85-94? Ooh, That Had to Hurt

You could almost feel Tom Dolby’s pain.

What should have been one of the highlights of his life in front of a hometown crowd turned into golfing disaster.

Dolby, a 40-year-old club pro from Greystone Golf Club in Sauk Centre, Minn., shot a 22-over-par 94 in Friday’s second round, leaving him at 35-over 179 through 36 rounds.

Dolby shot an 85 in the opening round.

Dolby had a good excuse, his back was killing him, yet he decided to play through the pain.

“I had all my family and in-laws coming in,” Dolby said. “I guess my pride got in the way. I should have just withdrawn.”

Dolby qualified by finishing tied for 12th in the 2002 PGA Club Professional Championship. The top 25 finishers earned berths into the PGA.

The last time Dolby shot in the 90s?

“Seventh grade, eighth grade--I don’t know,” he said. “Those are by far my worst two rounds ever in competition that I can remember.”

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Mark Calcavecchia is happy to be playing well again, especially with next month’s Ryder Cup approaching.

Calcavecchia said Ryder Cup captain Curtis Strange told him last year that he had to pick up his game.

“He said, ‘You’d better get off your butt and start playing good, otherwise you’ll be riding the pine,’ ” Calcavecchia said.

Strange, by the way, shot 81-76.

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Justin Leonard, Rich Beem and Robert Allenby all shot six-under 66 on Friday to tie the competitive course record at Hazeltine.

Leonard, for one, was not exactly thrilled when informed of the news.

“They don’t give any bonus money,” Leonard said. “I’m sorry, but it doesn’t make a big difference to me.”

Leonard might be one of the only golfers in the PGA who is looking forward to more bad weather. He thinks the conditions are too easy for a major tournament.

“I’d rather see par be a good score,” he said.

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There has been electricity in the air all week, but it has nothing to do with golf. Lightning storms suspended play in the first and second rounds and more bad weather may be in store.

This is serious business for players such as Retief Goosen, who survived a lightning strike as an amateur player in South Africa.

Goosen, though, says he is not haunted by the experience.

“It doesn’t bother me,” he said. “I’m pretty similar to any other player. I think I don’t feel comfortable when there’s lightning out there. You want to get into the clubhouse or somewhere where it’s safe. Luckily, it doesn’t give me nightmares or things like that.”

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One day after David Toms said he didn’t belong in the same group with Tiger Woods and Ernie Els, Toms says he really did. What he meant to say was that he didn’t belong with them “physically.”

Toms said he was referring to the fact that it was impossible to measure up with Woods and Els in the power department, “week in and week out” when length off the tee was the only consideration.

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It was not a good day for David Duval, who shot a 77 and wasn’t happy about it.

“It’s just killing me,” he said. “More of the same, frustration.”

Duval says he hasn’t been able to take his play from the range onto the course.

Duval missed the cut at the Masters and the U.S. Open and tied for 22nd at the British Open.