2013 U.S. Open Course Set-Up Reviews In And They Are Not Exactly Glowing

I would call my Golf World review of the USGA's course setup at Merion "mixed" with a lean toward positive because the emphasis on difficulty let the Merion membership feel good about hosting the U.S. Open.  In other words, there was a political element to this year's setup and Mike Davis addressed that.

However, in the details I certainly make clear there were some elements that were just not very good and contradictory of the USGA's desire to show off Merion's supreme architecture. In particular, was lack of width and the setup of the third hole Sunday, something Phil Mickelson, errr...lamented.

Anyway, check out my story in Golf World this week.

I have a few stats in my story, but Jim McCabe also breaks down Merion "by the numbers" and has some fun stuff to share at Golfweek.com

Tod Leonard wasn't so forgiving and says Mike Davis "botched" the setup.

There is making the course hard, and there’s making it fair, and Davis — who hasn’t erred much during his reign — made a mistake with this one. The final round was drudgery, not good or interesting golf. The USGA is trying to grow the game. Would anybody want to go out and take up golf after watching that?

Rex Hoggard talked to players at the Travelers and concludes that the USGA did not do a good job showing off Merion at its best.

“I met a guy in the airport on Saturday when I was flying home, he was 91 (years old),” Glover said. “He had been to every Open since 1950 at Merion. I asked how fast the greens were in ’81, he said, ‘10 (on the Stimpmeter).’ I said how long was the rough, ‘3 inches.’ I asked if that was the same golf course and he said, ‘Absolutely not,’ . . . he said it was atrocious.”

Lost in last week’s reintroduction of Merion after a 32-year hiatus from the U.S. Open rotation was the fact that this was not the same course where Bobby Jones completed the Grand Slam in 1930 by winning the U.S. Amateur or where Ben Hogan made emotional history at the 1950 U.S. Open.

Davis, the USGA executive director who took over for Tom Meeks as the Open’s top setup man in 2004, has proven himself adept at setting up fair, but difficult golf courses. This time, however, he may have blazed through a few stop signs on his way to Sunday’s trophy presentation.

Of the 500 or so votes cast in the poll here, it's clear the setup was seen as a way to mask distance gains and that very few saw the week as a resounding win for the pro-do-nothing-about-distance set.

Royal Cinque Ports Is Hosting The Amateur This Week...

Which is not really of interest to most except that this is one of my very favorite places in the game. And the British Amateur is a perfect excuse to show some photos of the place three years ago when things were drier in the UK and I was there to investigate Freddie Tait's cross country play a century ago.

You can follow The Amateur at the R&A site, and there was this account of the first day of matches.

I've included photos of the links and the town of Deal, which would make wonderful hosts of the Open Championship (again).

Those Letterman Top Ten Lists Just Aren't What They Used To Be...

The Justin Rose, post-U.S. Open win list is positively brutal, but by no means the fault of Justin.

If you have three minutes of your life you never want back...

Top Ten Questions People Ask Me About Golf

Wednesday, June 19, 2013
10. "There is regular gold, there is miniature golf - how come no giant golf?"
9. "Why don't all balls have dimples?"
8. "Does Obamacare cover the yips?"
7. "Ever get tired of Jim Nantz whispering?"
6. "Would you let President Putin hold your trophy?"
5. "How often do you slap your caddy?"
4. "Is a threesome better than a foursome?"
3. "Can you get me an autograph from PGA Honorary President Allen Wronowski?"

Okay for golf wonks, that was good.

2. "Would you say this is my sweet spot?"
1. "Where's the strangest place you've ever made bogey?"

Turns Out, Tiger Is Injured...

Or he just doesn't want to play Congressional, which I can understand.

Anyway, Brian Wacker analyzes the injury announcement from TigerWoods.com, which broke the news of Tiger's decision to skip the AT&T National and head straight to Muirfield for his next start in the Open Championship.

"I was examined after I returned home from the U.S. Open, and the doctors determined I have a left elbow strain," Woods said on his website.

Woods injured the elbow en route to winning THE PLAYERS Championship, his first victory at TPC Sawgrass since 2001 and his fifth of the season. Though Woods wasn't specific about when he injured the elbow, it's possible he could have in the final round there when hitting from the rough on the 14th hole, where he took a drop after hitting into the water off the tee.

See, even more reason to get rid of the rough at TPC Sawgrass and make it sandy scrub like Pete Dye intended!

Ogilvy Loved Merion But...Too Narrow, Too Much Chip Out Rough

Post Merion 2013 observations from Geoff Ogilvy.

From this week's Golf World:

My one criticism of the course setup would be that the fairways were too narrow. Merion is a great course with many great holes, but it was sometimes hard to tell with so much rough everywhere. It was tough to picture how it sets up and plays for the members.

