Tracy Phillips, 61, PGA Director of Instruction at Cedar Ridge Country Club (Broken Arrow, Okla.) had one of the best weeks of his golf life two years ago at Harbor Shores, where he stood seventh in the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship after two rounds and eventually tied for 17th. A highlight of his week: He played two rounds with Ernie Els, the four-time major winner who had high praise for Phillips’ game and tenacity.
On Friday, needing a solid round to make his way to the weekend, Phillips was terrific again, shooting 2-under 69 to get back to level par for the tournament, earning his way to the weekend for the fourth time in five KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship starts.
Twice Phillips holed chips – at No. 4 and then again at 5 – to turn what would be difficult up-and-downs for pars into birdies. Through 11 holes, he was 5 under par, and at the 413-yard 12th, he striped his tee shot right down the middle. It was time for another birdie. And then he got hit by some bad luck.
“I didn’t see mud on the ball, but I had a mudder, and it just went straight right into the trees and high grass,” he said. Phillips could barely get a club on his third shot, moving it about 5 feet, and a poor chip led to a double bogey.
“Yeah, middle of the fairway, make a good swing, looked up, and the ball went straight right,” he said. “That was tough.”
He hung in there and finished strong, and now he is around to challenge for Low Senior PGA of America Golf Professional on the weekend. He will start five shots behind Iowa’s Jeff Schmid.
“It’s good to shoot a good one when you have to,” Phillips said.
