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U.S. Open notes: Bubba Watson just keeps fighting

Bubba Watson watches his approach shot at No. 9 during the first round of the U.S. Open on Thursday.
(David Cannon / Getty Images)
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On the surface, Bubba Watson’s sometimes thin patience and sometimes wild driving wouldn’t seem much a fit for the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club.

But check the records: In the last Open played at Oakmont in 2007, the two-time Masters champion finished fifth — easily his best result in the national championship. He had missed three of the last four Open cuts going into this year.

In a wild first round Thursday, Watson made only two pars on the front nine, but overcame three bogeys with five birdies and was at two under par through 14 holes when the final horn sounded to stop play.

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Watson was tied for second with Danny Lee (who was through 13). In the stretch from Nos. 3 through 10, Watson went bogey, birdie, birdie, bogey, bogey, birdie, birdie, birdie.

“I just kept fighting,” Watson said. “You don’t really think about the mistakes or the bogeys because everybody is going to have bogeys out here. The golf course is that difficult.”

After the first weather delay, Watson came out and made three straight birdies at the eighth through 10th. He had four straight pars after that.

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“I guess it helped me rather than hurt me,” Watson said of the weather and delays.

“The weather didn’t affect my play. The golf course affects the play more than anything. We always got off the golf course before the rain. So the rain had no chance to affect us or anything.”

Sis on the bag

Scottie Scheffler, the 19-year-old University of Texas sophomore who held the clubhouse lead at one under, has a calming presence on his bag this week: his sister, Callie, who plays golf for Texas A&M.

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“The comfort level is huge and she’s caddied for me in a couple of pro events before,” Scheffler said. “We both kind of knew the drill. Definitely the preparation between those events and coming to this one, it really helped.

“I’m glad she was able to get the week off to come help me out. She’s a week into an internship, and she’s already asking for a week off. Hopefully she doesn’t get in trouble.”

Scottie Scheffler, 17 at the time, played in the PGA Tour’s 2014 Byron Nelson, made a hole in one and finished tied for 22nd. He also competed in the 2014 St. Jude FedEx Classic, missing the cut, and won the 2013 U.S. Junior Amateur.

Schedule scrambling

Scrambling to complete the tournament Sunday, and with a favorable forecast, USGA officials put together a schedule they think will work for the rest of the week.

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According to the USGA’s Andy Hall, the first round is to resume at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, starting with the 69 golfers trying to complete play, followed by the 78 who have yet to start teeing off at 8 a.m.

The second round is expected to begin at about 1:45 p.m., meaning the second wave won’t tee off until 7:15 p.m.

The second wave will finish the second round on Saturday morning, beginning at 7:30 a.m., with the third round starting at 1:45, with threesomes going off both tees. Hall said they hope to complete the third round Saturday.

The goal, he said, is to have twosomes play the final round Sunday.

Hall said the weather forecast for Friday projects some early-morning rain without lightning, while weekend should be “perfect.”

tod.leonard@sduniontribune.com

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