Roethlisberger Proves Tiger Wrong at U.S. Open Challenge

Last week, after playing a practice round at Bethpage Black, Tiger Woods phoned Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger would be playing Bethpage Black a few days later as part of the U.S. Open Challenge sponsored by the USGA and Golf Digest, the event that pairs one contest winner with three celebrities on the U.S. Open course to see if anyone can break 100.

What did Tiger tell Big Ben in that phone call? He told Roethlisberger that he had no chance to break 100.

Well, the U.S. Open Challenge was played yesterday (Friday, June 12), and today Roethlisberger is probably collecting a little money from Woods.

Roethlisberger, Michael Jordan and Justin Timberlake were joined by contest winner Larry Geibelhausen, a police officer from Phoenix, in a round that took more than six hours to play - which means that it seemed just like a real U.S. Open round! Fred Couples, Rocco Mediate and Anthony Kim were also there, serving as caddies.

So what did the players in the foursome shoot? Click below the fold to find out - or don't, if you'd prefer not to know the scores before airtime (which is prior to the final round of the U.S. Open next week).

You may recall the results from the first U.S. Open Challenge, played last year at Torrey Pines: Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, a 2.2. handicap, shot 84; Timberlake (6.0), 98; Today host Matt Lauer (6.2), 100; and contest winner John Atkinson (8.1), 114. (Atkinson, by the way, recently passed away from lung cancer.)

Timberlake is still a 6.0 these days; Roethlisberger and Jordan are 3-handicaps; and contest winner Geibelhausen carries a 3.8 index.

And not only did Roethlisberger break 100, contrary to Tiger's warning, he bested Romo's score from 2008, shooting an 81 at Bethpage Black. In fact, all three celebs not only broke 100, but broke 90: Jordan shot 86 and Timberlake 88.

Only contest winner Geibelhausen, unaccustomed to playing in front of large crowds and television cameras, didn't break 100. But despite an opening triple-bogey and a 10 on the 16th hole, Geibelhausen came very close, carding a 101.

Do these results tell us anything about the coming U.S. Open? Maybe. Those in the know have been saying that Bethpage Black will play easier this year than it did in 2002, when Woods was the only U.S. Open golfer to finish under par. The scores of the U.S. Open Challenge golfers might indicate that we will, indeed, see lower scores at the 2009 U.S. Open.

See also:

• Bethpage Black pictures

On the Wire:

• U.S. Open Challenge report from the USGA