On Friday, baseball Hall of Famer John Smoltz didn't make the cut in golf's U.S. Senior Open championship.
It's the cruel consequence that comes with slogging through an opening round of 85 from Thursday (15-over par).
But let's the accentuate the positives here, on two fronts:
a) The Atlanta Braves icon acquitted himself much better on Day 2 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., carding a respectable 77 and shaving eight strokes off the previous day's misery.
b) For his 36-hole stab at a lifelong dream, Smoltz (+22) ended up being two strokes better than Hall of Fame golfer Hale Irwin (+24), whose career resume includes 83 professional victories and three U.S. Open titles (1974, 1979, 1990).
So, Smoltz has that going for him ... which is nice.
Unlike Thursday, Smoltz's Friday round included two birdies (2nd hole, 12th hole); but similar to Round 1, the Michigan native had to endure a string of bogeys—including four straight to wrap up the front nine.
At a U.S. Open qualifier last month (nearby Planterra Ridge Golf Club in Peachtree City), the ultra-competitive Smoltz won a three-man playoff to clinch his first-ever berth in a major golf tournament.
At age 51, Smoltz could realistically qualify for future U.S. Senior Opens. At this point, he might be scratching the surface on a third career path ... after baseball and broadcasting.