I know that -- apart from next year at Pinehurst -- calling for more width in the U.S. Open is a forlorn hope. I have a suggestion though. I would like to see dry, "flier" rough rather than the "chip-out" long grass we had at Merion. Maybe the wet weather precluded doing anything about the thickness of the rough, but it would have been nice to see guys attempting risky recovery shots (perhaps the most exciting aspect of professional golf) rather than hacking out 50 yards or so up the fairway. Anyone and everyone can do that.

He goes on to explain why local knowledge was a good thing and how Merion provided good "awkwardness" especially had there been some room to get suckered into bad plays.

Merion Officials Open To An Open Return

Andrew Albert reports on the comments of Merion club officials and His High Holiness Buddy Marucci and it seems the folks in Ardmore are talking about another U.S. Open invite.

"Clearly, we are talking to the USGA about what we want back, and what they would favor us in coming back here," Ill said on Comcast SportsNet's "Philly Sports Talk" about the Open returning. "I would think that a little while back, even with a successful Open, we would probably not expect another Open for a long time. But I think the success of this Open, not only for Merion, but for the USGA, and for the area, the region and the state, it has a possibility of coming back."

There already are rumblings as to what would be the ideal year for the U.S. Open to come back to Merion. Rumors and chatter cite 2030 as the ideal year, marking the 100th anniversary of Bobby Jones completing his Grand Slam at Merion.

2030?!

"Let me put it this way," said Merion member George "Buddy" Marucci, who was the captain of the winning U.S. Walker Cup team on his home course in 2009. "I see no reason why the Open couldn't come back."

Way to go out on a limb there Buddy!

Luke Kerr-Dineen talked to players at the Travelers Championship and they were not so eager to return.

"No," said Charley Hoffman, who finished T-45 at the U.S. Open at +15, when asked if he'd like to see Merion host another U.S. Open. "It had horrible logistics, the gallery was very restricted, but I guess that's what happens when an organization runs a golf tournament."

"We went from Olympic, which was as smooth as a tournament could be, to Merion, which was just difficult," Thompson said, who finished T-56. "It's a great golf course . . . but there are no hotels near the course and there's only one road leading to the course, so in the back of your mind you're always thinking, 'Am I going to catch traffic and be late for my tee time?'"

Update on Wednesday, June 19, 2013 at 07:58 AM by Geoff

**There were extensive comments from General Chairman Rick Ill to Mike Dern in the Daily News.

A few highlights:

"We're going to continue to be very USGA-centric, if you will," reiterated Rick Ill, former club president and the general chairman of the club's championship committee. "The championship committee has talked about another Amateur, and potentially another Walker Cup, after this. And of course we might be open to the possibility of another Open. You never want to say anything's a sure thing. We'll see what happens. And hopefully, so will the USGA. I know people are already looking ahead to 2030, and the 100th anniversary of Bob Jones winning the grand slam [at Merion].

"We'd like to do something with women's golf, too, if possible. We have a very good women's team. So we'd like to look at something on the national level. We'll keep working on it.

G8 Summit Protesters Dress As Golfers

Peter Macdiarmid of Getty captured these Oxfam volunteers depicting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, British Prime Minister David Cameron, President Barack Obama and Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

Instant Poll: Did Merion Alter Your View On Distance?

You may recall that prior to the 2013 U.S. Open at 6,996-yard Merion, former USGA Executive Director David Fay told Golf Digest contributing editor David Fay that "of course" this would be a referendum on the question of distance and its impact on the modern game.

Since then we saw high scores at Merion thanks to a combination of the difficult architecture and restrictive setup.

So with that, I ask...

Did Merion alter your view on distance?
	Yes, the setup and design proved that no further regulations needed
	No, the setup showed what it takes to keep a course relevant
	It was a wash, the setup nullified modern distance gains
pollcode.com free polls

Two Minor 2013 U.S. Open Quibbles...

The most significant quibble I've heard from fans was the lack of ability to see action, particularly on the closing holes. By and large, the Merion experience was reviewed positively and the USGA operations team deserves a big bonus and ensuing vacation for pulling off something pretty extraordinary on a tiny property.

That said, I had two quibbles with the 2013 U.S. Open...

- The lack of spectator access to the area right of 14 fairway, behind 17 tee and right of 18 fairway. For reasons I still can't quite figure out, there was a huge area in this area free of fans that was perhaps the best viewing spot on the entire property and I still can't figure out why it was restricted to inside-the-ropes access. Next time the U.S. Open returns there needs to at least be a small grandstand behind the 17th tee so that fans can see some of 16 green and the tee shot there.

- The lack of retro-logos on merchandise items. One of the fun trends at the Masters and Players was the use of old tournament logos on shirts and hats. I know if there were some 1971 U.S. Open logoed stuff, my Lee Trevino friends who are fans would have gotten a bigger kick out of something with the distinctly 70s "branding" than the 2013 logo.

