Rocco's Luck Fills Out a Slam-Bang Open Field
By FG Man | posted June 15, 2010

It seems poetic justice that Rocco Mediate got a spot at Pebble Beach at literally the last possible moment. When Robert Garrigus gagged in Memphis and ended up handing the St. Jude Classic title to best-Brit-at-the-moment Lee Westwood (with Robert Karlsson as an onlooker in the three-way playoff), Rocco scored a tee time because Westwood was already in the field. The USGA had held a place for any player who won multiple PGA Tour co-sponsored events between June 21, 2009 and June 13, 2010, and since Westwood didn't need to take advantage of that rule, Mediate — who shot 67-70 in a sectional qualifier in Columbus, Ohio on June 7 to finish as first alternate — gets the nod.

Next question: Can Rocco catch lightning in a bottle twice in three years and find himself in a Monday playoff for the Open title, as he did two years ago at Torrey Pines? It's a billion to one shot by my reckoning, but hey, this is the Open. As we seem to find out every year, anything is possible.

Even Tiger winning after three lackluster (for him) outings so far in 2010 is definitely doable, and all you've got to do is turn back the calendar 10 years for proof. Back then, he cruised to a never-to-be-matched 15-shot win at Pebble for his first, and perhaps greatest, Open triumph — dominating from start to finish, where even an errant triple bogey in the second round didn't trip him him up. He made every putt he saw and turned the Peninsula into his own personal playground, prompting Ernie Els (who finished in second place at three-over par) to label Tiger a "freak." In a good way, of course.
[Read more at FG Man's Blog]

USGA Accepts 2,439 Entries for Senior Open
By USGA | posted June 11, 2010

The United States Golf Association has accepted 2,439 entries, including those from 73 players who are already fully exempt into the field, for the 2010 U.S. Senior Open, to be played July 29-Aug. 1 at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash. The exempt list includes 11 past champions.

Entries were received from 49 states (all except Alaska), American Samoa and the District of Columbia. In addition to the USA, entries were received from: Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, England, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Namibia, People’s Republic of China, Samoa, South Africa, Sweden and Uruguay.

The first entry came from amateur Andrew Gabelman of Barrington, Ill., and the last entry was submitted less than one minute before the 5 p.m. EDT deadline on June 9 by professional Denis Husse of Fenton, Mich. To be eligible, a player must be at least 50 years old on or before July 29 and must have no higher than a 3.4 Handicap Index, or be a professional.

Players who are already fully exempt from qualifying include 2009 champion Fred Funk and 10 other past champions, including Brad Bryant (2007), Dale Douglass (1986), Allen Doyle (2005, 2006), Dave Eichelberger (1999), Bruce Fleisher (2001), Hale Irwin (1998, 2000), Peter Jacobsen (2004), Graham Marsh (1997), Don Pooley (2002) and Eduardo Romero (2008). All previous Senior Open champions are fully exempt into the field if they file an entry.
[Read More at USGA]