Byline: Pete Dougherty
NEWPORT, R.I. -- The loudest cheer I ever heard in a press facility -- where rooting is supposed to be verboten -- came at the 1999 U.S. Open in Pinehurst, N.C. The late Payne Stewart sank a 15-foot par putt on the 18th hole to beat a young Phil Mickelson by one stroke.
That roar didn't mean journalists favored Payne over Lefty. It's just that when Stewart's putt dropped, the media knew they wouldn't have to stay an extra day for an 18-hole playoff.
Such is the way of the United States Golf Association. Its national championships mandate an 18-hole playoff, forcing the players, officials, volunteers, spectators and those …
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