Flamboyant birdie gives Calcavecchia open title

Press, 25 July 1989, Page 44

Flamboyant birdie gives Calcavecchia open title

NZPA-Reuter Troon, Scotland

Mark Calcavecchia missed the halfway cut in the 1988 British Open. Twelve months on, a flamboyant birdie three at the closing hole of a dramatic three-way playoff against Australians, Greg Norman and Wayne Grady gave him the title.

The American set up his first major victory with three rounds of 68 after an opening 71. It gave him a 13-under-par total of 275. Two birdies in the four holes of the strokeplay play-off completed the job. He shut out Norman, who birdied the first six holes of his final round and three more on the back nine on the way to a brilliant course record 64. Norman also birdied the first two holes of the play-off, for an incredible total of 11 birdies in 20 holes. Calcavecchia also shut out Grady, who had led from early in the second round. The trio denied Tom Watson a sixth British Open triumph that would have equalled the record set by Harry Vardon in 1914.

Watson, with three bogeys in four holes from the seventh — just when he appeared likely to launch a charge of his own — had to settle for a level par round of 72

and fourth place. He missed the play-off by two shots.

Calcavecchia, a Nebraskan who lives in Florida, and is building a second home in Phoenix, did not enjoy the 1988 British Open at Royal Lytham.

“I shot 76 and 84 to miss the cut. When I took a double bogey at the twelfth on the second day, I just didn’t care. I was on my way home.” But he liked Troon from the moment he arrived. “I played three practice rounds at Royal Lytham and had no vibes at all,” he said. “But I loved this golf course the minute I got here and I love it more now. “The weather had to be the greatest weather in the history of the British Open — eight days in which it couldn’t have been nicer,” he said.

The explosions that used to characterise Calcavecchia’s oncourse behaviour appear to be a thing of the past. Now his family is the most important thing in life — so much so that he almost did not play the final round. His wife is expecting their first child any day now. “If I had received a phone call on Saturday night that she had started going into labour, I would have left on the first plane out of here.

“Great though this tournament is, my family is more important. I want to get home, back to Phoenix to see my wife. I will be by her side until she has it and If she hasn’t had it in two weeks I just won’t play in our P.G.A. championship,” he said. “I love kids, babies. I have talked to a lot of guys who say that childbirth is the most important thing and this baby is very important to me.”

Leading final results (British unless stated): — Winner after four hole playoff — Mark Calcavecchia (United States). 275 — Greg Norman (Australia) 69, 70, 72, 64; Mark Calcavecchia (United States) 71, 68, 68, 68; Wayne Grady (Australia) 68, 67, 69, 71. 277 — Tom Watson (United States) 69, 68, 68, 72. 278 — Jodie Mudd (United States) 73, 67, 68, 70. 279 — David Feherty 71, 67, 69, 72; Fred Couples (United States) 68, 71, 68, 72.

280 — Eduardo Romero (Argentina) 68, 70, 75, 67; Paul Azinger (United States) 68, 73, 67, 72; Payne Stewart (United States) 72, 65, 60, 74. 281 — Mark McNulty (Zimbabwe) 75, 70, 70, 66; Nick Faldo 71, 71, 70, 69. 282 — Howard Clark 72, 68, 72, 70; Philip Walton (Ireland) 69, 74, 69, 70; Craig Stadler (United States) 73, 69, 69, 71; Roger Chapman 76, 68, 67, 71; Steve Pate (United States) 69, 70, 70, 73; Mark James 69, 70, 71, 72.