Something Snapped : And in Gamez’s Case, the Putter Had to Go in a Frustrating Round

Robert Gamez let off some steam by snapping his putter in two during the third round of the U.S. Open Saturday, but the move steamed up his playing partner, Jumbo Ozaki.

Gamez, mired in a miserable round largely because of some dreadful putting, broke his putter at the eighth hole. He used a sand wedge, driver and two-iron on the greens over the last holes and finished with an eight-over 78.

Ozaki was offended by the young American’s behavior.

“It’s an individual’s liberty to do what he wants,” Ozaki said. “It’s kind of a shame, though. I came here just to play in this tournament, and this makes me think that perhaps this is just another tournament to him.”

After speaking his mind, Ozaki turned less serious.

“Who’s to say, though, if I putt poorly tomorrow, I may break my putter, too.”

Gamez, 24, described how he put an end to his putter. “I laid it under my foot, lifted one end, and snap-a-roonie.

“I know it’s not the putter’s fault. . . . I was fine after that. I was getting pretty heated there for a little while. I was starting to explode, and that stopped me from doing that.”