Hickson disappointed after missing Deutsche Bank cut

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NORTON, Mass. – Disappointment descended upon the two Maine pros who were competing in this year’s Deutsche Bank Championship at the Tournament Players Club of Boston.

Hampden native John Hickson, now the head pro at Sunday River Golf Club in Newry, and Terry Hatch, assistant pro at Biddeford-Saco Country Club, both missed the cut after Saturday’s second round for the Sunday’s and today’s finish of the closest PGA Tour stop to the state.

“If I’d been 6 over [par] after the first day, the first round, I would have been less [disappointed],” said Hickson, who followed Friday’s 2-over-par 73 with a 77 Saturday for a 150 total.

“I was out of my talent. This course is long,” said Hatch, who played on the Nationwide Tour in 2003. Still, he finished with a 73 Saturday to go with an opening 78 for a 151 total.

The cut came at 1-under 141 with 77 players, nearly half the field of 156, advancing. Hickson and Hatch had plenty of distinguished company on the cut list, including tour stars Len Mattiace (143), Davis Love III (145), Aaron Baddeley (145), David Duval (146), Mark O’Meara (147), Todd Hamilton (148), and Larry Mize (153).

That didn’t stem the sting, though.

Hickson, who has played in three tour events plus a PGA Championship, thought he had a chance to make the cut if he could just play a little better Saturday than he did Friday. It looked like a possibility for a while.

“On the front, I hit it good,” said Hickson, who birdied the par-5 second hole to quickly get under par for the day.

That was more than offset by bogeys on Nos. 4 and 5.

“I had about 150, 155 yards on both and I missed the green on both,” said Hickson. “That hurt.”

Reversal of fortune followed again as he made back-to-back birdies on 6 and 7.

“I made two good putts,” he said. The first was about 13 feet, the second about 6 feet.

After saving par on 8, he suffered another setback on 9. He hit his approach shot from more than 200 yards onto the back collar a little more than 30 feet away.

“I could’ve putted it, but I’d been chipping decent,” said Hickson. “I knew it was fast downhill, but it didn’t quite trickle right.”

He was left with a 4-footer for par.

“Sean (his caddy) thought it would go a little right,” Hickson said. “I thought it would go more right, so I went more left, and it stayed there.”

While he was back at even par for the day, Hickson was not dismayed.

“I still had nine holes left, and I thought if I played a good nine, I’d make the cut,” he said. “That’d be cool.”

Hickson missed birdie putts on the next two holes that he thought he should’ve made and time was starting to run out.

He hit his tee shot on 12 onto the left hillside – just like Friday – and had to lay up again. His third shot hit a foot from the cup but spun back and he missed the 8-foot par putt.

He missed the 13th green and made another bogey to go to 2 over for the day and 4 over for the tournament.

“At that point, I was a little frustrated,” admitted Hickson, who hit his tee shot on the 495-yard, dogleg left, par-4 14th into a bunker on the inside corner.

“I overhooked it,” he said. “That’s when the fiasco started.”

He hit his next shot into another bunker short of the green. He tried to nip that shot to cozy it up to the hole and try to save par, but he caught too little sand and too much ball and flew it over the green. He made triple-bogey 7 and his run was over.

Hatch knew before the round that he had no shot to make the cut, but he still wanted to play well.

“I got off to a good start. I was 2 under [through 8],” he said. Bogeys on 9 and 12 through 15 derailed him. A birdie on the last hole salved his wounds a little.

“I hope the people back home are not upset with the way I played,” said Hatch, who earned his spot by winning the New England PGA section qualifier in July.

Hickson, who made the field by finishing second in the section qualifier, feels pretty sure he will try again next year.

“How can you not?” he asked. “If it’s in the area, you’ve got to give it a shot.”