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Kaymer still has plenty of work ahead at US Open

By WTOP Staff

DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer

PINEHURST, N.C. (AP) — Too bad the Fox Sports contract to televise the U.S. Open doesn’t start until next year. Greg Norman would probably have a lot to say about the difficulty of playing with a big lead on the weekend at a major championship.

Norman, who will be the network’s golf analyst, famously lost a six-shot lead in the final round of the 1996 Masters. Ten years earlier, he lost a four-shot lead in the PGA Championship at Inverness.

Martin Kaymer still has 36 holes to go at Pinehurst No. 2.

The 29-year-old German thus far has played like a “finely tuned engineer,” a description Darren Clarke used for him when Kaymer won The Players Championship last month. Going into the third round Saturday, he has made 11 birdies and, more importantly, has not made a bogey in 29 holes.

That adds to a 10-under 130 — a 36-hole record at the U.S. Open. His six-shot lead over Brendon Todd tied the U.S. Open record for largest 36-hole leads with Tiger Woods (Pebble Beach in 2000) and Rory McIlroy (Congressional in 2011). Both went on to win in record fashion.

Does the strategy change? Does he start the third round as if he has no lead at all, or does he play conservatively to avoid big numbers?

McIlroy offered advice from his own experience.

He had a four-shot lead going into the final round of the 2011 Masters, played defensively and wound up with an 80. The collapse might have been even more memorable except that Boy Wonder turned out to be a quick study. Two months later, he had a six-shot lead going into the weekend at the U.S. Open, expanded that margin to eight shots on Saturday, and never let anyone get close the rest of the way.

“You need that mentality that you’re not trying to protect,” McIlroy said Friday night after a 68 put him nine shots behind. “You’re not happy with six. You want to get to seven, you want to get to eight. And I learned that at the Masters, the previous major before Congressional. If you get too defensive, it’s detrimental. So he has to just keep hitting to his spots, being aggressive.

“And if he does that shoots a couple of 70s over the weekend, I don’t think anyone is going to catch him.”

The 67 players who made the cut at Pinehurst would love to be in Kaymer’s position. That’s not to say Kaymer has smooth sailing ahead of him. From a public perception, all he can do from here is lose, and it’s hard to block that out.

Kaymer made quick work of Pinehurst over two days. The last two days will feel a lot longer.

Phil Mickelson made reference to Gil Morgan, the first player to reach double digits under par in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 1992. He finished eight shots behind. Then again, Mickelson said Pinehurst No. 2 is different from Pebble Beach, just as Kaymer — a major champion and former world No. 1 — is not Morgan.

“There’s opportunity to salvage par if your game is off,” Mickelson said. “And his game is on.”

Woods (12 under) and McIlroy (16 under) are the only players to win a U.S. Open at double digits under par. That’s not likely to happen at Pinehurst.

“No one else is going to get to 10 under. That’s a fact,” Graeme McDowell said. “Martin, to me, he’s in control of the golf tournament right now. If he can keep it better than 5-, 6-under par, he’s got this thing sewn up and can only beat himself from here. He’s got a lot of work to do, though.”

Kaymer sounded as though he realizes to play defensively is to ask for trouble. He spoke Friday about going forward, finding new challenges and said, “That’s quite nice that it’s a battle against yourself.”

Woods was playing his own tournament at Pebble Beach in 2000, still regarded as the greatest major performance in history. He stretched his six-shot lead to 10 shots over Ernie Els going into Sunday and wound up winning by 15.

Woods had his own challenge that day — no bogeys. It showed when he made a 15-foot par putt on the 16th hole and reacted as if he had just taken a one-shot lead.

“I knew if I went out there and made no bogeys today, Ernie would have to shoot a really low number,” Woods said. “If I went out there and was patient, hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens, I knew I’d make a putt here and there and maybe increase the lead.

“Or if not,” he added, let them know that it was almost impossible to catch me.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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