Silva mettle put on display

Young New Bedford pro earns Open berth

By Jim McCabe, Globe Staff  |  June 5, 2008

After 36 holes of golf that required nearly nine hours of play and two uncles to carry his bag, Kevin Silva was physically exhausted. Mentally, it was another story.

"I thought I'd be able to sleep, but I couldn't," said Silva. "It was a grind all day. It was a difficult golf course and you couldn't let up even once, but still, I couldn't sleep."

There were no pleasant dreams of Torrey Pines and the glory of a US Open, which is OK, because that is now a reality for the young man from New Bedford.

Only days from his 24th birthday and mere years since he won the New England Junior Amateur, Silva was one of the stunning stories Monday as nearly 800 players across the United States and in England battled for the 84 remaining berths in next week's US Open. He shot 70-69 to not only advance, he did so as the winner by three strokes at his site, Old Oaks CC in Purchase, N.Y.

The site wasn't jam-packed with PGA Tour names like the one in Columbus, Ohio, or Cordova, Tenn., but still, Silva provided one of the great surprises. After all, he'll not only be making his US Open debut, but it'll be his debut at the PGA Tour level.

"It's been incredible," said Silva, who spent Tuesday fielding calls and absorbing his accomplishment. He did not reflect on the 36 splendid holes he had played, but on the range of emotions. He had been denied on three previous trips to sectional qualifying, and at the second stage of PGA Tour qualifying last year, Silva had closed with a 76 to lose out on a chance to make it to the final stage.

But those heartaches never deterred him. "I knew they'd make me stronger," he said. "I used them to build my confidence."

His game having been polished this year mostly on the Hooters Tour, Silva went to Old Oaks and asked his uncle Mike Silva to caddie in the morning. Uncle Dave Silva did the honors in the afternoon.

All the while, his father, Jeffrey, walked and watched. Chances are, he's never seen his son play any better in such a huge tournament, one that didn't offer a nickel in prize money.

"It was for personal satisfaction and just to try and elevate my game to the next level," said Silva. "I'll be playing against the best players in the world on one of the toughest courses, but I think I need to get ready for the atmosphere. I've experienced tough golf courses before, but I've never experienced the atmosphere that I'm going to."

While Silva made it through, several of his friends did not. Jim Renner of Plainville, who also plays the Hooters Tour, shot 144 and missed a playoff by one stroke. Steve Alminas of Longmeadow missed by two, while out at the second site in Columbus, Ohio, Michael Welch of North Quincy shot 70-68, but that left him two shots too high.

Of course, coming up short was the rule, not the exception. That's how these qualifiers work.

On the positive side at one of the sites in Columbus (Ohio State Scarlet Course), Davis Love earned his way into his 18th consecutive US Open on a day when 18 other PGA Tour colleagues made it through at that site. Amateurs Kevin Tway and Kyle Stanley joined their more heralded competitors in advancing, but the same cannot be said for Fred Couples, Chris DiMarco, Nick O'Hern, J.J. Henry, Tom Lehman, and James Driscoll as they all failed to make it through.

They weren't alone, because Billy Andrade missed out in Rosewell, Ga., and Brad Faxon - playing in his first competition since Aug. 17, 2007, thanks to surgeries on his foot and knee - was well off the pace in Purchase, N.Y. For fans from Rhode Island, that was tempered by the news out of Cordova, Tenn., where Brett Quigley (66-66) and Pat Sheehan (66-68) easily qualified.

There was also good news for fans of Mark O'Meara and Rich Beem as both former major winners earned Open berths. It'll be O'Meara's 23d US Open, but the first since 2003. At other sites, PGA Tour notables D.J. Trahan, Jason Bohn, Matt Kuchar, and Jason Gore also got into the excitement at Torrey, but count Quigley among those who know that moderation is now a key for participants.

"The USGA does a good enough job of beating you up, so you don't have to do it to yourself in the practice rounds," said Quigley, who opted to withdraw from this week's Stanford St. Jude Championship in Memphis, because with the US Open now on his dance card, decisions had to be made. He has played seven straight PGA tournaments and will play four in a row beginning with the US Open, so Quigley decided that a week off in 12 was reasonable.

"But they're good problems to have," he said. "I'm playing nicely, so it will be just a short week off."

