“He really ‘pured’ that one!”
Russ Miller, director of golf at The Broadmoor, must have lost track of how often that thought popped into his head as he watched Champions Tour pros practice and play for a week at his Colorado Springs facility during the 2008 U.S. Senior Open.
Miller expects exceptional ball-striking again this week when the 50-and-older set congregates at Colorado Golf Club in Parker for the 71st Senior PGA Championship.
“These guys really don’t hit the ball a whole lot different than they did when they were on the regular tour,” Miller said. “They really, really strike the ball well.”
Crisp and accurate.
Pure. Sweet-spot pure.
“Their misses aren’t as bad as guys on the regular PGA Tour, because they’re not trying to hit it as far as the young guys,” Miller continued. “They’re playing within themselves. They pay particular attention to course management. They know their capabilities. They don’t try to cut corners.
“The Champions Tour players really put a premium on driving it in the fairway, whereas what you’ll see on the regular tour is guys that try to hit it as far as they can hit it and, if need be, hit out of the rough with a sand wedge or wedge and take the consequences. The seniors will play the course, not try to overpower it.”
Miller was asked by The Denver Post to provide his top 10 players to watch this week at CGC. He cautioned that if he were a betting man, he might well take the rest of the field instead of his top 10, or any top 10.
“In this kind of championship, there are so many guys that can win it,” Miller said. “That’s what is fun about it. You just don’t know.”
In his order, here are Miller’s 10 players to watch this week.
1 Fred Funk
“Fred was one that sent his caddie out to The Broadmoor before the 2008 U.S. Senior Open started. So he really studies a golf course,” Miller said. “He hits the ball extremely straight and has a really good short game. He just really keeps the ball in play, and he knows what he can and can’t do. He’s not going to take chances. He really manages his game. The key at Colorado Golf Club is to hit it in the right places on the greens. Fred being able to drive it so well, that’s going to give him an advantage. Having finished second (in the 2008 U.S. Senior Open) behind Eduardo Romero, I think he likes to play Colorado. And he really wants a major championship.”
2 Fred Couples
“Fred is obviously playing so well this year,” Miller said. “The 2010 U.S. Senior Open in late July is up at Sahalee (in the Seattle area), not far from where he grew up. So I really think he wants to win a couple of major championships this summer. The negative about Freddie is, if the weather gets cool, his back could give him problems. But the positives are that he has so much confidence. He shot 62 to win earlier this year (Cap Cana in Puerto Rico), a very low number. He’s probably striking it as well as he ever has in his life. He hits it so far off the tee, and if you’re hitting a wedge into the green instead of a 7-iron, that makes a huge difference. He’s gone to the longer putter, so his putting has really improved. You can’t shoot 62s and 63s if you don’t putt well.”
3 Bernhard Langer
“Bernhard is a real methodical player. He really studies the effects of the altitude when he plays in Colorado,” Miller said. “He likes to go from Point A to Point B. He really analyzes the golf course. And he’s such a good ball striker. Also, being a European, if we do have (blustery) weather, he’s played in those kinds of conditions all his life. That could become a big advantage. He won’t let things bother him. He tied for sixth in the 2008 U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor, and played like he knew everything about our course. I’m sure it will be the same way at Colorado Golf Club. He’s always prepared.”
4 John Cook
“John is in his third full year on the Champions Tour and has not won a major championship, so I just think he’s due,” Miller said. “He’s still young and in really good shape. He strikes the ball well. I just think he’s been out of the limelight a little bit, where he can just kind of sneak right up there. At Castle Pines, John won The International (1987) and played there a lot, so adjusting to the elevation won’t be a problem. He’s so good at controlling his game with course management. And I think his putting stroke is very, very good. Our Colorado greens can get really quick, and he doesn’t have a yippy or jumpy putting stroke. He’s very smooth and solid.”
5 Tom Watson
“I’m putting Tom Watson in my top 10 just because he’s Tom Watson,” Miller said. “He continues to amaze you. He’s playing well this year. It’s early in the season, where he hasn’t traveled as much worldwide, so he won’t be tired. Once again, it will depend on his putter. But he has played enough in Colorado, I think he will do well at Colorado Golf Club. He has a history of playing in Colorado, and you always want to come back to places that you’re familiar with. I think one disadvantage for the entire field is that they have never played the golf course in a tournament. But to someone like Tom Watson, who manages his game so well, it becomes an advantage to him.”
6 Andy Bean
“Yes, he’s a little bit of a dark horse,” Miller conceded. “But I have gotten to know Andy personally, and Andy may love to fish as much as anybody that I’ve met in my life. He absolutely loves to fish. So what Andy does when he comes to Colorado is, he turns it into a fishing trip as well as a golf tournament, if he can. He went fishing for four days after the 2008 U.S. Senior Open. I just think that gives him a peace of mind that after a week of the pressure of playing in a major championship, he knows he’s going to go have some fun. He has not played great this year, but he’s the kind of guy that I think can just break free in a major championship. He hits the ball extremely far and is a very good putter, especially on fast greens.”
7 Eduardo Romero
“Obviously, he won at The Broadmoor in 2008,” Miller said. “He’s one of those guys that does try to bomb it. But the fairways at Colorado Golf Club being relatively wide, I think he will hit a lot of them. He hits the ball extremely far. At The Broadmoor, he was driving the ball 320, 330 yards. That’s such an advantage. When he has short approaches to the green, he’s an exceptional wedge and short-iron player. Plus, he has the history of winning a major championship in Colorado. You fly in here and you see the mountains and our cool-season grasses. That just brings back positive memories.”
8 Mark Wiebe
“Obviously, Mark is a local and knows the course well,” Miller said. “He has struggled with his driving a little bit the last year or so. But if he drives the ball well, he can really score. I just think it’s going to be a huge advantage for him to know the area. I’d think he’s probably played Colorado Golf Club more than anybody else in the field. Mark struggled during his last years on the regular tour, as everybody knows. But he won right away on the Champions Tour (2007 SAS Championship near Raleigh, N.C.) and it lifts a burden off of you.”
9 Morris Hatalsky
“I know, he’s a real dark horse,” Miller acknowledged. “Morris is a little bit older (58), but he’s just a great, great putter. He doesn’t hit the ball far, but he hits it very straight. But the greens at Colorado Golf Club can be so severe, a great putter has an advantage. Morris shot 67 for one round at The Broadmoor in the 2008 U.S. Senior Open, so he can put a score together. It’s all on the greens for him. He’s not in the limelight, which can be a good thing. And he loves Colorado. He has played a lot in Colorado.”
10 Mark O’Meara
“Mark finally won this year (Legends of Golf on April 25, teaming with Nick Price) and finally got the monkey off his back,” Miller said. “He has obviously won major championships on the regular tour with the Masters and British Open in 1998. So it’s time for him to win a major on the Champions Tour. He’s another guy that loves to come to Colorado, for golf and fishing. Those good vibes really help.”
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
