Centreville resident places sixth in British Senior Amateur
Recommended Stories
Every serious golfer with a sense of history, dreams of playing in Scotland.
When John Long of Centreville finally got his opportunity last week at age 57, his introduction to links golf could be summed up with the expression: Be careful what you wish for.
In two windblown practice rounds in preparation for the British Senior Amateur, Long shot 90 and 85, horrifying scores for a player with a scratch handicap.
But Long was learning valuable lessons on seaside golf. And he applied them in the tournament, shooting 78-76-77 — 231 to tie for sixth place in a field of 144 players, 7 strokes behind winner Robert Vallis of Bermuda.
“I was thrilled. My goal was just to make the cut (top 60 after two rounds),” said Long, a member at Evergreen. “It was playing long and tough, but eventually I figured it out.”
Long qualified for the prestigious event for players 55 and over, by advancing to the second round of match play in the 2008 U.S. Senior Amateur, where he lost to eventual champion Buddy Marucci. Long plans to return next summer when the 42nd British Senior Amateur will be played at Walton Heath in Surrey, England, host of the 1981 Ryder Cup.
This year’s tournament was played at historic Prestwick Golf Club, site of the first 12 British Opens (1860-72), four won by Old Tom Morris and four won by his son, Young Tom Morris. The course, on the Irish Sea, has the same signatures as famed Royal Troon, 10 miles away.
“It’s quirky, elephants [buried] in the fairways, lots of moguls and bunkers,” said Long, retired after 30 years in the Justice Department. “You can’t see the [pot] bunkers from the tee. You have to know where they are. I was lucky enough to get one of the 20 regular [Prestwick] caddies. He helped a lot.”
Long’s introduction to the course, in 40 mph winds, was not encouraging.
“In the practice rounds I was actually driving the ball very well. That’s how tough the course and the conditions were,” said Long. “I literally woke up and put an extra sleeve [of balls] in my bag for the first round. Somehow I got through three rounds without losing a ball.”
Shifting winds present a different challenge day-to-day. Long described one hole that required a utility club approach one day, a wedge the next.
Long’s toughest shot of the tournament, however, was his opening drive, witnessed by more than 100 fans. Long was the first man off the first tee, Wednesday at 7 a.m.
“There’s a transit system next to the tee and a 300-year-old wall right next to it,” said Long. “You have to hit a 4-iron to a fairway that’s about 30 yards wide.”
But Long pulled the shot off and was on his way to an unforgettable three days on hallowed ground.
