GLENDALE “”mdash; UCLA junior John Merrick stood on the 18th
green at Oakmont Country Club overlooking a treacherous 12-foot
downhill putt for a closing eagle. The Bruins had already won
the tournament, Merrick was eight shots clear of his closest
challenger, and the engraver had already etched the second
“r” of his last name into the trophy. On a normal day,
the difficult putt slides past the hole.
This was not a normal day for John Merrick.
Merrick’s ball slowly crept down the hill, caught the
cup’s inner lip, made a 360 turn around the hole, and slowly
fell in for a finishing three.
To the serenading screams, including that of “Yea
Johnny!” supplied by teammate Spencer Levin, Merrick removed
his cap and raised his fist in triumph. Merrick had just shot the
“best round of his life” in what was also one of the
most important tournaments of his life.
Hopefully Oakmont Country Club’s record book is kept in
pencil. Merrick broke the course record with a flawless nine-under
par 63, including a 29 on the back nine that left him 10 shots in
front of Stanford’s Jim Seki.
“That was one of the greatest rounds I’ve
seen,” head coach O.D. Vincent said. “Sixty-three is
just phenomenal. He’s been on the cusp all year long of a
round like that.”
“He putted well and he didn’t make mistakes,”
said Arizona’s Ricky Barnes, Merrick’s playing
partner.
“I remember playing with Ricky as a freshman,” said
a smiling Merrick. “He beat me by 10 shots.”
Those who thought Merrick would falter under the pressure of
playing with college golf’s most identifiable player and in
front of the largest gallery on the course were quickly silenced on
the first hole.
At a dogleg left par-5, Merrick faced a long putt for eagle that
would dictate the round’s tone.
“I had an uphill putt, left to right, 30 feet,”
Merrick said. “It went in the middle (of the hole). That
really calmed me down.”
Merrick’s theatrics were just commencing, with more
fireworks to come on the back nine. On the par-4 12th,
Merrick’s approach shot landed within three feet of the hole,
a tap-in birdie to get him to three-under for the day. After
birdies at 14 and 15, Merrick was five under-par for the
championship, heading into the last two holes, both par-5s.
While walking up the 17th fairway comfortably in the lead,
Merrick was greeted by Vincent, who had just one thing to say to
his jubilant junior.
“O.D. just said to finish strong,” Merrick said.
Merrick took the words to heart, chipping in from 40 feet on the
17th and draining a downhill putt on the 18th for the rare
back-to-back eagle.
“It’s overdue,” said Bruin junior John Poucher
of Merrick winning his first individual collegiate title.
“He’s an unbelievable player. I’m so happy for
him.”
“I grew up with Johnny, and he has a world of
talent,” junior Travis Johnson said. “He seems to peak
at the end of the year.”
At least for one Wednesday afternoon, Merrick peaked in every
facet of his game, and was quick to give thanks to the
“Golfing Gods” for a round he’ll never
forget.