Through two rounds, the 38th U.S. Senior Challenge Cup has produced an enormous amount competitive golf. With the Canyon Club in Albuquerque, New Mexico, playing host, the competition, just like the desert temperatures, is heating up.
There may not be a single golfer having more fun this week than 36-hole leader, Randy Haag.
The 64-year-old from California commands a three-shot lead heading into Thursday’s final round. How is he doing it? A combination of a solid game plan, some skill and a pinch of luck.
Even par through his opening nine holes and 1 over for the tournament, Haag turned his game up to 11 when he made the turn. After bombing his drive on the par 4 1st (his 10th hole), Haag came up short with a wedge from 115 yards out. Attributing the shortcoming to the elevation, Haag stayed positive and trusted his sand game, hoping for a chance at a par save.
Catching it perfect, Haag’s bunker shot found the bottom of the hole for birdie.
After saving a handful of clutch pars and adding a couple of birdies to his card, Haag stood on the 9th tee 2 under on the day and looking to cruise into the clubhouse.
“I teed my ball high to launch it over the trees,” Haag told Golfweek. “I hit it hard, but I hit low. It hit the first tree.”
Finding trouble, Haag was unable to find his ball after the ricochet. Just as he was about to call the search off, the group behind Haag found his ball in the fairway of No. 8, saving him from taking a penalty to re-tee.
Thanks to the 80-yard kick left, Haag had a decision to make. With risk protruding everywhere he looked, Haag, decided to trust his go-to 5-wood.
“I said ‘screw it,’” Haag chuckled.
Hitting a high draw, Haag put himself back in play for par. The ninth green at Canyon Club is elevated and features a huge false front. With the pin tucked in the back portion of the green, Haag had a blind shot and was just trying to give himself a chance to get up and down or at worst, a bogey.
What happened next can only be described as pandemonium.
“I nipped it and I saw it kind of jump over the false front and it looked like about the right speed, the right weight, the right line and all of a sudden a marshall behind me is screaming ‘It went in the hole!’”
Just as the ball landed, Haag’s playing partner and good friend Dennis Martin stripped off his shirt, emptied his pockets and began dancing.
“You literally could hit a hundred balls and none of them would go in,” he said.
With the shot…
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