Phillips enjoys week at U.S. Senior Open, even though it was cut short

Tracy Phillips usually has one of the world’s best short games, but it was that area he said let him down at the U.S. Senior Open, where he missed the cut by one shot after shooting rounds of 72-71 Thursday and Friday for a 3-over total of 143.

Phillips had an uncharacteristic 34 putts in his first round after hitting 14 greens in regulation in the event which concluded Monday at Newport (R.I.) Country Club.

“I didn’t wedge it very good and I didn’t putt and chip very good,” Phillips said.”I really thought I could compete and do pretty well but the short game was just not great.”

Still, the showing completed a run of three major championships this summer for the 61-year-old teaching pro from Tulsa. Phillips qualified for the PGA Championship (missed cut) and the Kitchenaid Senior PGA Championship (tie for 43rd at even par). He also finished tied for eighth in the PGA Professional Championship against hundreds of mostly younger PGA club pros to earn his spot in the PGA Championship.

And despite missing the cut, he enjoyed the week immensely. Billy Andrade, with whom Phillips competed against in junior golf, invited him to a party Tuesday night attended by more than 50 players in the field. There he was able to reestablish his friendship with Ernie Els, with whom Phillips was paired with in the Senior PGA in 2022 when Phillips hit a remarkable recovery shot that Els still raves about.

“We talked about that and playing Valhalla and it was just really neat to see him again, he’s a really good guy,” Phillips said of Els. “And I saw Trip Kuehne and played practice rounds with Glen Day and Gene Sauers. The course was great. I had a great week except for missing the cut, but that’s golf sometimes.”