Article published June 19, 2004
U.S. OPEN
Maruyama, Mickelson tied
Els, Singh, Pavin sit in position to contend
Shigeki Maruyama completes his round of 68 yesterday.
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
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By DAVE HACKENBERG
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. - It is the U.S. Open and cards are supposed to be played close to the vest. But Shigeki Maruyama doesn't have a poker face. Heck, he can't even keep a straight face.
Nonetheless, the man his fellow pro golfers refer to as the "Smiling Assassin," indeed had plenty to grin about after a second sub-par round left him tied for the lead at the midway point of the 104th U.S. Open.
The Japanese star is tied with Masters champion Phil Mickelson at 6-under-par 134. Maruyama has gone 66-68; Mickelson 68-66. Their lead is one shot over steady Jeff Maggert and two over Fred Funk and 2001 Open champion Retief Goosen, both of whom fired 66s.
Maruyama lost sole possession of the lead when he walked on the wild side during his last hole of the day, No. 9. After a couple shots out of high fescue, he was still off the edge of the green in three and settled for bogey.
But disappointment is a foreign language to the 34-year-old Maruyama, whose vivacious personality spills over whatever language and cultural barriers might exist.
"I'm really surprising myself," he said through an interpreter. "My game is very steady, very solid. I'm really calm on the golf course and, hopefully, I'll stay that way."Maruyama, with one victory in each of the last three years, is the only Asian golfer to have won multiple PGA Tour events. But he has higher aspirations.
Maruyama pointed out recently that his boyhood idol, Isao Aoki, had finished second to Jack Nicklaus at the 1980 U.S. Open.
"I haven't passed Mr. Aoki yet," Maruyama said.
He's poised to do just that this weekend at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, but many of the usual suspects are lining up to make bids of their own.
Mickelson, of course, is first and foremost and Maruyama, who played each of the first two rounds with Tiger Woods, says he expects more of the same raucous environment today.
"I can expect everybody's rooting for Phil tomorrow," Shigeki said. "I played the first two days of the Masters with Phil. Everybody is yelling 'Phil, Phil, Phil.' I'll get earplugs tomorrow."
That might muffle some of the footsteps from players like Ernie Els, whose 67 yesterday left him three shots off the pace, and the duo of Vijay Singh (70) and '95 Shinnecock Open champion Corey Pavin (71), who are tied at 2-under 138. Mike Weir is another shot back as 11 men broke par over 36 holes.
The cut came at 5-over 145
and some of the casualties included Justin Leonard at 146, Stuart Appleby and Stewart Cink at 149, Davis Love III and Kenny Perry at 151, and Fred Couples and Toledoan John Connelly at 152.
Another victim was David Duval, who was playing for the first time after an eight-month hiatus. He followed an opening-round 83 with an 82.
It appeared for awhile as if Duval and the others might be joined by Woods, who scattered shots left and right off the tee and for the longest while did little more than magically save pars. However, sitting at 3-over for the tournament, Woods rallied with back-to-back birdies at Nos. 5 and 6 [on his back nine] and authored a 69 that left him at 1-over 141, seven shots off the lead.
"I just had to hang in there and be patient," Woods said. "My patience was challenged from the first tee to the last green. I put myself in trouble on No. 2 [his 11th hole], but made a great par putt to keep the momentum going. I was playing well enough to finally make a couple key birdies."
Mickelson played well enough to make four birdies during a
bogey-free round.
"There are some places, even on the greens, where you have to play defensively," he said.
Maggert, who matched Mickelson's four birdies, agreed.
"You have to be a little more conservative and accept pars," Maggert said. "The strong parts of my game, putting the ball in the fairways and thinking my way around tough courses, play into a U.S. Open venue. You can hit a lot of good shots and you may not be able to shoot under par. If you're fortunate and get a few shots to drop, then you'll have a good score."
Maggert, who fired a 67, has only two PGA Tour victories and no major championships during a career that began in 1991, but he has been a factor in U.S. Opens on many occasions. Since '94, he has six top-10s, the best being a third-place finish behind Woods in 2002 at nearby Bethpage State Park.
"I've had a great career," said Maggert, who has career earnings of more than $11 million. "But, obviously, I'd like to win a major championship. I don't feel like this is the downhill slide of my career. I think I'll have a lot of opportunities. Hopefully, this weekend will be one of them."
Contact Dave Hackenberg at:
dhack@theblade.com
or 419-724-6398.
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