Justin Rose's Win: Vindication For Sean Foley, England

Nice story by Steve DiMeglio on Justin Rose's win as vindication for the often unfairly criticized instructor Sean Foley.

The criticism has been relentless at times, which Foley, by the way, deflects with ease, so much so that Rose, even while holding the U.S. Open trophy was asked if the victory was affirmation of Foley's instruction.

"I feel like my golf game has gotten better and better every year. I've picked up distance and I'm hitting the ball straighter. And for me to come into a U.S. Open and feel like this is one of my legitimate chances to win a major is a testament to my ball striking. So I got to give a lot of credit to Sean," Rose, 32, said. "I would say it's more than just a player/coach relationship. I regard him as a true friend and I regard him as someone who, if I ever had a question upon golf or upon life, he would be very much at the top of my list.

"He's a very mentally, I think, a very interesting character and very strong mentally. And he passes that on as well."

John Huggan also looks at this as a big win for the English male golfing contingent who were beginning to wonder if they would ever win a major in the 21st Century. He also points to a Derek Lawrenson interview with Rose prior to Merion where the U.S. Open champion made this frank statement:

"If we're really honest, I think it has now reached the point where it's down to the fact if we (the English) can handle the pressure we will win a major and if we can't, we won't."

Things Are Going Well In Rio...

Those 2016 Olympics can't come slow enough.

For Phil "In the end it wasn't strategy but execution."

Stepping back from the U.S. Open for a day to consider Phil Mickelson's incredible sixth runner-up finish and while a lot of people want to question his decision to leave the driver in the locker or his putting (everyone stunk on the greens at Merion), it will all really go back to the decision on the short par-3 13th that cost him a spot in a playoff.

From an unbylined USA Today story:

But he hit a pitching wedge instead of a gap wedge to the hole, flying the green and leaving himself with a pitch from the rough he had no way of getting close to the hole. He made bogey, then compounded his error on No. 15 by quitting on a gap wedge and leaving it so short he had to chip from the front of the green for another bogey.

In the end it wasn't strategy but execution.

"Thirteen and 15 were the two bad shots of the day that I'll look back on where I let it go," Mickelson said.

I was standing behind the 13th green after Mickelson's shot with USGA Executive Director Mike Davis, who pointed out that there was a line about 20 feet left of the hole location that a shot with proper spin could take and like spin right to within 10 or so feet of the hole, mitigating the risk.

Justin Rose Honoring His Travelers Championship Commitment

From the AP...and yes, the U.S. Open Champion committed and of course he should play, but he still very easily could cite fatigue from all of the shuttle busings. But he's not...

Nathan Grube, the tournament director at the Travelers Championship, said Rose's wife, Kate, called shortly after he won his first major title, to confirm they would be in Connecticut for this week's tournament.

"She called last night at about 9:30 and I looked down at the phone and said, 'This is either going to be a really good call or a really bad call,'" Grube said Monday. "It was fine. She said, 'We're coming, we're just trying to rearrange our schedule a little bit because of all the media (commitments).'"

Rose will be making a cameo with David Letterman Tuesday night.

2013 U.S. OPEN GOLF CHAMPION JUSTIN ROSE TO PRESENT THE TOP TEN LIST ON CBS’s
“LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN,” TUESDAY, JUNE 18
 
NEW YORK, June 17 – 2013 U.S. Open golf champion Justin Rose will present the Top Ten List on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Tuesday, June 18 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.  Rose won his first major golf championship Sunday at the Merion Golf Club, shooting a closing round of 70 and finishing two shots ahead of contenders Phil Mickelson and Jason Day to secure his U.S. Open victory.  Also, Rose became the first Englishman to win the championship since Tony Jacklin in 1970, ending a 43-year U.S. Open drought for England.

Why Tiger Has A Boat Called Privacy Files: Merion Housing Edition

Jere Longman looked at Merion's successful week and some of the stuff that went on behind the scenes.

He included this anecdote that is yet another reminder why...ah you know the drill.

Woods was the subject of countless rumors about his living arrangements during the Open, all entertaining, none necessarily reliant on the truth.

One rumor, debunked by a police officer assigned to Woods, had him installing a pool at his rental house. On Sunday, Joe DiTomo, a volunteer driver for the players, said that Woods reportedly grew upset with the house and moved into a hotel.

“I wouldn’t repeat it,” DiTomo said, “but I heard it from a nun on the way to church. I didn’t realize nuns followed golf.”

9 Y.O. Shoots 58, Besting His Previous Low By 15!

Tommy Braswell reports on 9 y.o. Zach Adams posting a 58 in the Mount Pleasant Junior Golf Open this week at Patriots Point Links.

His previous best was 73. 

