Jonas expects to have a great time playing U.S. Senior Open’s stars
Phil Jonas admitted he had a dilemma: Step outside his personal norm and try to qualify for the U.S. Senior Open, or decide to compete in the PGA Championship of Canada — an event he finished third in last year.
No need for hindsight here. Jonas’s career has been long, well-travelled and accomplished. He’s played on a variety of tours, including the PGA Tour, and built up quite a business as a local instructor, running his own academy with his wife, Patty, at Hazelmere golf club in Surrey. But he’s never played in a U.S. Open.
That is about to change.
In the end, Jonas elected to enter a recent qualifier for the U.S. Senior Open — an event he was first alerted to by longtime friend Tom Spragge and a decision that paid off with a first-place finish Monday at the Bellingham Golf and Country Club.
At age 55, Jonas will travel later this month to Peabody, Mass., to play Salem Country Club as a member of the field that is expected to include such notables as Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Fred Couples and John Daly — among others.
“I don’t usually try to qualify for these events — for whatever reason,” said Jonas, who carded a 3-under 69 on Monday, ending his round with four birdies in his final six holes. “It’ll be the biggest event I’ve ever played in.”
While the PGA Tour is home to a cavalcade of younger phenoms, the PGA Tour Champions can provide golf fans with a nostalgic feeling. Throughout his career, Jonas has played with a number of the game’s best, like Nick Faldo and the legendary Gary Player. The name recognition at the upcoming U.S. Senior Open isn’t lost on him.
“It’s hard not to be star struck. I watch the Champions tour a lot. I almost prefer it to watching the PGA Tour, so I … know how good all the guys are because I’ve been watching them,” said Jonas.
“It’s something I’ve probably got to be careful of. I need to go in there and just do what I can do and not worry about how great these guys are and how great a career they’ve had.
“I’ve played with a lot of those great players. But it’s been a while. I had the opportunity to play with some great players in 2013 and 2014 when I was on the European Senior Tour, but not to that magnitude of the players I’m going to see. It’s going to be kind of exciting.”
Jonas is expected to fly out Monday, three days before the opening round. He’ll continue teaching right up to his departure date.
“I’d like to go earlier but ... I’ve got to teach a lot of lessons to pay for this trip,” he said.
As an instructor, Jonas has struck a different balance compared to earlier in his career. As a competitive touring professional, he would practise for the purpose of advancing himself up the ranks. That approach has changed over the years.
“For some reason, I really love golf a lot and it’s never wavered,” he said. “For me, quite often, when I do have half an hour to spare and I work on my short game or I work on hitting, it’s very therapeutic now.
“When I was playing for a living, 15-20 years ago, there was a lot more desperation in trying to get better. But now I do it for therapy, I suppose. I like trying to be as good as I can be in the limited time I have to do it.”
His performance in Bellingham indicates he’s making the most of that time.
CHIP SHOTS
You can bet Richard Zokol will be tuned into the U.S. Open, his favourite major of the golf season. Piquing the interest of Zokol and the Canadian contingent of viewers this weekend will be Adam Hadwin’s plight.
The Abbotsford product has already broken through earlier this year for his first PGA Tour win, and he’s worked his way into contention at Erin Hills at 2-under par. His scorecard Thursday included six consecutive birdies, tying a U.S. Open record.
The fact he’s in this position doesn’t surprise Zokol.
“He feels comfortable taking on adverse and new situations,” said Zokol earlier this week.
“He’s going to face another one at the U.S. Open. He’s got a terrific game but the best thing about him is the way this young kid thinks. He’s not afraid of it. If you’re afraid of it, you back away and get run over.”
The U.S. Open in years past hasn’t so much been a golf tournament, but a grinding, gruelling, controversial test of survival played on courses that confound even the world’s best golfers. Course conditions and setups can become contentious issues and Erin Hills is no different.
Kevin Na set the wheels in motion at the beginning of the week, posting to Instagram a play-byplay criticism of the fescue. Rory McIlroy chimed in on the other side of the debate, saying that because of the sizable width of the fairways, the fescue shouldn’t be an issue.
“It’s more a psychological championship than anything else. It takes no prisoners, it beats up everybody — even the winner. It’s a survival contest,” said Zokol.
“I liken it to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup. Both teams are emaciated physically. They’re all literally not at the top of their game, physically. They’re just exhausted. But it’s the will of the champion that’s determined.”
It’s all about attitude. “Fairness has nothing to do with it. It’s brutal,” said Zokol. “Basically, every person that’s in the tournament has the physical skill to do it, but very few of them have the mental skill to do it and you have to combine the both of them.”