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Norman, Huston earn Open spots

TAMPA -- Surely there was some business deal to consummate, perhaps another golf course to design, a wine to introduce.

Instead, Greg Norman, 47, more of an entrepreneur these days than champion golfer, came from his home in Jupiter by helicopter to Old Memorial Golf Club to try for a spot in the U.S. Open.

"If you're not in the tournament and you want to get into it, you have to qualify," said Norman, who earned medalist honors by shooting 68-71 for 5-under 139. "It sets a good example for everybody. If you want to play in a major championship and you're not in, there's more than one way to get in. If you want to play, go do it." Wearing shorts and his trademark hat, the Shark attracted several hundred fans who saw him cruise into the 102nd U.S. Open despite a bogey, double-bogey finish. The Open begins June 13 at Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y.

Clearwater's John Huston, 41, also earned a spot with rounds of 68-72, as did Kevin Warrick, 21, an amateur from Valrico who shot 71-69 and will play in his first U.S. Open. Warrick plays at the University of West Florida.

Hobe Sound's Tony Soerries (72-70) earned the last of four spots by parring the first hole of a nearly dark playoff. He was tied with Tim Jackson (72-70) of Germantown, Tenn., and Paul Curry (72-70) of Heathrow.

Soerries, 33, works as a caddie at Norman's Medalist Club in Hobe Sound and has caddied for the Shark. And that's the beauty of the U.S. Open: Participants come in all shapes and sizes, with varying bank accounts.

"There are a lot of good players out here," said Norman, a two-time British Open champion who has earned more than $13-million. "Even though these kids are probably a lot more nervous than I am, they're out there and have the capability. Only four guys (out of 77) are going to qualify. So I never expect anything. That's the kiss of death." The Old Memorial event was one of 12 sectional qualifiers played around the country Monday and Tuesday, with 81 spots up for grabs in the 156-player field. The other 75 were exempt through various means. For Norman, it will be his 19th U.S. Open, his best finishes coming in 1984 in an 18-hole playoff loss to Fuzzy Zoeller and in 1995, second to Corey Pavin. Since finishing tied for 10th in '96 Norman has not made an Open cut, missing the event in '98 after shoulder surgery. Last year he did not attempt to qualify.

Norman, playing a limited schedule, led through two rounds of the Kemper Open on Friday before finishing tied for 13th. The winner of 18 PGA Tour events, he has not won since 1997.

Huston, ranked 55th in the World Ranking (the top 50 are exempt for the U.S. Open) will make his 12th Open appearance. His best finish was fourth in 2000 at Pebble Beach. "It's a long day," said Huston, 34th on the PGA Tour money list with $777,039. "It wouldn't be too bad if you could play in a decent amount of time and keep going. To be out here for over 10 hours, it's tough." WIE WINS: Last year, Michelle Wie became the first female golfer, and youngest, to qualify for the Manoa Cup, Hawaii's top amateur tournament. The 12-year-old from Honolulu, who has played in two LPGA events, made more history Tuesday when she reached the second round, defeating 54-year-old Sam Oishi 4 and 2.

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