Golden opportunity: Tom Sipula qualified, made cut at 1998 U.S. Open

It was a pretty special time in the life of Tom Sipula 25 years ago this week.

Sipula, a 1988 Ottawa High School graduate and standout golfer, was hitting tee shots and sinking putts at the 98th U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

“It was a very hilly course; very little water, and the trees had a prehistoric look to them. ... It’s nothing like any course here in the Midwest,” Siupla said. “The rough was nasty and tall, and you didn’t really have too many flat lies. You don’t get lucky much on those types of courses, you have to keep the ball in the fairways and greens.”

The former Pirate was a two-time individual state medalist, finishing second as a junior and ninth as a senior. He was then a member of the 1989 and 1992 Missouri Valley Conference Championship teams at Illinois State University, claiming the individual championship in 1992. A three-time winner of the D.A. Weibring Medalist Award as team MVP, Sipula went on to be the 1999 Illinois PGA Player of the Year, winner of the 2003 National PGA Stroke Play and the 2007 National PGA Match Play Championships.

He was inducted into the Illinois State University Hall of Fame in 2013.

Sipula was working as an assistant professional at Aurora Country Club when he qualified for the 1993 U.S. Open held at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey. He said he played well but came up one shot short of making the cut for the final two rounds.

In 1998 he earned a tour card for the Canadian Tour. He also entered a U.S. Open sectional qualifier and earned one of the two qualifying spots.

After a tournament in Calgary, he arrived in the Bay City and played a number of practice rounds in preparation, including one that his group played in between groups that included second-year pro Tiger Woods and long-hitting John Daly.

Before Thursday’s opening round, Siplua took his spot on the driving range.

“I was warming up between Daly and Woods,” Sipula said. “While that was a great opportunity, I found you have to get dialed in to your own little world, tune out the distractions and not be in awe of those around you. You have to act like you’ve been there before. To be honest, it wasn’t that I felt intimidated by the situation, but more uplifted, feeling like I was better than I really was.”

“Looking back on the time, what great memories I have of having the chance to play on some of the best golf courses out there ... It’s all good stuff,”

—  Tom Sipula, who played, made the cut for the 1998 U.S. Open Championship

Sipula carded what he said was a somewhat disappointing 75 in the opening round but put together a solid 71 on Friday.

“I had grinded my way through the opening nine holes, but then struggled at the end of the first round with a couple of bogeys on the back nine, so I was a little deflated,” Sipula said. “In the second round, I was able to chip in for an eagle on the par-4 No. 7 and then just played steady with pars the rest of the way.”

He said he knew he was in good shape to make the cut that had eluded him five years earlier. But it wasn’t until the final golfers had finished that he knew for sure.

But there was more excitement to come.

“After I had gotten back to my hotel and watched some of the highlights on the television, I called in to get my tee time for Saturday,” Sipula said. “The lady told me my tee time, and I then asked who I’d be playing with. All she said was, ‘You’re playing with Jack.’ It was pretty cool.”

Being paired with four-time U.S. Open champion Jack Nicklaus would be a dream for any golfer. Sipula shot a 78, while the Golden Bear scored a 73.

“To have the opportunity to spend some time with someone that has had the amount of success as he had and in that sort of venue is something you dream about,” Sipula said. “Once you’ve teed the ball up with Jack Nicklaus at a U.S. Open, you kind of feel like you can play with anyone. I didn’t play as well as I would have liked to that day, but after flying in from Calgary, playing four practice rounds, and then the two opening rounds, it all started to add up. Not an excuse, but I was pretty exhausted.”

In the final round, Sipula played with Mark O’Meara, who won both the Masters Tournament and British Open championships in 1998 and was the PGA Player of the Year. Sipula finished with an 81 for the round and 305 for the tournament.

Lee Janzen won the championship with an even-par 280, one shot ahead of Payne Stewart.

Sipula has been general manager and director of golf at St. Clair Country Club in Belleville – 15 minutes southeast of the Arch in St. Louis – for the past six years after spending seven years as the club’s golf professional. Before that he was the golf pro at Edgewood Country Club in Riverdale, New Jersey, for 10 years.

“Looking back on the time, what great memories I have of having the chance to play on some of the best golf courses out there. ... It’s all good stuff,” Sipula said. “I teach younger kids, including my 11-year-old son, and I’m always hoping that one day they can have some of the opportunity I have had through the game of golf.”