous years. If you could control your ball in the wind, you could still score.

"I grew up in Australia and the weather there can be very windy. You play golf on the coast, you get a lot of wind so it didn’t worry me too much."

Jasper, the 24-year-old from Marthasville, Mo., bogeyed the 18th hole and chuckled about the harsh conditions.

"I’ve been down in Texas the last couple of weeks and it’s been 110," he smiled. "It’s usually nice up here every summer and I look forward to that. I’m lucky I packed a few long-sleeved clothes.

"I’ve been playing a lot in the wind and I had a good time of it today. It’s all about mental outlook. Some guys think it’s tough. Well, it is tough but I was shot-shaping and I hit a lot of good shots."

He was more than pleased with his score despite the final-hole hiccup, where he missed a six-footer for par.

"It’s kind of a brutal pin placement, wind’s blowing 30 miles an hour right to left and they stick the flag on the right," Jasper said. "And I had a hook lie. I just couldn’t aim far enough right. I got away with a few out there so it’s not the end of the world."

Some overnight rain into Thursday morning brought the total rainfall to 40 millimetres since Tuesday, but the sand-based layout in Birds Hill took it well and, as usual, the greens remained smooth and quick.

If the sunshine that seems to always be a day away ever appears, expect matters to get very ticklish on the greens before the $200,000 event is complete.

The winner not only receives a $32,000 cheque, but an invitation to the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey next week.

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca

Players’ cars broken into c4

 

 

Leaderboard

Rob Oppenheim 34-32–66

Luke Hickmott 35—32–67

Shawn Jasper 32-35–67

Ryan Horn 34-34–68

Brad Fritsch 34-34–68

Joseph Grenier 33-35–68

Ryan Thornberry 35-33–68

John Ellis 35-34–69

Barrett Jarosch 35-34–69

Matt Marshall 34-35–69

Eric Wang 35-34–69

Graham DeLaet 35-34–69

Andres Gonzales 34-35–69

Wes Heffernan 35-34–69

Andy Walker 33-36–69

Zack Shriver 34-35–69

Other Manitobans

a-Scott Loewen 33-37–70

Rob McMillan 37-35–72

Adam Speirs 35-37–72

a-Brad Kirton 35-38–73

Jordan Krantz 38-37–75

Matt Johnston 40-37–77

Derek Ingram 40-42–82

a-Garth Collings 41-39–80

Shane Dick 39-44–83