Begay Gets Burned by Road Hole

There is a sign by the paved path behind the green at the 17th hole, called the Road Hole. A warning is written on it: “Danger. Golf in Progress.”

It’s true. If golf is in progress at this place, there’s trouble ahead. The 17th is full of danger, all right. And Thursday, the Road Hole was where the wheels fell off the Notah Begay bandwagon.

Begay was leading the British Open at seven under with only two holes to go for a 65, then ran straight into the Road Hole.

You know all about this 455-yard par four, right? From the tee you have to hit it over a storage shed at the Old Course hotel. Enough players have missed to prompt the construction of a black wire screen to the right of the tee in front of the hotel, so no golf balls wind up in Room 320 in somebody’s cup of tea.

The second shot is tricky, basically because of the bunker in the left front of the green, deep enough to hide a construction crane. If you hit your second shot long, you’re going to wind up either on the road behind the green or against the stone wall.

Begay didn’t hit it in the bunker or onto the road. No, he found an entirely different way to make a triple-bogey seven.

He drove into the left rough and had a bad lie.

Begay liked his drive for an instant: “It kept going left. It ran out of grass.”

His pitching wedge didn’t go very far, only deeper into the left rough. He knocked his nine-iron to the left into the creek called the Swilcan Burn.

Begay hopped into the water and pitched out of the creek onto the green, then three-putted for a true Road Hole seven.

To hear him describe it, Begay sounded like a victim of circumstance.

“One thing led to another and before I knew it, I was trying to make a three-footer for seven,” he said.

This is the first British Open for Begay, who has won twice already this year--three victories fewer than his more famous teammate at Stanford, Tiger Woods. In fact, coming into this British Open, Woods had won more major titles (three) than Begay had entered.

Not that it matters much. Keeping up with Woods is futile, no matter how good you are, and Begay is obviously doing something right with $1.4 million in earnings this year.

Begay finished with a bogey at No. 18 to drop four shots in the last two holes, but after signing his card for a 69, he insisted it was all part of a learning experience. That kind of attitude is why Begay chose to pitch his golf ball out of the water.

“I thought it was fun to go in there and get my feet wet,” he said. “It’s a lot more entertaining than taking a boring drop.”

For the record, Begay was not the only Road Hole kill Friday. Paul Azinger made a double bogey there, Steve Stricker made a seven, Steve Pate had a double bogey and so did Phil Mickelson and Corey Pavin.

Dennis Paulson, who made par at the 17th, said it’s a very difficult hole.

Said Paulson: “Anybody who designed that hole now might be shot on sight.”

So that’s how you play the thing. Ready, aim . . .

For the record, first-round leader Ernie Els birdied it.

EXPERT OPINION

Jean Van de Velde, who obviously knows something about hopping into the water, said he noticed something about Begay’s experience.

“He didn’t take his shoes and his socks off,” Van de Velde said. “There must be something wrong with his feet.”

NAME GAME

Begay says he gave Woods the nickname “Urkel” at Stanford, for the character in the television sitcom “Family Matters.”

“If they don’t like it, it’s even better,” Begay said.

BUY A PUNCTUATION MARK

Sentence of the week, from the Daily Telegraph: “The turning of Woods into a global icon after a blazing start to his professional career was fine as an expression of enthusiasm for an ethnically exotic newcomer who finally killed off the country club stereotype in American golf.”

CLIP AND SAVE

From Thomas Bjorn, who opened with a 68: “If the weather stays like this, I definitely think that people will go to 20 under.”

If the weather stays like this, people will want to switch their vacation plans from the French Riviera to the Swilcan Burn.

WEATHER UPDATE

Keeping an eye on the forecast is the national pastime during the Open and today’s weather is expected to feature temperatures in the low 70s with light winds and then a sea breeze developing in the afternoon.

SECOND OPINION

Tom Lehman, on not playing his best despite opening with a 68: “I’m still kind of Band-Aiding it.”

MAKE MINE SESAME SEED

Weather roll call: Sunny skies. Warm. Little wind. Firm fairways.

What does it mean?

Mark McNulty turned in a 69 on the Old Course and said he’s not the only one who has scoring on his mind.

“This course is bringing so many people into play and it’s going to be a bun fight on Sunday.”

Bun fight?

FALDO-JAMES UPDATE

Nick Faldo said he has had two bags full of mail supporting him in his dispute with former Ryder Cup captain Mark James.

“The issue is not dead,” Faldo said. “It has opened up a can of worms with the tour and it needs to be dealt with. It will be sorted out, but it has far deeper ramifications. We’ve got to have serious discussion.”

James criticized Faldo in his recently published book.

PAUL? PAUL?

Remember Paul Lawrie? He is the defending champion, but he is also in danger of missing the cut after opening with a six-over 78 that included a four-putt double bogey at No. 6.

Said Lawrie: “It was an unbelievable day.”

Maybe, but his Wednesday was just as unbelievable after he injured his wrist and couldn’t practice. Lawrie was giving a teen a lesson and was struck by the youngster in his backswing.

Lawrie said his wrist was fine, even though his score was bad.

JACK? JACK?

It wasn’t a grand day for Jack Nicklaus. Playing in his 37th British Open, Nicklaus turned in a 77 and was none too happy about it.

“I really don’t have much to say,” said Nicklaus, who insisted he is not bothered by his sore ribs.

“I’m the only thing that is hurting me,” he said.