After enduring a cross-country dash from San Francisco a day earlier upon learning of his inclusion in the starting field of the 102nd Open, Casas immediately went to the course and found Woods among the world’s top pros at the height of a Tuesday practice round.
" Binati niya ako. Naala niya na nakalaro ko siya sa Manila ( He greeted me. He remembered playing with me in Manila)," said Casas referring to the Smart Mimosa Tiger Challenge three years ago at the Mimosa course where he played with the Masters champ.
Casas will make a historic appearance when he tees off at 1:05 p.m. in the first round on Thursday (Friday in Manila) as he will be the very first Filipino to play in the Open, one of the world’s four Majors.
" I’m excited to play. This is a rare chance for me, sana ipagdasal ako ng ating mga kababayan ( I hope our countrymen will pray for me)," said Casas in a mobile phone call to Boy Blue Ocampo, operations tour manager for Asia of img.
The 35-year old big hitter, brandishing a new swing and a confidence boosted no end by a successful bid in the sectional qualifier in San Francisco, shared the sentiment of some of the world’s ranking pros that Bethpage Black Course is the toughest venue for an Open.
Casas paced the course and tested the putting surface of the 7,214-yard, par 70 venue in his first practice round.
"Mahahaba at makikitid ang fairways. (The fairways are long and narrow). I didn’t keep score but I think four-over par will make the cut," said Casas.
Another pro from the Asian PGA-Davidoff Tour, Jeev Milkha Singh said the Black Course offers an extreme test of golf that level par in four days may be good enough to win the title.
" Apart from the length and the fact that there are only two par fives which would restrict scoring opportunities, the entire setup is difficult. The fairways have been narrowed down and the rough is extremely thick," he said.
The course is barely an hour’s drive from the ruins of the World Trade Center and many Open volunteers are police and firefighters who dealt with the September 11 terrorist attack. — Lito A. Tacujan with reports from AFP