Mark

Calcavecchia

Calc won the 1989 edition at Troon, and has not missed the tournament since. While he’s made the cut in each of his previous trips to Royal Lytham and St. Annes, he has done no better than 41st in 2001.

The 1989 champion finds himself in the thick of things after circling six birdies and swallowing three bogeys and a double bogey. While taking home the Claret Jug is unlikely, he is in position to close on his first top 10 in this event since 1997 with a solid performance on Sunday.

The 1989 champion last recorded a top 10 in 1997. In Sunday’s lap around Royal Lytham & St. Annes he squared two bogeys, without a birdie, on the outward nine. Coming in he squared the round with birdies on the 10th and 11th holes. It would be short lived, as he would suffer his final two bogeys on the 15th and 16th holes.

Calc hasn’t made a bogey in his three rounds so far. He’s looking for his 2nd Top 10 in 2004.

Calc turns 50 on June 12, and is planning a full slate of Champions Tour events thereafter. “I started thinking about turning 50 when I was 47,” Calcavecchia said. “Someone asked me if I was excited to be going out there to the Champions Tour. I said I would be excited if the hole was bigger. But I think it’s the same size out there, so I’m not that excited. I can miss ‘em out there same as I can miss ‘em out here.” Remarkably, he’s never needed to use a career earnings exemption. Currently 17th on the all-time money list, he could burn the two alloted to the top 25 and top 50 all-time over the next two years if he wanted; that is, assuming he doesn’t finish first or second at Muirfield Village and lock up a card via the top 125 in 2010 earnings. Even if he does play well, fantasy formats that do not include the Champions Tour should toss Calc onto their free agent piles accordingly.

Calc has 13 PGA TOUR victories, so you know that TPC Scottsdale holds a special place in his heart. He’s logged nine top 10s on the track but none since a T9 in 2005. He also co-owns the tournament record of 28-under-par 65-60-64-67=256 in 2001. While we can’t expect the 53-year-old to factor this week, anticipate considerable support among the locals. This is his first visit since missing the cut in 2012 and 27th overall.

We still don’t know why he withdrew during his third round in México two weeks ago, but it likely affected few investors. Calc is scheduled to be partnered with Chad Campbell during the three-day affair at Tiburón Golf Club in Naples, Fla. If the 53-year-old honors the commitment, it will mark his 20th appearance in the 25 years of the unofficial event.

Long dubbed the Shark Shootout since Greg Norman is the host, the event is in its 25th edition. Calc was on our radar today since he mysteriously withdrew during the third round of the OHL Classic at Mayakoba nearly a month ago. He doesn’t have any fantasy value for PGA TOUR gamers, but he’s burning a career earnings exemption in 2013-14, so he’s fully exempt and may pop up in more fields than his recent schedule suggests.

This is the ninth offering of The Open at Royal Troon Golf Club and Calcavecchia won the sixth playing in 1989, outlasting Aussie’s Wayne Grady and Greg Norman (playoff) in his third overall appearance. He’s one of 16 past champions in the field and joins fellow Americans Hamilton (2004) and Leonard (1997) as the three most recent champs at Royal Troon. In total, it’s the 56-year-old’s 29th appearance since T11 on debut in 1987, though the first eight were, at the time, Unofficial Events on the PGA TOUR. He’s played in every edition since with the exception of 2014 when he had travel issues. The Nebraska native has missed three of his last four cuts, but turned back the clock with a T9 in 2012 (Royal Lytham) at 52 years of age.

It will be interesting to see if he plays that well on the weekend. If so, this thing is over.