Golf:

Clearing out both my mind and my hard drive, here are some happenings going on in local golf.

After all the e-mails I received calling me a knucklehead for saying part-time Corona del Mar resident Tiger Woods would win the U.S. Open by four strokes, I believe I have a small defense in my pick.

First of all, Woods was hampered by bad luck in his draw. When he played the first round the conditions were incredibly bad and that put him at a disadvantage. The morning groups had to face weather that ultimately suspended play. The afternoon groups played in much more ideal conditions the following day.

Woods never did get into a rhythm with the all the stops and starts and it ultimately hurt him. Granted his putter wasn’t working and I think his tournament was over when he missed that three-foot putt in the second round.

I can’t remember the last time I ever saw him miss a putt that short in a major championship.

 It was nice to see former Newport Beach resident Steve Conway get into the U.S. Open.

It is often rare for an alternate to get into the nation’s championship. Most qualifiers will play in the event even if their arm is falling off.

Conway learned of his good fortune the day before his tee time. Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark had an ear infection and couldn’t fly, so had to withdraw and Conway was more than eager to take his place.

The former Santa Margarita High and UCLA standout has been playing in mini tours trying to latch on to the PGA Tour for the past few years.

I would have liked to have seen what the 27-year-old could have done in better conditions at Bethpage Black. He shot a one-under 69 the second day, but couldn’t overcome the 80 he shot the first round and missed the cut by five strokes.

Conway, who now lives in Murrieta, is living his dream, though I am sure he thought he would be on tour by now. I believe he has the talent to make the PGA Tour and his 69 in the Open hopefully gives him some more confidence. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him playing full time on either the Nationwide or the PGA Tour next year.

 I was sad to see that Mesa Verde County Club’s longtime bartender Vincent Hannan passed away recently.

He was a physically intimidating man and had a caustic demeanor but it was all a big act. Hannan was one of the nicest men I had ever met.

When I was working on Mesa Verde’s 50th anniversary book, I would spend long hours in the men’s grill room where Hannan worked.

I used to love to watch him facetiously argue with a member, or pretend to get mad when he was beaten in cards and then storm out to the outside for a cigarette break. There I often found him feeding the squirrels that hung around, almost anticipating his arrival.

He was a native New Yorker, lived in Staten Island for some time and when I told him I had an interest in living there part time he talked to me about the area. He also was invaluable with information about living in a mobile home at the beach. When I was in the process of buying mine, Hannan had lived for sometime in one in Huntington Beach and gave me a lot of useful advice.

I appreciated his quick wit and used to love how he interacted with the members. He made my work on the book a lot easier and it was a pleasure to have met him. I was touched to see the club was planning a memorial for the 14-year employee.

 How many of you are taking advantage of the summer daylight hours? I recently played Newport Beach Golf Course and truly believe that executive golf courses are a great way to hone your short game.