Alphabetically, his name appears between Andy Bean and amateur Dan Bieber.Tecumseh's Dave Bell is listed right there on the USGA's website, in the field for the 31st U.S. Senior Open, along with Fred Couples, Paul Azinger, Tom Watson, Peter Jacobsen, Mark O'Meara, Hale Irwin, Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite.
The 59-year-old Tecumseh Golf teaching pro will be assigned a locker at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash. just like his more famous senior counterparts when the tournament opens July 29.
"I've played in enough tournaments, hopefully I don't feel too uncomfortable," Bell said.
In 2001, Bell qualified for the Champions Tour Canadian Open in Mississagua but he knows this stage will be far bigger and the spotlight far brighter.
"I don't know how it will feel to see 20,000 people lining the fairway to see (Seattle native) Fred Couples," he said.
Bell and his wife Bonnie fly out Saturday so he can play practice rounds Sunday through Wednesday on the par-70 layout that hosted the 1998 PGA Championship and the 2002 World Golf Championship-NEC Invitational.
Bell made the field at a sectional qualifier at Meadowbrook Country Club in Northville, Mi., July 5. Marshall's John Morse won the event with a 70 but Bell tied for second with a 72 and earned the second spot in a playoff.
"I two putted for par and when the other guy missed a six-foot down hill putt it was like, oh my god, I'm going to the U.S. Open," Bell recalled.
He and Bonnie celebrated with a tank of gas and a coffee since they had to drive straight to Milton for the Canadian PGA championships which began the next day. Bell finished tied for 8th on rounds of 72-78-74--224.
He's packing new irons and wedges for this trip since the old ones didn't conform to the USGA restrictions on grooves.
"I played with them (Wednesday) and they were pretty good," he said. "They're not much different from what I had, except for the grooves of course. I'll have four days to work with them there."
As for his prospects at the biggest event on the schedule for the over-50 set, Bell plans to keep it simple.
"Knock it down the first fairway and go on from there. It's a matter of staying in the moment," he said. 'My game is always reasonable and I'm pretty good at keeping it around par. At a U.S. Open, that's OK."
