Fiedler Faces an Early Exit in U. S. Open : Camarillo Golf Pro Not Fazed After Posting Opening Round of 77

The good news for Camarillo golf pro Jon Fiedler is that he posted better scores than PGA stalwarts Fuzzy Zoeller and Sandy Lyle in the opening round of the U. S. Open. The bad news is that just about everybody beat Zoeller and Lyle on Thursday.

And the really bad news for Fiedler is that after the most exhilarating day of his life, perhaps one of only two times his name will appear on the prestigious U. S. Open score list that is distributed to more than a thousand newspapers around the world, the Associated Press spelled not only his last name incorrectly, but his first name as well, listing him as John Fielder.

Fiedler, 35, the assistant pro at Las Posas Country Club in Camarillo, shot seven-over-par 77 and trailed leaders Bernhard Langer, Payne Stewart and Jay Don Blake by a whopping 11 strokes. Zoeller and Lyle staggered to rounds of 78, as did Duffy Waldorf of Tarzana.

Barring a miracle, neither Fiedler nor Waldorf will make the 36-hole cut and both will be heading home for the weekend. The only other local entry, Steve Pate of Simi Valley, shot 74 and was eight strokes behind the leaders.

Despite the setbacks both on the Oak Hill Country Club course in Rochester, N.Y., and in the press tent, Fiedler said that it has been the most exciting week of his life.

“Golfers like to talk about how they never get nervous,” said Fiedler, who played on the USC golf team along with PGA veterans Craig Stadler and Scott Simpson during the early ‘70s. “But let me tell you, I was nervous. Luckily, I played with two very young guys, Steve Lamentagne and Mike Brisky, and they were even more nervous than I was.

“This is the Open, the biggest tournament in the country. Coming home early will hurt, but I’ll always be able to tell my kid that I played in the 1989 United States Open. That is quite a thrill.”

Fiedler will have to wait just a bit to tell his offspring the news, however. He or she isn’t due to arrive for another month, according to Fiedler.

Fiedler began the qualification process for the U. S. Open a month ago, advancing through a sectional tournament at Industry Hills. Then, last Monday, he was forced into a playoff for the sixth and final berth in the Open out of the West regional at Rancho Santa Fe. He earned the berth with a birdie on the first hole of sudden death.

“I hadn’t been hitting the ball real well that week, and I’m not hitting it real well this week, either,” Fiedler said. “I really don’t have much confidence for tomorrow, but I’ve got to try to keep a positive outlook. Maybe I’ll shoot a 67 on Friday and make the cut. Who knows?”

If not, he can always tell his soon-to-arrive offspring that on one drizzly Thursday way back in 1989, he beat guys named Zoeller and Lyle--and even Gary Player--in the U. S. Open.