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Cut misses Valrico amateur

By BOB HARIG, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published June 15, 2002

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- For a time Friday afternoon, Kevin Warrick's name popped up on the leaderboard. He was in fifth place at the U.S. Open. Not bad for an amateur who never had performed at this level.

Eventually, Bethpage Black got the best of him, and he was fighting to make the cut. Playing in the last group, in a misting rain, Warrick, 21, birdied the last hole, rolling in a 35-foot putt.

The cut came at 10-over-par 150, and Warrick, who is from Valrico, shot 149.

"It feels good," he said. "I was wasting a lot of shots out there for a while, and I didn't know what the cut was going to be. For a while, my swing went AWOL. But I didn't want to waste all that money to stay for two more days and not play."

Warrick, who plays for the University of West Florida in Pensacola, will be around for the weekend. He is the only amateur to make the cut, so he has clinched low amateur honors. And he tees off this morning with Frank Lickliter at 10.

DUVAL DONE: It's been that kind of year for David Duval. The British Open champion was playing as well as anyone Friday.

Duval was 2 under for his round through 15 holes. At the par-4 seventh hole, his 16th, Duval made double bogey. He followed with triple-bogey 6 at the par-3 eighth.

Having started the day 3 over through two holes, Duval made five birdies in the middle of the round. Then the ending ruined it, turning an under-par score into 3-over 75. Coupled with 78, Duval missed the cut at 11 over.

"I kept hitting it in the rough," he said of his troubles. "The conditions were very tough. But they were fair. I'm just not on top of my game. The U.S. Open exposes you. That's what it's supposed to do. I'm not upset. Just disappointed."

Duval has one top-10 finish this year, a tie for fourth at the Memorial three weeks ago. He has missed five cuts in 13 tournaments.

DIVOTS: Japan's Toshi Izawa withdrew because of illness. Izawa, who tied for 44th in last year's Open, shot 80 in the first round. ... Greg Norman birdied his last two holes to make the cut. "That's the good news, and that's the bad news," said Norman, who didn't appear to relish two more days in such conditions. ... Former Tampa resident Woody Austin finished his round with eagle. He holed a 9-iron. "I hit one shot out of 155," said Austin, who missed the cut. "If you're playing well, you can play it. I just played like a dog." ... Maybe Bruce Fleisher had the right idea. The Senior PGA Tour player decided against competing in the U.S. Open. Felix Casas of the Philippines took his place -- and shot 92. He had five double bogeys and two triples. ... Clearwater's John Huston shot 78 to miss his first cut of the year and see his streak of 21 in a row end. Tiger Woods extended his cut streak to 89. The next longest is held by Nick Price at 20. ... Defending champion Retief Goosen shot 79 to miss the cut.

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