Then again, that's a veteran speaking, a guy who will be playing in his sixth US Open and 14th major. For a guy who'll be playing in his first US Open, his first major, and his first PGA Tour event . . . well, there is a different set of emotions.

For instance, Kevin Silvas' uncles. Do they get the call to caddie? Silva said he doubted that, "because they want what's best for me," and that figures to be the services of a veteran Tour caddie. As for travel plans, it looks like he'll fly out to San Diego as early as tomorrow and there's no doubt his proud parents, Corinne and Jeffrey, are going to go.

In fact, Silva laughed that it would probably be a break for his father's customers.

"He's a dentist and I'm sure he's had the patients stuck in the chair, talking their ears off," said Silva.

Woods getting back in swing

If you're worried about the status of Tiger Woods's left knee headed into next week's US Open, consider this: He isn't.

"It's getting there," he said. "Hopefully, it's closer to 100 percent, but if it's not, no big deal. I have won tournaments when it hasn't been 100 percent. It's just a matter of getting into the competitive flow and the rhythm of the game again."

Sidelined since having arthroscopic surgery April 15, two days after he finished second in the Masters, Woods has done a lot of chipping and putting, but he's yet to seriously test himself. He chose not to play last week's Memorial Tournament, but he is most encouraged because pain has not been part of the equation. What he's working on in these days leading up to Torrey Pines is "getting the endurance back up in my leg."

No surprise for a guy who keeps his schedule to himself, but Woods showed up for a practice round yesterday at Torrey Pines, though with the place closed to the public, his presence was not one for the records. Look for him to take in another practice round in the next few days, then take it easy when the madness takes hold Monday.

Some would suggest that Woods needn't practice at all, because he's won six times in 11 starts at the Buick Invitational, which plays three of its four rounds at Torrey Pines South Course. Woods also knows the course he sees during the regular season is nothing like what he'll encounter next week.

"When we play in January, we don't have the run-outs," he said, a reference to firm, fast fairways that should make it difficult to keep drives out of the rough. But it wasn't like he was thinking of calling in his regrets because it will be a more demanding Torrey Pines.

To the contrary, "I am looking forward to mixing it up with the guys," said Woods.

Perry praying to reach Valhalla — and a Ryder Cup spot

Apparently his sense of pride in his native state of Kentucky is immense. How else to explain Kenny Perry's stated desire to make this year's US Ryder Cup team. After all, his only previous experience in the Ryder Cup was an utter disaster.

It was 2004 and Perry - a bona fide birdie machine - was curiously kept out of four-ball competition by captain Hal Sutton at Oakland Hills outside of Detroit. Fact is, if Perry had been back home in Kentucky that year, he would have been better off, for what little role he was given. He played in a losing foursomes match Friday afternoon, sat out both sessions Saturday, and by the time he got to play again in Sunday's singles, he had perhaps taken 35 to 37 swings.

That was fun?

Must have been, because he can't wait to get back. He said earlier in the year that he wanted to make the team and he knew it meant he would have to win. When he closed with an 81 to squander his chance at The Players Championship, then lost the next week in a playoff in Atlanta, it looked like he had reason to turn into an emotional wreck. But he rebounded to play brilliantly Sunday and storm to victory in the Memorial Tournament and vault into sixth place in the Ryder Cup standings. The top eight automatically make captain Paul Azinger's team, which will take on Europe at Valhalla CC in Louisville.

Hey, maybe that's the ticket. Perhaps Perry wants to make amends for what happened to him in the 1996 PGA Championship at Valhalla, when he sat in the CBS tower with Ken Venturi rather than hit balls on the range in case a playoff was needed. A playoff was needed and when Perry needed something like 13 strokes to play the par-5 18th, he got whipped soundly by Mark Brooks.

"I feel like that place owes me a little something. I feel like I can be a big part of that team and I can actually score points," said Perry, who was 0-2 in the 2004 Ryder Cup, but is 7-6 in three Presidents Cup appearances.

Some observers were taken by surprise when Perry announced he would not attempt the sectional qualifier for the US Open. "I don't do 36 holes, ever," said Perry. "It just wears me out. It takes too much out of me."

