In it for the long haul
SOUTHPORT, England - Somewhere deep down, Jay Williamson is sure he could grasp a sense of pride. The only thing is, he had to sort through a long list of other feelings.
"I'm tired, I'm sore, I'm hungry, I'm beat up mentally," said Williamson, who might have been the 156th and final player entered into the 137th British Open, but has given a good accounting of himself to make sure he wasn't among the first to leave. The PGA Tour veteran via Trinity College in Hartford backed up Thursday's 73 with a 72 in yesterday's second round. He not only made the cut in his first British Open, but at 5-over 145, Williamson is tied for 22d, just six off the lead.
Williamson, 41, pondered that for a moment and softly laughed. Just a week ago, he was at the John Deere Classic in Illinois, concerned with charging toward a possible maiden win on the PGA Tour. Now he was thinking about the five consecutive pars to close out his round and get him within view of the leader of this major championship, K.J. Choi.
Crazy how these things go, isn't it? Williamson nodded.
"I still think I feel like I'm in a different world," said Williamson, who is experiencing his fourth major championship.
In a sense, it is a different world, at least from the one he's been chasing since 1990. Williamson has played for many years on Nationwide and PGA Tour venues where he has employed one style of golf. But Williamson's first go-round with the links game has not been befuddling.
"I like the golf over here. I love the golf course. I love my game in the wind," he said. "I mean, to make the cut in my first British Open, it makes me feel good."
And to think, there was an outside chance he wasn't going to make the trip.
He concedes that now, but prefaces it by saying that last week, his entire focus was on winning the John Deere Classic. The last-minute exemption into the British Open by being the highest finisher not already qualified? Williamson paid not a bit of attention to that.
"I wanted to win," he said.
And when he lost in a three-way playoff to Kenny Perry?
"I was pretty disappointed. I was told that I had earned the spot. It's a heck of a consolation prize."
With Perry already exempt but declining the berth to the British Open, the exemption from the Deere came down to those who tied for second, the losers in the playoff, Williamson and Brad Adamonis. Williamson, based on his final-round 69 to Adamonis's 70, got the nod.
He tossed it around in his mind and accepted the spot. Fortunately for him, Deere tournament officials had a private jet taking players directly to England, so Williamson's decision was easier.
It just couldn't help him with Royal Birkdale.
"It's the hardest golf course I've ever played," said Williamson, who is in his 12th season on the PGA Tour. "On every single shot, it's relentless. You can get away with a few misses, but not many."
Williamson looked over his shoulder and watched caddie Dave Musgrove head toward the locker room with the bag. It might have been just 4 p.m. on a cold and wet British day, but Williamson had had enough for the day. Yes, he felt the pride.
Now he was going to address the body aches, the hunger, and the mental rest.
