Since 1970, Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead and Tom Watson have been the only players 64 and up to make the weekend cut at a PGA Tour tournament.
And Fred Funk.
Say that again?
Asked Fred Funk.
Nicklaus. Winner of 73 Tour events and 18 major championships. Snead. Winner of 82 Tour events and seven majors. Watson. Winner of 39 Tour events and eight majors.
And now Fred Funk. Winner of eight Tour events.
At 64 or older?
Asked Fred Funk.
Yeah.
“Shoot, I didn’t know they were that old and still played a Tour event. I knew Watson had maybe. Wow, that’s pretty good,” Funk said.
Say that again? Watson, Nicklaus and Snead?
Asked Fred Funk.
Yep.
“That’s really good. And then Funk,” Funk said. “You throw that in there, it doesn’t sound right, does it?”
Funk was as humorous as he was historic. He shot a 1-over 72 during Friday’s second round of the Bermuda Championship, one day after shooting a 2-under 69, and is at 1-under overall. Which is good for the weekend at Port Royal Golf Course. Which was better than 83 other – and younger – golfers in the 130-player field before play was suspended Friday due to darkness.
Which is as good as Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead and Tom Watson. Snead is the oldest player to make a Tour cut; he did so at the 1979 PGA Championship at 67 years old. Watson was 65 when he made the cut at the 2015 RBC Heritage, and Nicklaus was 64 when he made the cut at the 2004 Memorial.
“This guy is pretty damn good for an old guy,” said his son, Taylor Funk.
Taylor could (should?) say that for all of his 24 years. He could say that Thursday and Friday, too. They were grouped together for the first time in a Tour event, and Fred said the only reason he entered the Bermuda was because his son was entered.
Fred opened with the 69, Taylor a 73. On Friday, Taylor shot 81. Through 14, his dad was 1-over overall. The weekend cut would likely be somewhere around 1-under.
Fred birdied his 16th hole, the par-5 7th.
On 18, the 383-yard, par-4 9th, Fred hit his approach short. He had about 15 yards to the pin. The ball still had a yard to go to the hole after Fred pitched it before Taylor yelled, “Go!” It did.
Then Taylor did.
He ran in from behind seconds after the ball dropped for the birdie and slapped his dad on his right shoulder with his right hand, the momentum both nearly tackling Fred and knocking off his hat.
“Yeah, he almost killed me,” Fred said. “He horse-collared me, and I wasn’t ready for it.”
“I went the other way, and I was like, I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Taylor said. “He’s very fragile nowadays. No, it was a cool moment to hug him after that. Looked like he was about to cry making the cut again. It was cool.”
