GD U.S. Open Challenge
We Have A Winner!
For a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan who's come to view any glass mostly empty, it's a win as rewarding as any World Series triumph. Phoenix police lieutenant Larry Giebelhausen received nearly 30 percent of 109,712 votes in the Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge to earn a chance to play Bethpage Black the Friday before the Open -- and, with fellow amateurs Michael Jordan, Ben Roethlisberger and Justin Timberlake, attempt to show that an "average golfer" can break 100 on the brutal Open setup.
Giebelhausen finished with 32,830 votes, followed by Philadelphia emergency room doctor Philippe de Kerillis with 31,524 votes (almost 29 percent), Maryland Fire Chief Bob Ray with 25,836 votes, and McLean, Va., internist Dr. Dale Matthews with 19,522 votes. Voting concluded at 11:59 p.m. Friday.
Giebelhausen will represent 73,581 contestants who submitted six-word "essays" in the second year of the Challenge. His six: "I'm a cop. I'll shoot low."
- THE WINNER: LARRY GIEBELHAUSEN
FRIENDS CALL ME: Larry
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 5-10/160
BORN: 5-13-50, Chicago
RESIDENCE: Scottsdale
FAMILY: Fiancee, Lynn; two grandsons, 92-year-old mother, six siblings
EDUCATION: B.A., Police Administration, Ottawa University (Phoenix)
OCCUPATION: Police lieutenant
DREAM JOB: Pebble Beach golf instructor
HANDICAP INDEX: 8.0 (estimated)
HOME COURSE: Arizona public courses
ONE COURSE FOR LIFE: Pebble Beach G.L.
TIGER OR PHIL: Phil (Cubs fan roots for the underdog)
BEST ROUND: 68, Camelback G.C. (Padre)
WORST ROUND: 95, Desert Mountain (Chiricahua)
HOLES-IN-ONE: Unfortunately... zero
MY FOURSOME: Tiger, Phil and my 12-year-old grandson, Nicholas
MOST EMBARRASSING GOLF MOMENT: Flipped a golf cart on a wet slope 35 years ago in Hawaii, sending me and my brother flying
THE U.S. OPEN IS ... the ultimate contest of man versus the toughest test in golfONE CALM, COOL, COLLECTED COP
After 29 years of Lake Michigan winters, Chicago street cop Larry Giebelhausen escaped to Arizona and replaced his first love, baseball, with a new passion, golf. That was about 30 years ago. Now Lt. Giebelhausen, 58, melds a Clint Eastwood temperament with competitive family juices -- he's the youngest of five Giebelhausen brothers -- to "shoot low," usually in the 80s, on public and resort courses in Scottsdale and Phoenix. He still loves nassaus against his brothers, but his fiercest competitor and favorite partner is grandson Nicholas, 12. When Nick finally beats him, Larry says, "It will make my day."
- DALE MATTHEWS
FRIENDS CALL ME: Dale
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-1/195
BORN: 1-12-54, Philadelphia
RESIDENCE: McLean, Va.
FAMILY: Wife, Demetra; daughter, Karen Matthews Goodman (24); son, Louis (22)
EDUCATION: B.A., Romance Languages, Princeton; M.D., Duke
OCCUPATION: Physician, internal medicine
DREAM JOB: New York Yankees broadcaster
HANDICAP INDEX: 4.1
HOME COURSE: Hidden Creek C.C., Reston, Va.
ONE COURSE FOR LIFE: Turnberry (Ailsa)
TIGER OR PHIL: Phil. I love the inconsistency
BEST ROUND: 71 at Hidden Creek, with an eagle from the fairway
WORST ROUND: 3 up with four to play in my flight of the club championship, I lost the final four holes to lose, 1 down
HOLES-IN-ONE: Only one, in Fargo, N.D.
