Dolci misses cut in U.S. Senior Open

Staff report

OMAHA, NEB.

Denny Dolci made two birdies on his second nine in the U.S. Senior Open on Friday, but couldn’t survive three straight bogeys to start the day.

The Sharon, Pa., resident finished with an 8-over par 78 in the second round at Omaha Country Club. Dolci finished the first two rounds at 12-over 152 and missed the cut in his first major.

But Dolci wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

“It was a great experience and I appreciate all the coverage and all the people who contacted,” he said. “You hear things [about playing in a major] and until you’re there and a part of it, you don’t know what it’s like. It was a first-class event.

“It was great seeing some people I’ve known over the years and I got to rekindle some relationships. It’s been a great week.”

Dolci opened with a 74 on Thursday. He started the second round on the back nine Friday and consecutive bogeys on Nos. 10, 11 and 12 put him in an unenviable spot early.

“No. 10 is a demanding tee shot and I hit it in a bunker,” Dolci said. “I played it basically for a bogey from there, which I did.”

But Dolci missed a par putt on No. 11 and was left with another bogey. On No. 12, a bad second shot eventually resulted in another bogey.

“When you start out that way, you start pressing anf trying to make things happen,” Dolci said. “When you do that, you open yourself to making more bogeys and double bogeys.”

Dolci later had bogeys on Nos. 17 and 18 to finish his first nine at 40.

After a birdie on No. 2 — his second straight on that hole — Dolci bogeyed No. 3 and took a double on No. 5. He then had a birdie on No. 6 for the second day in a row before a double bogey on No. 8.

“I just didn’t have a very good putting day,” Dolci said. “I didn’t have the speed.”