Augusta, Ga.
Sammy Schmitz shot a 75 on Friday, leaving him 12-over par for the tournament and well off the cut line at The Masters.
A day after a rough back nine left him with an 81, he hung tough on Friday, After making a double bogey on the difficult 11th hole, he played the last seven holes in even par, making a birdie at 13. On 18, he pulled his approach left but chipped to tap-in range.
The amateur from Farmington didn't reach his goal of becoming the first Mid-Am champion to make the Masters cut but said he was thrilled with the week .He plans to stick around to watch The Masters the rest of the weekend while entertaining the large crowd that continued to follow him on Friday.
"They're going to have to peel me out of this place," he said.
Schmitz said he was ovewhelmed with the support he received from the Minnesota golf community, his family, his friends and St. John's alums, many of whom chanted ``Go, Johnnies" when Schmitz hit a good shot.
Rich Beem, who won the PGA Championship at Hazeltine in 2002 and is a member of the club, is staying at a house with a lot of people with ties to Minnesota golf, including Schmitz's coach, Joe Greupner of Braemar. When Greupner spoke with Schmitz and his caddy, Jonathan Hanner, by phone on Thursday night, Beem told Greupner, ``Give me that phone."
Beem gave Schmitz advice about playing Augusta National and realizing that one bad round can be offset with a good one. ``That meant a lot to me," Schmitz said.
