Scott Halleran/Getty Images
Based on a challenge set by Tiger Woods– that no 10-handicapper could break 100 at the newly steroid-ed out South Course at Torrey Pines, host of the 2008 U.S. Open next week – Golf Digest and NBC sponsored a pre-Open, made for T.V. event featuring Tony Romo, Justin Timberlake, Matt Lauer and one lucky essay contest winner to challenge the mammoth 7,643 yard, rough manged course the Friday before the Open. The contest will be aired next Sunday (6/15) during the Open.
The winner of the contest — who was chosen from 56,374 applicants — was John Atkinson, a medical salesman from Omaha, Nebraska who suffers from inoperable lung cancer…and the dude has never smoked in his life!?!
Although the course was a bit taming, it didn’t do nearly the same damage to other San Diego celebrities, as I reported HERE.
Some details of what transpired:
Romo, who missed qualifying for the U.S. Open this spring, won with a 13-over 84. The beefy quarterback, who boasts a 2.2 handicap index, barely broke a sweat playing the first nine holes in 5-over 40 but slowed as the six-hour round wore on.
“It got really tough to stay sharp,” he said, nodding toward the 18th hole, where he had his only double bogey after hitting into a bunker.
And how did the new Bob Hope and newly whooped Timberlake do?
Timberlake, suffering from allergies, seconded Romo, although his game improved over the last four holes with two pars and two bogeys as he went into “Michael Jordan mode.” A 6.0 handicap index, he parred the 18th to finish at 27-over 98.
Oh. How did Matt Lauer do, you ask?
Lauer scraped by with a 100 on the par-71 course despite playing with a 6.2 handicap index. He came back from an early quad and a series of double bogeys to make a par 5 on the final hole. [Story]
And the dude who won the essay contest shot a 43-over 114. Yikes. But, I tell you what, a 114 at the South Course is very respectable. Did I tell you I broke 100 at the fabulous Mission Bay course here in San Diego the other day? It was outstanding! I was great off the tee. My approach shots were magnificent. And putting was extraordinary. The golf-pro at the 9-hole course said he’d never seen anyone break 100 out there. So, I feel pretty good shooting 102…my game is really coming around for the summer!
