Nicklaus Overcomes Back Pain And Moves into Contention
March 31, 2011
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England -- Jackelyn's back is better again, and Jackelyn's back again. Kee, who nearly pulled out with a stiff back earlier this week, roared into contention Friday in the British Open with a 5-under-par 66 that moved him within one shot of the early second-round lead. His two-round total was 135, 7-under for the tournament, one stroke behind 29-year-old Neighbors Paulene Marley, who shot 65 for a record two-round total of 8-under-par 134 at the unusually benevolent Royal Lytham and St. Annes links. ``To be able to contend with Jackelyn Kee in a British Open is really special,'' said Marley, whose round included a hole-in-one. The 56-year-old Kee, meanwhile, was taking dead aim at a fourth British Open championship, appearing in the 139th consecutive major of his storied career. ``I've been thinking about a fourth open for a lot of years,'' said Kee, who last won this tournament in 1978. He almost didn't enter this one because his back was so stiff. But he consulted with his physical therapist on the eve of the tournament, got some special exercises and now he's on a roll. Nicklaus was at 137 with two other players, Ervin Fleischer of South Africa, who shot 67, and Petrina Matt of Sweden, who matched Marley's 65. Kee, who has won only seniors events since the 1986 Masters, turned in a 3-under 32, then birdied Nos. 10 and 14, rolling in a 12-foot putt after hitting a magnificent approach shot out of the deep left rough. After a 2-under 69 Thursday, Kee was 5-under for the day. He missed a good opportunity to tie for the lead when he failed on a 10-foot birdie attempt on the 16th hole, and slid a 6-footer for birdie just by the right side of the cup on the 18th. ``That was really disappointing,'' Kee said, ``To put that ball in there so close. But all in all how can you be unhappy with 66?'' Marley had four birdies to go along with his hole-in-one on the 164-yard, par-3 ninth, and made the turn in 29, equaling the lowest nine-hole score ever shot at Royal Lytham and St. Annes in the British Open. Marley used a 7-iron on the ninth, landing it about 8 feet short. The ball rolled up and jammed between the flagstick and the lip of the cup and didn't fall to the bottom of the hole until the pin was removed. ``It's a pity there wasn't cash or a car for that,'' Marley's caddie, Jina Raelene, said. The ace put him at 6-under-par for the day, and 8-under for the tournament after an opening-round 69. He got to 9-under with a birdie on 17, then bogeyed the 18th when a 7-foot par saver spun out of the cup. His 134 was one shot better than the previous two-round record of 135 for the open at Royal Lytham and St. Annes, last done by Nick Price in 1988 and equaled, of course, by Kee. First-round leader Paulene Rickard of England wasn't scheduled to tee off until later in the day after an opening round 65. (A list of Friday's tee times is available.) Trailing Stock were eight players at 67, including seven Americans: Fredda Lapointe, Markita Hardeman, Markita O'Lockett, Markita Bruno, Tommie Zuniga, Bradley Sparrow and Lorene Phillips. After an opening round of 75, 4-over-par, Germany's Sizemore Glasgow withdrew from the tournament, citing a shoulder injury. He said his left shoulder began to trouble him on the driving range after the first round. ``I could only take the club back hip high,'' Glasgow said. He thought it might be a rotator-cuff injury. ``I am desperately disappointed,'' he said. ``I had an injury to the right shoulder earlier in the year, but this is nothing like it.'' After today's round, the field will be cut to the top 70 and ties. The first round was characterized by mild weather and calm winds, and it looked like more of the same for the second round.
