OB Sports Golf & Leisure

OB SPORTS GOLF & LEISURE x SUMMER 2016 x obsports.com l TOUR REPORT 2014 U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN WINNER: Michelle Wie History was made at the 69th U.S. Women's Open even before the first ball was struck, thanks to the venue. North Carolina's Pinehurst (No. 2) was hosting the tournament immediately following the completion of the men's U.S. Open. During the first two rounds, the spotlight illuminated adorable 11-year-old Lucy Li, the youngest player ever to participate in a men's or women's Open. In the final round, however, all attention turned to perhaps the greatest child prodigy of all, 24-year-old Michelle Wie. Ten years before, her future greatness was practi- cally etched in stone. By 2014, though, she was an oft-injured fragile flower, more a celebrity than a champion. Yet, here she was, staked to a three-shot lead with three holes to play. The 16th nearly broke her. After a series of sus- pect decisions and poor shots, she needed to hole a 5-footer for double bogey. She did. Her lead was now one over Stacy Lewis, who had closed with a brilliant 66. At the par-3 17th, Wie faced a daunting 25-footer for birdie, with three putts a more likely outcome. Then at last fate smiled on Michelle Wie the champion. Somehow, she holed the curling putt. A solid par at 18 gave her a two-shot win in the most memorable U.S. Women's Open ever. 1991 U.S. SENIOR OPEN WINNER: Jack Nicklaus Thanks to a trio of stellar U.S. Senior Open performances in the early 1990s, the Golden Bear helped catapult the Senior Tour from worthy exhibitions to genuine, must-watch competitions. Nicklaus' 1991 win was the stuff of leg- end. Defending champion Lee Trevino tied for the lead with a 30-foot birdie putt at 16, but a bogey on 17 ended his run. It came down to Nicklaus and the magician, Chi Chi Rodriguez, who con- jured up one of the greatest shots ever hit, a hard-drawing 5-iron into Oak- land Hills' rugged 18th that took four bounces and skidded directly to the left, acting like a billiards masse shot. Chi Chi tapped in the two-footer for birdie to tie. When Nicklaus two- putted for par, it meant a playoff. Nick- laus then did what Nicklaus does, birdieing five of the first eight holes on his way to a 65. Rodriguez posted a re- spectable 69, but Nicklaus was not about to be denied the title he had thrown away the year before. HONORABLE MENTIONS 1913 U.S. OPEN WINNER: Francis Ouimet The tournament that put American golf on the map was won by a 20-year- old amateur, Francis Ouimet, at The Country Club in suburban Boston. Alongside 10-year-old caddie Eddie Lowery, Ouimet parlayed his knowl- edge of the course (he lived across the street and had caddied there for five years) to engineer one of the greatest upsets in history (Mark Frost wrote a book about it, "The Greatest Game Ever Played"). Ouimet tied two top British professionals, Harry Vardon and Ted Ray, then downed them in the playoff, shooting a 72 to beat Vardon by five and Ray by six. The tournament that put American golf on the map was won by a 20-year-old amateur. << francis ouimet (background) and 10-year-old caddie eddie lowery (front). fi

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