In the parlance of his given sport, John Smoltz was shelled in the first inning Thursday. Rocked early. Roughed up. Pick any of your standard phrases for a bruising outing.
Only in golf, there are no relievers.
Playing in the first round of the U.S. Senior Open _ the 51-year-old Hall of Fame pitcher called qualifying for the tournament "probably the No. 1 thing that I ever accomplished" _ Smoltz endured 18 holes of hard truth. He shot a 15-over 85 on Thursday at the over-50 national championship at the Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs, Colo.
"Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd shoot 85," Smoltz told reporters after Thursday's round. "But that's what golf's all about _ learning from it."
"I did the same thing in a Nationwide event (shooting 84-87 in the 2011 South Georgia Classic)," he said. "Found myself doing the same thing, coming up short, just missing putts.
"And next thing you know you start adding numbers. You don't want to add numbers."
Smoltz began 7 over through his first six holes, which included a triple bogey on the 452-yard par-4 15th hole. That is just about the closest golf comes to hard labor.
Welcome to U.S. Open conditions. Describing the last gasps of the triple bogey, Smoltz said, "I hit a wedge almost pin high. I wanted to be below that hole for sure and it spun all the way off, 30, 40 yards down the fairway.
"I hit my chip shot trying to get it just on the green and it spun back into the rough. And then missed a nice little five-footer."
Smoltz shot a 9-over 43 on his first nine. A two-putt bogey on his closing hole, a par 5, rounded out a backside 42.
"I'm working on my golf game. I'm just being honest, I don't have enough game for this course yet," he said.
Smoltz's line for Thursday: 12 bogeys, five pars, and the triple. He hit only two of 18 greens in regulation and six of 14 fairways.
"I can sum it up: I made a lot of easy bogeys. A lot of par putts turned into easy bogeys. I did not hit the ball in the fairway enough. I thought I hit a lot of good shots that just didn't get good results. I can promise you there won't be worse lies tomorrow," he said.
Smoltz is not the first former major leaguer to struggle on this stage _ only the most noted. According to the USGA, three other ballplayers, all pitchers, have passed through the Senior Open. Ralph Terry and Erik Hanson missed the cut. In 2006, Rick Rhoden tied for 41st.
Smoltz's current employer, Fox, was prepared to give him the weekend off from broadcasting a major league game had he made the cut in Colorado. Which was his stated goal.
But it appears he will not need the personal time. Maybe a little recovery time, though.
"I'm never happy _ I'm too big of a competitor to be happy about my round," he said, processing Thursday and looking forward to an afternoon tee time Friday. "But to get here was incredible. Like check off a bucket list. People have been great. I've tried to sign as many things as I can. And everyone's been cheering me on.
"I just hope to put on a better show (Friday). My family and friends _ I would have left if I was at the ninth hole _ but they stuck around. I'm happy they did. But I would have left. I couldn't have watched myself anymore."
