Black bear plays through at U.S. Senior Open
| A black bear makes his way across the 13th fairway during the second round of the U.S. Senior Open on Friday. Nobody was harmed, and neither was the bear. |
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The Broadmoor’s East Course was quite a bear Friday, August 1, 2008. Jack
Nicklaus, the "Golden Bear," isn't at the U.S. Senior Open, so a black bear will have to do.
Stealing the show, however, was a black bear that ambled out of the mountains in the morning and crossed the
13th fairway before checking out spectators outside the ropes.
Nobody was harmed, and neither
was the bear.
“(Jack) Nicklaus isn’t here, so I
guess that’s a substitute,” cracked
Funk.
Although tournament officials were prepared
to tranquilize the animal and stop play were
it to become aggressive or spooked, after
several minutes the bear crawled through a
drainage pipe on the ninth hole that leads to
the West Course, then went through another
drainage pipe and into the wilderness,
leaving unnerved galleries and golfers
behind.
USGA spokesman Pete Kowalski said wildlife experts were called in and would be on the course throughout the
rest of the tournament in case the bear or its chums decide to return for another look around.
The course, carved into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, serves as host to all kinds of critters, including
bobcats, coyotes, deer, mountain lions, red foxes, snakes and turkeys.
But a bear?
That was a new one even for these grizzled veterans, many of whom played with Nicklaus, the “Golden Bear”
who menaced his share of golfers over the years.
Funk said he heard tournament officials talking about possibly having to halt play “because it would be pretty
scary if it got a little panicky and some spectator or some of the golfers were too close — that wouldn’t have
been an issue if a caddie had gotten too close.”
Aside from the bear, a few deer and red-tailed foxes were spotted Friday.
“You don’t get that every week,” Cook said.
Nicklaus, the "Golden Bear," isn't at the U.S. Senior Open, so a black bear will have to do.
Stealing the show, however, was a black bear that ambled out of the mountains in the morning and crossed the
13th fairway before checking out spectators outside the ropes.
Nobody was harmed, and neither
was the bear.
“(Jack) Nicklaus isn’t here, so I
guess that’s a substitute,” cracked
Funk.
Although tournament officials were prepared
to tranquilize the animal and stop play were
it to become aggressive or spooked, after
several minutes the bear crawled through a
drainage pipe on the ninth hole that leads to
the West Course, then went through another
drainage pipe and into the wilderness,
leaving unnerved galleries and golfers
behind.
USGA spokesman Pete Kowalski said wildlife experts were called in and would be on the course throughout the
rest of the tournament in case the bear or its chums decide to return for another look around.
The course, carved into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, serves as host to all kinds of critters, including
bobcats, coyotes, deer, mountain lions, red foxes, snakes and turkeys.
But a bear?
That was a new one even for these grizzled veterans, many of whom played with Nicklaus, the “Golden Bear”
who menaced his share of golfers over the years.
Funk said he heard tournament officials talking about possibly having to halt play “because it would be pretty
scary if it got a little panicky and some spectator or some of the golfers were too close — that wouldn’t have
been an issue if a caddie had gotten too close.”
Aside from the bear, a few deer and red-tailed foxes were spotted Friday.
“You don’t get that every week,” Cook said.
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