When the U.S. Open is played next week at Pebble Beach, golfers with local ties will - as usual - make up approximately 3 percent of the field.
Although the numbers vary from year to year, the average number of locals in the 156-man field over the past decade has been five. Last year there were four; in 1990, three; in 1989, six.For awhile, it looked like there might be a smaller contingent than usual when after the first day of qualifying Monday just Mike Reid made the field while Johnny Miller, Keith Clearwater, Mike Brannan, Kim Thompson, Dave DeSantis and Mike Borich all missed in sectional qualifyings.
But in the Tuesday qualifying in Tennessee, ex-BYU golfers Rick Fehr and Richard Zokol and Provo resident Dan Forsman all made it easily to raise the number to five, including already-exempt Jay Don Blake.
And you could make the number six, if you include Mitch Voges, who gets exemptions to all the major golf events this year as the reigning U.S. Amateur champion. Voges played briefly for BYU in the late 1960s.STATE AM FIELD SET: The field for the State Amateur was finalized last week when 44 golfers qualified Wednesday at Davis Park Golf Course for the July 8-12 tournament. That brought the number of participants in this year's State Am to 159, two more than played last year at Jeremy Ranch.
The five medalists were Randy Robertson (Dixie), Sam Williams (S. Central), Ron Hitchcock (South), Reese Nielsen (North) and David Garcia (N. Central). Back as the two-time defending champion will be Doug Bybee, who now lives in Idaho.HALL CALLS: Of the four men inducted into the PGA World Golf Hall of Fame this spring, two were well-known - Chi Chi Rodriguez, who won eight tournaments in a 25-year career on the PGA Tour and 21 more on the Senior Tour, and Hale Irwin, a winner of 19 PGA Tour titles, including three U.S. Open titles.
You have to be a real follower of golf or real old to know the other two - Lighthorse Harry Cooper and the late Richard Tufts.
Cooper, now 85, won 31 tournaments in the 1920's through the '40's, led the tour in money-winnings in 1937 and won the Vardon Trophy for the low scoring average the same year. Cooper's earnings in 1937? Try $10,138.39.
Tufts, who was named in the distinguished service category, is a former president of the U.S. Golf Association.
The induction of the four brought to 60 the number of individuals selected to the Hall of Fame at Pinehurst, N.C.QUOTEWORTHY: PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman on Michael Jordan, still playing basketball the same week the U.S. Open is being played:
"He is the one individual who will have the most influence on getting more blacks into golf. You've got the world's greatest basketball player, and his goal in life is to become a professional golfer. The role model he is will do more than anything to open up the game."STRAY SHOTS: The annual Clubs For Kids Clinic is today at the Nibley Park Golf Course at 10 a.m. . . . The Salt Lake City Junior tournament will be Monday through Friday at five city courses . . . The UGA Women's Match Play Championship will be this week at Logan CC . . . The 6th annual "Swing Into Summer" golf tournament benefitting the Park City Handicapped Sports Association will be Friday at the Park Meadows Golf Club. Call 649-3991 for information . . . Dan Roskelley former head professional at Birch Creek Golf Course, has been named head professional at Logan Golf & Country Club, replacing Dean Candland, who retired earlier this year. Craig Sarlo has moved up to head pro at Birch Creek . . . Devin Dehlin won pro sweeps and Brett Taylor the amateur sweeps at this week's Walt Harris Memorial . . . Brad Hansen leads the Governors Cup Points race for local professionals with 1635.0 points. Chris Jones is second with 1247.5, while Mike Malaska stands third with 840.0 . . . Although Jordan doesn't seem likely to ever make the PGA Tour, a former professional bowler, Jim Stefanich, the 1968 PBA Player of the Year, made his Senior Tour debut last week at the NYNEX Commemorative.