Open 2009: Marino shuns Ailsa wisdom to climb the leaderboard

Published on Friday 17 July 2009 23:40

THE perceived wisdom at Turnberry before the Open Championship got underway was how the Ailsa would reward experience and only a shrewd ball striker with a talent for finding fairways was likely to lift the Claret Jug tomorrow.

In terms of puncturing assumptions, Steve Marino's 68 for 135, five-under-par, was notable on two counts. Firstly, this is the 29-year-old's first ever visit to Scotland, never mind a links. And secondly, he veered from the straight and narrow so often yesterday as to make a nonsense of the consensus that accuracy is the key to success here.

The young American found just six of the Ailsa's 14 fairways and only six of the 18 greens in regulation figures. This could easily have been a recipe for carding 78 rather than 68. Instead, he salvaged a two under par score thanks to a brilliant display of chipping and putting.

He holed a greenside bunker shot for 2 at the fearsome sixth hole and wielded his blade just 22 times – an average of 1.22 putts per hole.

"In terms of scoring, it was probably one of the best rounds I've ever had," said the player ranked 77th in the world. "I was really struggling off the tee. I hit it in the rough a bunch of times and missed a bunch of greens. I holed a shot from 116 yards for birdie, made a bunker shot for a birdie. And then there were points in the round where I felt like I was one-putting every hole. I really don't think I could have shot one stroke less today, to be honest with you."

Nothing if not frank, Marino once won an event on the Gateway Tour in America thanks to a third round of 59. Since bettering 60 is the Holy Grail of golf you'd have guessed the PGA Tour player remembered every detail of a magical day. But you would have guessed wrong.

Asked on which course he had recorded 13-under-par for 18 holes, Marino replied: "The 59 was at … I can't think of the name of it. Isn't that unbelievable I can't remember that? It was in Arizona, the Gateway Tour Championship. I don't remember the name of the course. That's terrible."

An American colleague observed that Marino reminded him of a young Mark Calcavecchia, who is also doing pretty well here. Certainly, there's some of the same rough charm. This is Marino's debut in the oldest major and his journey here, which included detours for warm clothing and a passport, only began last weekend when he earned a late spot in the event as an alternate.

"I replaced Shingo Katayama and found out Sunday morning at the John Deere," he said. "I'd found out Wednesday that I was second alternate and by then I was planning on coming over here, especially when Phil (Mickelson] withdrew on Thursday (of last week]. But I didn't have any warm clothes. And I didn't have a passport. I had to fly my Dad (who lives in Virginia] to my house in Florida so he could get the passport and FedEx it to me at the John Deere. I wasn't even expecting to play in this tournament. I didn't think I was going to be an alternate, let alone be playing. So when I found out I'd got in, I was super excited."

Very much a feel player rather than a golfer who crunches numbers, Marino has posted three top ten finishes on the PGA Tour this year including a runner-up loss to Steve Stricker at the Memorial when the US Ryder Cup player defeated him at the first extra hole of a play-off.

"I would consider myself a feel player," he said. "I kind of see shots before I hit them. I don't really hit the same shot every time. So I think over here you kind of have to be that way a little bit and hit some low shots. I love the golf course and love the challenge that it presents. You have to drive it straight, and most importantly, you have to stay patient and stay positive out there, because once you start getting down on yourself and thinking negatively, it will go bad real quick."

Bearing in mind Marino's experience of Scottish linksland is restricted to four rounds at Turnberry, two in practice, his presence around the summit of the Open leaderboard at the halfway mark of such a specialised test is extraordinary.

Asked if he was trying to follow in the footsteps of Tom Watson and Ben Curtis, who both won on their debuts, Marino added: "Obviously it's an advantage to have experience. But it can also be an advantage to not have experience.

"But, you know, watching the Open on TV my whole life I've seen some crazy things go on. And I've got it in my head that some crazy things might happen to me, both good and bad."