When Michael Thompson came to
the Olympic Club for the 2007 U.S.
Amateur, members recommended their
best caddie, Freddie Marcucci. “I just
remember him as a kind of happy-go-lucky guy, just living life,” Thompson
said. “I know he didn’t have a car, he
lived poor but he loved being at the
Olympic Club.” Marcucci had more
than 30 years experience and guided
Thompson to the final and a 2-and- 1
loss to Colt Knost. Thompson thought
so much of Marcucci he wanted to get
him a Masters pass, but although club
members were willing to chip in and
cover the travel costs, old Freddie didn’t
want to leave Olympic. Marcucci died
recently, but after finishing T- 2 in the
U.S. Open, Thompson—who led the field
in putting—felt part of his success goes
back five years. “All of that knowledge
helped me this week,” Thompson said.
“He helped me so much.”
Peterson rejoices after his ace on the 13th hole Saturday.
In addition to working with long-time
Jack Nicklaus swing instructor Jim Flick,
17-year-old U.S. Open breakout Beau
Hossler has also been listening to Jay
Brunza, the sport psychologist who
worked with Tiger Woods as a teenager and carried his bag for his first two
U. S. Amateur titles. “There are many
similarities to Tiger at the same age,”
Brunza said. “They’re like sponges, both
very attentive. Like Tiger, Beau has no
problem working on it. It’s a good age to
get them.” Brunza also works with the
University of Texas, to which Hossler has
verbally committed in 2013. On Sunday he
wore a Longhorn shirt and an old-school
Texas visor. One of his teammates will
be Jordan Spieth, who closed stronger,
with a 70—287, two strokes better than
Hossler, to finish T- 21 and earn bragging
rights with low amateur honors.
Senior writer Tim Rosaforte appears
on Golf Channel’s “Golf Central”
and NBC’s coverage of the Players,
U.S. Open and the Ryder Cup.
Sunday-qualified for the FedEx, flew
to Columbus for sectional qualifying, and returned to Memphis only
to learn his grandmother had died.
After a second-round 65 at TPC
Southwind, he emotionally crashed,
shooting 73-75 on the weekend for a
T- 61 finish and headed to San Francisco for an Open tutorial.
This was Peterson’s first major.
Waiting at the Lake course Tuesday
was the most successful LSU golfer
of all time, David Toms. His other
practice partners were Jason Dufner, runner-up in last year’s PGA,
and former Open champion Jim Furyk. If it was a character issue that
left Peterson off the 2011 Walker Cup
team, it wouldn’t last long around
this group.
“When John turned pro, the first
thing I told him to do was call David
Toms,” said LSU coach Chuck
Winstead, who has been teaching
Peterson since he was 10. “He’s the
consummate professional.”
Toms and Peterson met on the
field at Tiger Stadium during John’s
recruiting trip. They hunt, fish and
go to LSU baseball games together.
“I couldn’t have three better
dudes to tee it up with than I did
on Tuesday,” Peterson said. “David
Toms has helped me so much, he
really has. I owe a lot to him. He’s
one of the classiest guys out there,
and I’m lucky to have him at LSU
right there where I need him.”
On his wrist, Peterson wears a
WWJD bracelet. His brother is in
the ministry, and he comes from
a golf family. His father bought
his grandfather’s membership at
Colonial CC. When Toms won the
Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colo-
nial in 2011, Peterson’s father walked
the last 36 holes. It’s fitting they
both finished T- 4 at the Open.
