Does anybody remember Bobby Clampett? If you cast your mind back to The Open Championship in 1982 at Royal Troon when he led after two rounds by a streak, only to fold like a cheap suit when the pressure was on, leaving Tom Watson the winner when Clampett should have strolled home with a Claret Jug.
Yesterday at Pebble Beach, Clampett, the local hero who only plays golf once a month and usually commentates for CBS Television Golf alongside Gary McCord and David Feherty, headed back to the first page of the leaderboard with a three-under par 68 around Pebble Beach, his local course.
Clampett grew up in Monterrey and often sneaked on to Pebble Beach as an 11- and 12-year-old. He desperately wanted to qualify for this year's US Open and he was a second-alternate after local qualifying. But thanks to several withdrawals, Clampett earned a spot in sectional qualifying and played his way to one of the 35 spots available.
"I can't explain it," Clampett said. "Words just don't describe my feelings. I had to hold back the tears about a half-dozen times today, but I was really at peace all day on the course."
"It was like playing golf in Heaven" Said the devout Mormon.
