John Smoltz stumbles in ugly opening round at U.S. Senior Open
In baseball terms, John Smoltz got knocked out of the box without recording an out at the U.S. Senior Open.
Where it all went wrong
Smoltz, a Hall of Fame pitcher who managed to play his way into golf’s marquee senior event, fired six bogeys and a triple-bogey in his first nine holes at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. He was 10 over after just the first 10 holes, and finished the day with a 15-over 85. That left him 17 strokes behind the leader Deane Pappas as he finished.
How Smoltz got into the U.S. Senior Open
“I think this is the coolest thing I’ve ever done,” Smoltz told USA TODAY Sports prior to his round. “Qualifying was the most emotionally fired up I’ve ever been.” This, from a guy who pitched in multiple World Series. He qualified for the event by winning a three-man playoff after shooting a final-round 69 at a qualifying event in Georgia.
Vegas was considerably less impressed with Smoltz’s prospects, listing him at 5,000-to-1 odds to win the event and 10-to-1 odds to even make the cut. His opening round over/under? 82.5. Ouch.
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.
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