12/25/2006

Hebert continues Open dominance

His 6 Michigan Open wins are tied for the most ever

BY JEFF PEEK

jpeek@record-eagle.com

Record-Eagle/Douglas Tesner
Scott Hebert has virtually owned The Bear, winning his sixth Michigan Open title at the Grand Traverse Resort course.

TRAVERSE CITY — No matter what Scott Hebert accomplishes in the future, history will remember him as one of the greatest golfers in Michigan Open history.

The numbers don't lie.

Hebert, 37, won his sixth Open title in June, moving him one ahead of former PGA Tour player Randy Erskine and tying him with two-time Ryder Cup player Al Watrous for the most ever.

Watrous needed 23 years to win six crowns. Hebert won his six in a 10-year span.

Hebert, who became head professional at Grand Traverse Resort less than a week before the 2006 tournament began, said in June that "it hasn't really sunk in yet.”

And it still hasn't.

"Maybe when I get older and I look back I'll be able to reflect on it more,” Hebert said recently. "You never know when it's your last one. Hopefully there's at least one more out there so I can get free and clear (of Watrous).”

Erskine said in June that he thought Hebert may have several more Open titles in his future, considering Hebert won the first five on The Bear before he was head pro there. Now Hebert will be able to play the course on a regular basis.

"I don't see anything stopping him,” Erskine said at the time.

Hebert, whose 12-under par 275 in the 2006 Open was four strokes better than Brian Stuard of Jackson, isn't taking anything for granted, however.

"Good golfers come out of college every year. They're younger, stronger,” Hebert said. "There's a common consensus that golfers kind of peak when they're 36. I'm 37, so I'm on the downward slide.

"They (the Michigan PGA) have opened the tournament to more players, so it will keep getting more competitive,” he added. "Plus, there will come a time in the not-too-distant future when my son (2-year-old J.P.) will want to kick the soccer ball around or play catch with the baseball — and I'll be on the other side kicking it or throwing it back.”

It's hard to fathom Hebert not being in contention for a Michigan Open title, however, no matter how much — or little — practice time he is able to secure.

Hebert shot a 6-over-par 294 and finished 11th in his first Open in 1995. He is a combined 100-under par in the 11 Open tournaments since. And he has never finished lower than fourth.

In a seven-tournament stretch between 1996 and 2002, Hebert won five championships and finished second twice.

No one has played The Bear better on a consistent basis. Hebert said the course just suits his game.

"It's a good all-around test of golf,” he said. "You can't overpower it. Hitting it a million miles isn't as much of an advantage on The Bear as it is on other courses.

"You have to control the ball to do well,” he said. "The guys who have played well here — like Jeff Roth and Steve Brady — are good ball strikers but not overpoweringly long.

"You have to make shots. When I finish a round of golf here, I've hit pretty much every club in my bag, from sand wedge to 2-iron and all my woods. If you have a weakness, The Bear will expose it.”

So far, Hebert has the upper hand.

Lefty skips par-three shootout: During the same week that the Michigan Open was played on The Bear, the popular Par-3 Shootout was held 60 miles away at Treetops Resort in Gaylord.

One notable Par-3 regular was noticeably absent: Phil Mickelson.

Mickelson pulled out of the event just days before it was set to begin, saying he couldn't even pretend to have fun after he suffered double-bogey on the last hole at the U.S. Open the weekend before and lost to Geoff Ogilvy.

It was the first time that Mickelson didn't play in the event, which was in its eighth year.

"(The Par-3 Shootout) is always about having fun, and I didn't think it was fair to the event to act like I could have a lot of fun right now,” said Mickelson, who is part owner of Treetops with friend and swing coach Rick Smith.

Chris DiMarco replaced Mickelson in the tournament and tied Craig Stadler for second place at $110,000. Fred Couples won the title with $300,000 in skins.