MY FOURSOME: Arnold Palmer, Byron Nelson, Bobby Jones
MOST EMBARRASSING GOLF MOMENT: See worst round
THE U.S. OPEN IS ... the greatest challenge in sports; ultimate test of skill, character and perseverance
D.C. INTERNIST SAYS 'KEEP THE FAITH'
You know Dale Matthews. He's the nice guy, full of fun stories, who birdies the last hole to beat you in the member-guest. "Hey, great game. Good luck in the next one." Grandson of a minister and son of a physician, Matthews, 55, is an expert on doctor-patient relations and the role of faith in medicine. His expertise -- and his love of golf -- got him through the loss of his brother, with whom he shared a memorable final round in Scotland. Dale has appeared on "Oprah," sung with The Drifters and written a book. Two dreams remain: broadcast a Yankees game and play in the Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge.
- BOB RAY
FRIENDS CALL ME: Bob
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-4/200
BORN: 2-4-56, Baltimore
RESIDENCE: Arnold, Md.
FAMILY: Wife, Bridget; stepchildren Colin (25) and Kate (25); daughter, Annie (15)
EDUCATION: B.S., Fire Science, University of Maryland University College
OCCUPATION: Fire chief
DREAM JOB: I have it!
HANDICAP INDEX: 7.9
HOME COURSE: Bay Hills G.C., Arnold, Md.
ONE COURSE FOR LIFE: Woodholme C.C.
TIGER OR PHIL: Tiger -- the total package
BEST ROUND: 68 at Bay Hills several years ago when I was carrying a 4-handicap
WORST ROUND: I'm sure it was in my younger years, when I played less seriously
HOLES-IN-ONE: Very close, but none yet
MY FOURSOME: My daughter, my dad and my father-in-law
MOST EMBARRASSING GOLF MOMENT: Bouncing one of my shots off the roof of a golf cart in front of observers during a tournament
THE U.S. OPEN IS ... the most challenging test of golf on the planet
A FIRE CHIEF WHO'S A FATHER FIRST
Fire Chief John Robert (Bob) Ray, 53, loves to talk about his kids, including his stepson, Colin, a Navy SEAL in San Diego; his stepdaughter, Kate, who just climbed Mount Kilimanjaro; and his daughter, Annie, 15, who captains the boys golf team at her Annapolis, Md., high school. The Rays live on a course and are a formidable father-daughter team. Eventually, Bob might mention that he commands 830 firefighters and 500 volunteers for Anne Arundel County or that a boot-camp trainer dared to ask, "You're never going to rattle, are you?" No way, the chief says. "You want me on your team."
- PHILIPPE DE KERILLIS
FRIENDS CALL ME: Dr. Phil or Frog
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-0/170
BORN: 12-26-69, Southampton, N.Y.
RESIDENCE: Erdenheim, Pa. (near Philly)
FAMILY: Wife, Frith; daughters Charlotte (8) and Gretchen (5)
EDUCATION: B.S., Biology, Clarkson; D.O., New York College of Osteopathic Medicine
OCCUPATION: Emergency medicine physician
DREAM JOB: Building computers
HANDICAP INDEX: 7.6
HOME COURSE: Manufacturers' G.&C.C., Fort Washington, Pa.
ONE COURSE FOR LIFE: National Golf Links of America
TIGER OR PHIL: Definitely Tiger
BEST ROUND: 76 at my home course
WORST ROUND: Same round. Three doubles and a bogey in the last four holes
HOLES-IN-ONE: Close, but no cigar
MY FOURSOME: Anyone whose wife lets them out of the house to play
MOST EMBARRASSING GOLF MOMENT: Jumping into poison ivy while hiding from a greenkeeper who was chasing me
THE U.S. OPEN IS ... the only major I've been lucky enough to see in person
LONG ISLAND CADDIE TURNS TO MEDICINE
Caddies can save rounds, but lives? Philippe de Kerillis grew up on Long Island and played some at Bethpage. He caddied as a kid at the National Golf Links of America, interned in the Bronx and practices near Philly as a trauma doc in the emergency room. Philippe lost his dad at age 7 and was raised by his mother, who's deaf. Golf is his escape from the nonstop stress of the ER, and playing in the Challenge would provide a memory for his family. "My biggest fear in life has always been to not be around for my daughters," says Philippe. "To be, sort of, immortalized on TV so they could always go back and see ... "
