[ GOLF ]
Part-time golfer Kuehne
tripping out with 67
OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. >> Trip Kuehne insists he has no interest in turning pro, even on a birdie-filled day when the part-time player outclassed several of the world's best.
Kuehne, a 30-year-old equity salesman, said no amount of success -- and he had plenty yesterday at the U.S. Open -- would persuade him to try golf as a profession. He's happy to head home to his wife and 3-year-old son in Irving, Texas, where he makes a living analyzing stocks instead of putts.
"I shot 67, which is great, but these guys are tearing the course up," he said, overstating things a bit. Only eight players had a better second round than Kuehne -- a short list that included Tiger Woods and overall leader Vijay Singh.
Still, Kuehne says he's here to have fun, nothing more.
"I can't compete with these guys day in and day out. It would be different if I had the dedication and the drive," Kuehne said. "I don't."
At 1 over after two rounds, Kuehne made the cut -- just as he did in his only other Open appearance in 1996. And just like then, his amateur status will prevent him from taking home any winnings.
Remembering Squeaky: Watching Tom Watson and his caddie Bruce Edwards receive ovation after ovation at the U.S. Open brought back memories -- good and sad -- for Nick Price.
The pair were cheered on every hole a day after Watson shot a tournament-leading 65 and a few months after Edwards was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease.
Edwards doesn't know how much time he has left. Patients often die within five years of their first symptoms. There is no cure.
Price lost his longtime caddie and close friend, Jeff "Squeaky" Medlen, to leukemia. He died six years ago this Monday. He was 43.
Hat's off: In a sport where every stitch of clothing is emblazoned with a sponsor's name, Robert Damron's plain black cap drew notice.
Asked if the empty space was for sale, he said, "You got it."
"Name your price. You can have it," Damron said.
He could have a few offers after the Open.
The 30-year-old Damron shot a 2-under 68 yesterday and is 3 under for the tournament, four strokes off the lead. It's his strongest start of the year, and best chance for a win. In 16 PGA events, he missed the cut nine times and withdrew from two others.
Wilson misses cut: Kaneohe's Dean Wilson rebounded from a first-round 76 to card an even-par 70 yesterday.
But it wasn't good enough for the Brigham Young alumnus to make the cut. Wilson, a Castle High School graduate, finished with a 146. The cut was 143.
Wilson earned his PGA Tour card this season and is the fourth Hawaii male to play on the tour.