ESPN Golf Online: 1999 U.S. Open: Attitude is key to Open success

Saturday, Jun. 19
Attitude is key to Open success

Associated Press
PINEHURST, N.C. -- The U.S. Open is all about attitude, which explains why Payne Stewart is among the leaders once again, why Jose Maria Olazabal is on the disabled list and why Lee Westwood is on his way home.

Stewart

There is no greater possession than par in a U.S. Open, particularly when the conditions become as firm, fast and unforgiving as expected this weekend at Pinehurst No. 2.
There is no greater asset than patience.
"I think one of the reasons I do well at U.S. Opens is that I get a mindset that par is a good score," said Stewart, tied for the lead at 3-under 137 with David Duval and Phil Mickelson. It's the third time in four years Stewart was in the lead after 36 holes.
"However I go about making par -- whether it's two beautiful shots and two putts, or two ugly shots, a chip and nice putt -- I accept it, I take my par and go. Because you're never losing to anybody is you're making par."
A batch of players always lose even before the first round begins.
Jack Nicklaus, who competed in his record 43rd straight U.S. Open, knows this better than anyone. He used to love hearing the complaints about how the USGA set up a golf course of the premier test in golf, because that meant fewer people to beat.
"The rough is too high -- check him off," Nicklaus said this week. "The greens are too fast -- check him off. You just check guys off as they complain, because they complain themselves right out of this championship."
Westwood, the brightest young star in England with 14 victories worldwide, talked himself right out of this major championship as soon as he saw the generous width of the fairways and rough trimmed to a mere 3 inches.
A long and accurate driver, Westwood was asked if the U.S. Open represented his best chance to win a major.
"I used to think so, when there was 5 inches of rough," he said. "I think it's a bit too short, a little bit too easy. Once you've knocked it up on the green, that's about it."
Westwood took a double bogey on par-3 17th on Friday that put him at 9-over and eliminated him from weekend play.
"Is this easy enough for you?" someone taunted him from the gallery.
It was the second time this year Westwood has complained about a championship layout. He also thought the fairways at La Costa Resort were much too generous for the inaugural Match Play Championship, and he was handily beaten in the first round by Eduardo Romero.
He could have learned from Colin Montgomerie, who also gets his advantage with long, accurate drives. Sure, he was surprised to see larger landing areas off the tee.
"I wouldn't have it 5 inches, I'd have it 5 feet," he quipped.
Still, that's didn't change his frame of mind, or the belief he had an edge.
"I'm just trying to hit the fairways and greens, and that will give me enough birdie chances to hole a few of them," Montgomerie said. "And obviously, there will be the odd mistake."
He was 4-over after a pair of 72s, but still with an outside chance to be there Sunday.
Not so for Masters champion Olazabal. He first said he didn't favor his chances of winning the second leg of the Grand Slam, then changed his mind when he saw that his incredible touch around the greens would be a valuable asset at Pinehurst No. 2.
After a first-round 75, Olazabal took out his frustrations on the wall of his hotel room and broke a bone in his right hand.
Lee Janzen, who started Saturday 10 strokes behind the lead, perhaps summed it up best during his second Open title last year at The Olympic Club.
"I expect nothing to be fair," he said.
Duval wanted no part of the debate on the course setup. For all his skills, his greatest may be his ability to take birdies and bogeys in stride. Earlier in the week, Duval refused to join the debate over the course setup with an answer that explains why he was in the lead.
"I tend to just try to get out and play what's in front of me," he said. "I just don't see any use in wasting energy wishing about something that isn't. The golf course isn't that way, so I don't worry about."
The U.S. Open is the supreme challenge, testing every club in the bag and taking inventory of what's between the ears.
Tom Lehman has played in the final pairing Sunday the past four years, although it will take a miracle for him to do it again this year.
Asked why he played so well in the U.S. Open, Lehman had a simple explanation.
"Probably because I love the tournament so much," he said. "I'm always so excited to go play. I think it's the best tournament in the world, and I have a really good attitude going into the tournament. That's to my benefit."
That will serve the leaders well going over the final 36 holes.