U.S. Open Ratings Up...For An East Coast Venue

NBC registered a 6.1 for the U.S. Open final round at Merion, down from last year's 6.6 at Olympic that was going to head-to-head with the NBA Finals.

For Immediate Release:

Golf Channel on NBC's Final Round coverage of the U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club scored a best overnight (6.1) for an East Coast U.S. Open since 2007 at Oakmont Country Club (7.0).

Coverage peaked in the metered-market overnights at a 9.4 US Household Overnight Rating from 7-7:30 PM EST.

Golf Channel on NBC's Final Round coverage was up 20% from Rory McIlroy's win in 2011 at Congressional Country Club (5.1), which was the last East Coast U.S. Open.

ESPN scored its second-highest Thursday U.S. Open viewership.

For Immediate Release:

ESPN’s live telecast of Thursday evening’s play in the U.S. Open championship from Merion Golf Club near Philadelphia on June 13 was the second most-viewed Thursday telecast of the event ever on the network and the highest-rated since 2002.
 
Additionally, ESPN’s live telecast of Friday evening’s play was the highest-rated east coast venue Friday prime telecast since 2002.
 
Thursday’s evening telecast, which aired from 5-6:10 p.m. and 6:55-8:26 p.m. ET due to a rain delay, earned a 1.9 household coverage rating, averaging 2,209,725 viewers. The rating was the highest since ESPN earned a 2.3 for the Thursday evening telecast in 2002 and the viewership average is exceeded only by the 2,499,860 that watched in 2002.
 
Friday evening’s telecast, which aired from 5-8:42 p.m., earned a 2.0 household coverage rating, averaging 2,458,378 viewers, the highest rating for an east coast U.S. Open venue since ESPN had a 2.1 rating in 2002.
 
ESPN’s live telecast of the rain-delayed afternoon round on Thursday, which aired from noon – 3 p.m., earned a 1.2 household coverage rating, averaging 1,340,169 viewers, while the morning-afternoon session on Friday, which aired from 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., earned a 1.5 household coverage rating with an average of 1,672,526 viewers.
 
Throughout the U.S. Open (June 13-16), golf coverage across ESPN digital platforms – including ESPN.com, ESPN mobile Web, ScoreCenter, WatchESPN and ESPN3 – logged an average minute audience of more than 108,000. Additionally, on Thursday and Friday, live coverage of the U.S. Open on WatchESPN and ESPN3 logged 38.6 million minutes, up 64 percent.

Merion Is To America What St. Andrews Is To Scotland

At least, in the tournament sense though the architectural DNA of so many courses was inspired by Merion.

But since we are fresh from a fantastic U.S. Open, let's stick to Merion's place as the host of 18 USGA championships. I make the case in this Golf World Monday item that this is our St. Andrews and while the setup definitely had its quirks and mistakes, Merion is so good that it overshadowed any quirks. (I elaborate in detail in Golf World this week on some of the setup highs and lows.)

Until that story appears, forgive me if I wax a bit about this special place in golf. My great regret of the week will probably be that I didn't take time to just walk roads surrounding the course, where spectators leaned on fences and cheered players on. And where neighborhoods turned into block parties of folks simply celebrating the return of golf to this special place. Reader Ari, who I met this week after years of online communication, was a witness to this and posted in previous threads about the atmosphere.

Like the camaraderie that envelopes St. Andrews during the Open, otherwise sleepy streets turned into a community that we can only hope becomes a regular occurrence every 8-10 years.

Jungle Bird Was Offered A Refund If He Was Coming To Merion

Jungle Bird of 2012 U.S. Open fame was offered a full refund in case he was thinking of crashing the 2013 U.S. Open trophy ceremony. Or the tournament in any way.

Deadspin's Samer Kalef with the story and the USGA's offer via letter.

Justin Rose Is Luke Skywalker To Gio Valiante's Yoda!

Okay, not really, but I'm a little tired after a long week, so I'm still struggling with this image from Tim Rosaforte in Golf World Monday.

But hey, he's got the 2013 U.S. Open trophy, so whatever it takes.

As he prepared last week at Lake Nona for the 113th U.S. Open, Justin Rose did more than beat balls, work out and review his game plan for Merion. He watched a YouTube download of "The Empire Strikes Back." The scene that sport psychologist Gio Valiante wanted Rose to absorb was Yoda's famous discussion with Luke Skywalker. "I wanted him to know he was ready," Valiante said Sunday from his home in Orlando. "That he was finally mature enough to come into his own."

Could this be the clip in question?

No, it's this one. Thanks reader Ryan:

2013 U.S. Open: Your Kneejerk Reactions

Congratuations to Justin Rose for being the last man standing at magnificent Merion!

I have to hunker down for a few hours and write a course story for Golf World. As you can imagine there is much to ponder from this week but I'd love to hear impressions from the final day and telecast.