Notebook: Nobody could possibly out-prep Svoboda
Andy Svodoba, whose home course is none other than Winged Foot, knows the U.S. Open venue like no other competitor. Plus, Michael Campbell treasures a letter from a legend, the short strokes haven't been easy for the Big Easy, and more.
By T.J. Auclair, Junior Editor
MAMARONECK, N.Y. -- Dreams do come true. Just ask 26-year-old Andy Svoboda of New Rochelle, N.Y.
Svoboda got into the U.S. Open through sectional qualifying. What's better than qualifying to play in your first-ever U.S. Open?
How about playing it on your home course, which is precisely what Svoboda will be doing at Winged Foot.
"I'm really living a dream here," he said. "I'm really excited to be playing. I grew up playing this course since I was 10, and I've never seen it in better shape. It's just going to be a fabulous week, and I'm looking forward to it."
How many rounds has he logged at Winged Foot?
"Well, I estimated that I've played probably 150 rounds here a year for 14 years, so you can do the math on that," he said. "It's a lot, probably 1,500 or over 1,500 or something like that."
And everyone's making a big deal about Phil Mickelson having been to Winged Foot a few times to prepare before the Open. In terms of Winged Foot preparation, Lefty's got nothing on Svoboda.
LETTER FROM A LEGEND: Winning the U.S. Open, without doubt, has its perks. For New Zealand's Michael Campbell, the defending champion of our national championship, one of those perks was receiving a handwritten letter from no less than legend Jack Nicklaus.
In the letter, Nicklaus -- the owner of 18 major championship titles -- stressed to Campbell that new responsibilities come along with being a major champion. One of those is helping the game grow -- a point Campbell has taken to heart.
"With that in mind, I've set up a few foundations back home in New Zealand," Campbell said. "One is called the Michael Campbell Foundation, and also we've instigated through Greg Turner, another golfer from the European Tour, a program called the Winning Edge Program, to nurture and help the younger kids back home to play golf, and hopefully with my influence and with my input, it's going to help young golfers fulfill their dreams."
In the unlikely event that Campbell is able to successfully defend his title, he will become the first player since Curtis Strange in 1989 to accomplish that feat.
While the Kiwi would love to repeat, he's enjoyed his reign as champion.
"In a nutshell, really, it's just been a wonderful journey the past 12 months," he said. "I've experienced many opportunities, a lot of doors have opened for me. I've really enjoyed being the U.S. Open champion the last 12 months. I've fulfilled one of my childhood dreams, and hopefully can retain my title this week."
REIGNING CHAMP IS HUGE UNDERDOG: It was pointed out to Campbell that the Vegas odds makers have his chances of winning at Winged Foot set at 100 to 1. Is that disheartening for the defending champ?
"No, that's great," he said. "Let Tiger and Vijay and Phil have all the attention, and I can just do what I did last year. Fantastic, bring it on. Look at last year, no one gave me a chance to win, and I won. Once again, no one sort of has given me a chance this year, apart from myself, which is the most important thing.
"I don't care what you guys think, or write or say, but I know I have a chance. I could have said it until I was blue in the face last year, but no one would listen to me, which is great. The whole year is repeating itself. Yeah, let them have all the attention. Let them have all the hoopla with it. I'm just going to go out there and play golf."
PUTTING HASN'T BEEN EASY FOR THE BIG EASY: One week can change the complexion of an entire season. Ernie Els is hoping that will be the case for him this week at Winged Foot.
Els, the strapping South African, is a two-time U.S. Open winner, but his 2006 season has been mediocre at best by his standards.
"I haven't had a great year up until now, obviously," admitted Els, whose best finish in 10 events is a tie for seventh at both Doral and the Heritage. "I've been looking for that one round that might turn it around for me. But I've been working hard on every aspect of my game, really. The putting has been holding me back a little bit the last month or so. But, you know, I think it might be a good week for me this week because of the fact that it's the U.S. Open.
"I don't care how good you're playing coming into this week, you're going to miss shots, and missing shots here means something, more so than regular Tour events. I think everybody is going to have to scramble and everybody is going to have to keep their heads, so to speak. You know, my game, I'm hitting the ball OK, I'm doing everything OK."
TALL ORDER FOR LITTLE GUY: Tadd Fujikawa, a 5-foot-1, 135-pound 15-year-old from Honolulu is playing in the U.S. Open this week as the tournament's youngest qualifier since World War II.
Born three and a half months premature, Fujikawa only weighed one pound, 15 ounces at birth and was given a 50-50 chance of living.
Since then, the little man has defied the odds, becoming a National Judo champion, as well as one of the top junior golfers in Hawaii.
"I think that I am special, not only in golf but just I guess just surviving with everything that I've been through," he said. "I don't really think about it anymore, but I just try to do my best and try my hardest. And if it works out, then it works out, and if it doesn't, it doesn't. I think that I'm certainly trying my best, and I really will try my hardest to make the cut, and hopefully in the long run I can turn professional.
"I think I'll go to college first. I'm really not sure what college I'm going to, but I'll try college first. And if my game is ready, then I'll turn professional, and if it's not, then I'll keep on working on my golf game."
Before getting through the sectional qualifier that sealed his spot at Winged Foot, Fujikawa had to play his way through a local qualifier at the same site that also featured 16-year-old sensation, Michelle Wie.
Competitors at that local qualifying site were playing for three spots in the sectional qualifier. Wie took the top spot, while Fujikawa tied for third and had to go into a playoff for the final spot.
"We had a three-hole playoff, and then on the third playoff hole, I made a 65-foot birdie putt to win," Fujikawa said. "That was kind of fun, I guess."
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