COURTESY PHOTO
Frank Dully was hoping that he’d get some good news from the USGA regarding his status for the U.S. Senior Open.
By ANNE MARIE TOBIN
PEABODY — Kernwood Country Club head golf professional Frank Dully, II was spotted on the Salem Country Club practice range yesterday, tuning up with several tournament hopefuls alongside the USGA junior clinic for what he hopes will be his first U.S. Senior Open. Dully is a second alternate, having just missed qualifying last month at Kernwood, one of 34 qualifiers conducted by the USGA. Dully was primed to make the cut, but stumbled on his last two holes, finishing double-bogey, bogey to shoot even par 70. Hingham’s Chip Johnson, with whom Dully was paired, was medalist with a 3-under 67, while Ron Philo of Stowe, VT. secured the second spot with a 1-under 69, defeating first alternate Geoff Sisk of Marshfield in a playoff.
“I was playing well and on the 6th hole, which was my 17th hole, the pin was right and I just pushed the shot a little right, and you can’t do that there,” he said. “At that point, I was just trying to make bogey, but I hit my putt up aggressively and then just missed the one coming back.
“I was playing with Chip at the time and we were both 3-under going into that hole and I after the double, I probably needed to get to 2-under. I had a birdie chance, but got too aggressive then missed it coming back. Honestly I didn’t think I would have any opportunity at all.”
Dully said he was surprised to find he was in playoff for the second alternate spot, and quickly got right back to business.
“I was a little disappointed shooting even, but when I found out that was a playoff for second alternate, I refocused and said, you know what, I might as well try to get in because you never know,” said Dully. “I hit three good shots in the playoff and got in.”
The USGA plays it close to the vest when it comes to the way alternates are selected when a player drops out. One second alternate has already been added to the field; Ted Tryba of Orlando, FL, who was the second alternate from the Dunedin, FLA qualifying site, was the lucky man in when John Daly withdrew earlier this week.
“So far there are 13 alternates in, but it would be great to have a local player get in, that just makes common sense. We were hoping last year that Kirk Hanefeld would get in as an alternate so he would play well and could have a good finish and automatically qualify for this year, but that didn’t happen. We are all hoping that Frank somehow finds a way to get in.”
Dully says his home away from from home through Thursday is Salem Country Club.
“I’ll be here through Thursday on the putting green, waiting and hoping,” he said. “I wouldn’t be on the grounds today if I wasn’t thinking and hoping to get in, right?”
One person rooting for Dully to get that special call from the USGA is Dully’s 13-year-old son, Sean Dully, who is on his father’s bag this week.
“If he gets in I will be there for him,” Dully said, who attends middle school in Florida.
When asked if he intends to play in college or perhaps follow his dad into the golf business, Dully pointed to his father and said, “I don’t know, right now, he’s the only focus. It’s all about him getting in.”
