US Open and national track success!
This week the best women’s golfers in the world are playing for the U.S. Women’s Open in Edina at Interlachen Country Club. The first day of practice included some much deserved blue sky and for me, a chance to get out and walk the amazing course.
Of course the grounds are in immaculate shape and from walking around only a few holes, you get a totally different perspective from what you can see on T.V. (HD or not). The best example was the first green I saw, No. 9 where the drop off from the front of the green to the fringe and fairway is very dramatic. So dramatic that I couldn’t see Julie Inkster, former Open champ, who was chipping from about 10-15 yards off the front of the green. She couldn’t see where the ball was going either, but managed to spin the ball back down to two feet behind the pin.
This was after she nearly chipped the ball through the green and out the other side. The ball came to rest inches from the fringe, but the sever back-to-front slope helped it funnel back towards the cup.
The green was also a thing of beauty, as long as you like uneven greens with a lot of breaks.
I caught Lorena Ochoa teeing off from the 16th hole, with some help from local hockey icon and Interlachen member Lou Nanne, who manned the 16th tee box along with other volunteers. As Ochoa made her way down the fairway a couple of fans already began asking her for autographs. Politely, she told them to wait by the 18th green, which was nearby.
Another big item from the past weekend was Rob Finnerty’s continued success on the track. This past weekend he won the mile at the Nike Outdoor Nationals track meet in Greensboro, North Carolina, followed closely by none-other than Jordan Carlson. Finnerty clocked in a 4:05 to win the mile, one day after competing in the two mile. In an interview following the mile, posted on www.flotrack.com, he seemed disappointed after going 4:01 one week earlier.
Carlson finished third in just over 4:07, one second behind runner-up Luke Puskedra from Ogden, Utah.
Finnerty passed Puskedra rounding the final turn and never looked back. Finnerty was 11th in the event last year.
One night before, Finnerty ran to a fourth place finish in the two mile in 8:50.96.
Event winner- German Fernandez from Riverbank California broke the national record of 8:36.3 set in 1979 by Jeff Nelson.
Fernandez strided out an 8:34.40 for the victory, followed by Puskedra in 8:47.06, Southlake, Texas runner Colby Lowe’s 8:47.70 and Finnerty’s 8:50.96 for fourth place.
Fellow Minnesotan, Kevin Lachowitzer from Perham clocked in a 9:26.62 to place 24th.
