So Much for His Weekend Off : PGA: Haas learns in Nashville he is supposed to be back in St. Louis, working.

Nobody expected six over par to make the cut in the PGA Championship. Especially Jay Haas.

Nobody was more sheepish than Haas when he learned six-over would keep him playing in St. Louis after he was hundreds of miles away in Nashville, Tenn.

“I guess it wasn’t real smart to leave,” Haas said after shooting a three-over-par 74 on five hours’ sleep Saturday in the third round. “I guess it’s like hitting the wrong ball. I won’t do it again for a while.”

Tournament officials had estimated it would take a score of four over par--or five over at worst--to make the cut for the final two rounds.

“I’d say 98% of the people thought six over was not going to make it,” Haas said. “I didn’t think I’d be here.”

So, shortly after his two-over-par 73 in Friday’s second round he left for his hotel and quickly made reservations to go home to Travelers Rest, S.C., near Greenville. He left the course about 5:30 p.m.

“It was just a wrong decision,” he said. “One of several this week.”

Luckily for him, it wasn’t a direct flight. He checked with officials at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis a few times while in Nashville waiting for a connection on a commuter flight, then found to his surprise he was one of 17 players in a tie at six-over 148 that made the cut.

“I found out pretty sure at about 7:30 and my flight was at 7:55,” Haas said.

There was plenty of time to get a flight back to St. Louis. But first he had to get his luggage off the plane bound for Greenville.

“I was begging and pleading with them to get my clubs off there,” Haas said. “I was trying to explain to these ladies who probably don’t know anything about golf at all why I needed it.”

Then the plane was delayed out of Nashville and arrived in St. Louis about 11:10 p.m. He was back on the course for a little practice shortly after 6 a.m., and teed off for round three at 7:51 a.m.

The episode cost him about $400.

His start Saturday made him think whether it was all worth it. After all, he hasn’t seen his children in three weeks.

“I started off double-bogey, bogey this morning and I said, ‘maybe I should have stayed in Nashville and gone home,’ ” Haas said. “But I’m glad I got to play. I want to play on the weekend anywhere.”

Haas wasn’t the only player who didn’t expect to make it to the weekend.

“Blaine McCallister said he would have left, but his wife couldn’t change her ticket,” Haas said. He said he knew of others who prematurely cleaned out their lockers.

His odyssey over, he expected to have a much more relaxed day Saturday.

“This was pretty wild,” he said. “I think maybe I’ll take a nap this afternoon.”