Crooked Stick’s length will test golfers at U.S. Senior Open

CARMEL, Ind. (AP) — Fuzzy Zoeller recites his winning philosophy like it’s on speed dial.

Or perhaps he just remembers Crooked Stick’s history.

The 1979 Masters winner contends it will take someone who can hit long, accurate drives and repeatedly find the proper placements on these sloping greens to win this year’s U.S. Senior Open title. Someone like John Daly, who zoomed into the spotlight with his grip-it-and-rip-it strategy at the 1991 PGA Championship here. Someone like big-hitting 17-year-old Maria Uribe, who won the 2007 U.S. Women’s Amateur here.

Now, the senior tour is looking to add another chapter on the longest course in Senior Open history at 7,316 yards.

“The only thing that scared me was when [course designer] Pete Dye got up and said he had stretched the golf course out to 7,306 or something,” Zoeller said. “I had to speak right after him and I said, ‘Oh, Pete, Pete, you’re losing the fact that we’re over 50 years old. We’re trying to bring it back to us so we can have some fun.’ ”

The USGA didn’t do Zoeller and the other 155 players expected to start today’s first round any favors like shortening the course. It could be argued that it wouldn’t have been necessary, especially after 59-year-old Tom Watson nearly beat the youngsters at the British Open two weeks ago.

The bad news: 7,316 yards could be the short end.

With forecasters calling for rain into the afternoon, weather could certainly make the course play longer. Zoeller, a local favorite who lives about 120 miles away, noted that his second practice round Tuesday, in warmer conditions than Monday, seemed to shorten things up just a bit.

Who will contend?

Defending champion Eduardo Romero of Argentina survived a tough back nine last year and returns with more knowledge about coping with nerves on Sunday afternoons. He ranks seventh on the tour this season with an average drive of 288.4 yards, a number that could keep him near the top of the leaderboard this weekend.

“I think it’s very important, very important to have a few extra yards this week,” Romero said. “But I think the course is a fantastic course from the tee to the green.”