Guttman, Lange card 1-over-par 71s at Overbrook GC; advance to U.S. Senior Open Championship

  BRYN MAWR, Pa.–Home-course hopeful Chris Lange drained a trying four-foot par putt on the final hole to finish at 1-over-par 71 on Monday at Overbrook GC and join Mo Guttman, a retired PGA of America professional from Maine, as the two qualifiers to advance to the 30th U.S. Senior Open Championship set for July 30-Aug. 2 at Crooked Stick GC in Carmel, Ind.

  “On the first hole I had a three-footer for birdie and every limb on my body was shaking,” said Lange, one of a handful of competitors carrying the Overbrook flag. “I had to back off of it numerous times. I’ve never experienced anything like that before.”

  Lange would make that three-footer on No. 1 (par 4, 380 yards) – he knocked a gap wedge on from 108 yards – and add another birdie on No. 3 (par 3, 204 yards) with a 20-foot downhiller to move to 2-under par early.

  “It’s what you want. You want to get off to a good start,” said Lange. “It’s always easier when you know you are in it right from the get go then struggling trying to get back.”

  An errant approach on No. 6 (par 4, 452 yards) resulted in a bogey but Lange answered with a birdie on No. 9 (par 4, 449 yards) when he hit a 7-iron to 15 feet and made the putt. He made the turn at 2 under.

  A bogey on No. 11 (par 4, 439 yards), another poor approach, and a bogey on No. 13 (par 4, 383 yards), a poor wedge second shot that went way right, dropped the 54-year-old Bryn Mawr, Pa., resident to even par. An ensuing bounce back birdie on No. 14 (par 4, 317 yards) with a 60-degree wedge from 80 yards to eight feet put Lange back in red figures but a poor drive and three putt on No. 16 (par 4, 404 yards) resulted in a double bogey and put his qualifying spot in jeopardy. At the time, Guttman was already in the house at 71 and a couple other players at 72. Lange then parred No. 17 (par 4, 359 yards) and headed to the final hole needing a four (par 4, 400 yards) to equal the day’s low round. In between clubs with his second shot, 153 yards uphill, Lange chose a 7-iron and sent it a touch long. He putted from the short rough to four feet, and before some 30 supporters, converted the ensuing par chance.

  “Somehow it went in,” said Lange. “It wasn’t the greatest stroke but the ball found the hole. I felt lucky. I was actually pretty confident. I was hitting a lot good drives and a lot of good second shots. I hit two really bad shots that were like ‘Where did they come from?.’

  “I really wanted one of us [Overbrook guys] to get in. Having it at Overbrook it could have been Frank [McFadden], it could have been Andy [Thompson], it could have been Ray [Thompson]. I got off to the good start and somehow held on. It’s nice that one of us got it done.”

  This will be Lange’s third U.S Senior Open appearance. He qualified in 2005 and 2007 as well. He failed to make the cut either year.

  Guttman, who now resides in Sarasota, Fla., will be making his second consecutive trip to the U.S Senior Open. He missed the cut by a shot last year at The Broadmoor GC in Colorado Springs, Colo.

  The 53 year old, starting on the back nine, made the turn in 1-over par after two bogeys and a birdie. However, it was the next three pars that saved his round.

  On his 10th hole, No. 1, Guttman clipped the right trees, chipped it out and got up-and-down for par. On No. 2 (par 4, 347 yards), his drive was heading out of bounds left when it found a tree and ricocheted back into play. He knocked his next shot in front of the green and again saved par. As an encore to those two pars, on No. 3, he hit it in the left greenside bunker and again got up-and-down.

  A nice birdie on No. 7 (par 3, 202 yards), a 5-iron to 15 feet brought him back to even par, but a bad swing with the driver on No. 9 put Guttman in a bad spot and all he could was salvage a bogey.

  “I knew I need to make a putt,” said Guttman. “I figured even par was a lock.”

  As it turned out, 1 over was good enough.

  “It’s such a great experience being in a major tournament like that,” said Guttman. “It’s very motivating.”