By Bob Carney
Photos By J.D. Cuban June 15, 2008

We were there for the Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge taping last week and for the editing of the show that will run before Sunday's final round. Here are some impressions of the day, the week, the contest:

1. The score. We called the contest, "What would you shoot?" and for most contestants it became "Can you break 100?" but for a contest based on score, in end the score didn't really matter.

It didn't matter that John Atkinson, 11-handicap at Torrey Pines, did not break 100, not even close. It didn't matter that Tiger was right when he said that even a 10-handicap couldn't do it. It didn't matter that we all got a crash course in just how good tournament professionals are, something we tend forget after we've nutted a five iron.

John Atkinson demonstrated that score is something we aim for, not something we live for, or define ourselves by.

2. The start. I won't forget Ron Read, the jacketed and bow-tied USGA official famous for announcing competitors in the Big Open, introducing first the three celebrities--Timberlake, Romo and Lauer--and each getting polite applause from the gallery of about 500. He then introduces Atkinson to an ovation ten times as loud. Family, Omaha friends, members of his church and supporters from the Lung Cancer Association are out in force. John stripes a drive with hybrid. He's the only one to hit the fairway. The celebs high-five and jostle John and anyone who knows John's story has tears in his eyes. It's John's moment, delivered to him perfectly. The celebrities know who the celebrity is today. What was it Quincy Jones said to all the famous "We Are the World" participants? Check your ego at the door. No such instruction needed here. We're off to a good start.

3. Four great holes. John's bogeys on holes 1, 2, 3 and 4, leaving him tied for the lead, Romo having four-putted the third. Romo says later: "I'm starting to feel a little pressure. I'm thinking, 'Is this guy gonna' beat me?" John's gallery is giddy. Reality sets in soon after. After an interview with NBC's Roger Maltbie, John heads to No. 5, catches the rough on his second shot, can't escape, reaches the green in five and four-putts. His nine is followed quickly by a couple of 8s and a 10. He's 24 over par for nine holes, a 59, and virtually out of the break-100 competition. He looks exhausted. The USGA agrees that John, given his condition, may have a cart if he needs. His brother Kevin also has a folding chair for him if he wants. John will have none of it. He forges ahead to the back nine.

4. The caddies. It's fascinating to watch Bob Rotella, the game's leading sport psychologist, Greg Norman, the former no. 1 player in the world, and Butch Harmon, the country's leading teacher, on the bags for Atkinson, Lauer and Timberlake. They're businesslike, taking the challenge personally, like jockeys coaxing and cajoling their horses to the barn. (Though I must say, they didn't rake all of their bunkers). Unexpectedly to most of us cynics, two of their players--Lauer and Timberlake--are in contention to break 100 mid-way through the back nine, and one hears that Harmon has gone to the whip, telling Timberlake, whose handicap has been as low as 3, but who is 24 over after 14 holes, to "get focused and play golf." Timberlake grinds out a bogey, bogey, bogey, par finish to break 100 by two.

5. Timberlake. No one had more fun or was more into this event than Justin Timberlake, the first to arrive for practice early in the week, the only one of three "average" golfers to break 100. He loves the game like we do. His swing is technically sound if a bit formal, especially on short shots. To secure a sub-100 score, he faced the shot we all fear most, an approach to 18 from about 100 yards over the corner of the pond fronting the green. Not a problem. He makes sure to keep his official scorecard, done exactly as the competitors in the Open. Would he do it again next year, someone asks. "Sign me up!" A staff member from the USGA suggests to Craig Bestrom, our man with the celebs, that it would be wonderful to have Justin's black hat for the Far Hills museum. Craig asks Justin. "I'll send it next week." Lauer sinks a 20-foot, downhill put on the final hole and members of the gallery are asking one another it's for birdie (99) or par (100). Alas, it's the higher number. Lauer says later his biggest disappointment is that he didn't deliver for Norman.