That's hardly the sort of attitude you'd want a Ryder Cup player to have, given that there's a chance you'd want him for two matches in a day. Then again, maybe Sutton feared for Perry's stamina and kept him to just two rounds - over three days.

Etc.

Lose one, win one
Never accuse Kirk Hanefeld of not knowing the rules of golf - even those that are obscure and rarely called into play. Because he knew the rules, he waved off a lot of congratulatory calls late Sunday night. After closing with a 70 -207 in the Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines, the longtime New England PGA standout and director of golf at The International in Bolton fielded calls from folks who figured his tie for fifth got him into the Champions Tour's next tournament, which just so happens to be the Bank of America Championship at Nashawtuc CC, not 20 minutes from Hanefeld's Acton home. There was just one problem. "It didn't get me in," said Hanefeld, who deserves credit for understanding the convoluted system. Non-exempt players who finish in the top 10 normally get exemptions into the next tournament, except in cases when three players fit into that category. "Then, only two get in," said Hanefeld, "and the tiebreaker is, the guy who shoots the high score is out." You guessed it, Hanefeld's 70 knocked him out, because John Morse and Ron Streck, both of whom also tied for fifth and are non-exempt, had 67s. But in a fitting gesture, Bank of America Championship officials extended a sponsor's exemption to Hanefeld. "We're thrilled to be able to do it," said tournament director Tracy West, who called Hanefeld yesterday. "He has a ton of local supporters." Despite getting in just three tournaments, Hanefeld ranks 74th on the money list.

Anointed by the King
When she returned to her Orlando, Fla., home a year ago after winning the McDonald's LPGA Championship, Suzann Pettersen had a letter waiting for her. It was from the owner of the private golf club to which she belongs - a man by the name of Arnold Palmer. "I mean, he's following and he's proud," said Pettersen, one of a handful of touring professionals who belong to the Bay Hill Club & Lodge. Pettersen said she bumps into Palmer quite often, but she's never played with him. "That's one thing I would like to try to do within the next year," said the Norwegian, a five-time winner last year. "He's like a grandpa out there. He's so nice, always friendly."

Voted off the island
Fairway news: Donald Trump threatens to walk away from his billion pound investment in a golf resort on the coast of Scotland.

Clubhouse view: A nation's citizenry in unison should shout, "Don't walk, run as fast as you can."

The fall of Grace
When she won the Kraft Nabisco Championship early in 2004, Grace Park was seemingly on track to rule the LPGA Tour. Months later, she won again in Korea, her sixth career victory and at the age of 25 she had a season to remember: 24 starts, 2 wins, 7 seconds, 12 top 10s, $1.5 million in prize money. But everything since then has been forgettable. In four seasons since, Park has missed the cut in nearly as many tournaments (25) as those in which she's received checks (36), and while it's stunning that she hasn't won, it's more shocking that she's not finished within the top 10 in any of her last 61 starts. The fade from view continued when the 29-year-old withdrew from this week's LPGA Championship.

Not in harmony
Fairway news: World golf leaders gather in Lausanne, Switzerland, to meet with IOC officials in hopes of pushing toward the inclusion of golf for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Clubhouse view: Things were going well until an IOC official said, "We'd prefer something more in the lines of synchronized golf."

A Bear essential
As Jack Nicklaus presented Kevin Chappell his collegiate player of the year honor during ceremonies at the Memorial Tournament, it was mentioned that the UCLA junior was conveniently in Dublin, Ohio, to play in the next day's US Open sectional. It was scheduled for the Scarlet Course at Nicklaus's alma mater, Ohio State, and that got Nicklaus animated. "You better go down and take a look at it today," he said. "I assume that's what you're going to do, right?" Chappell said he had no plans to do so, that he was going to "play it blind." Nicklaus seemed stunned. "You mean you're going to do the US Open qualifier without seeing the golf course? I don't suggest that." No word on whether Nicklaus wanted to rescind the honor to Chappel, but when the scores came in the next day, he had shot 72-72 to finish five shots out of a playoff . . . Tickets to the Bank of America Championship (June 20-22) at Nashawtuc CC in Concord are on sale by calling 866-559-GOLF or at bankofamericachampionship.com . . . The CVS Charity Classic (June 23-24 at Rhode Island CC) has filled out its field with Paul Goydos and Justin Rose.