More Whistling Analysis
Wednesday, January 26, 2005 at 12:14 PM John McGrath in the Tacoma News Tribune points out several oddities in the PGA's decision to drop Sahallee, including why they award the events so far in advance. The best jab: he points out that Oak Hill hosted the 1980 PGA when the Winter Olympics were held in nearby Lake Placid.
The AP's Doug Ferguson weighs in skeptically as well and reports that the USGA’s David Fay offered his congratulations to Jim Awtrey in a congratulatory concession call (can we all say, oy vey!).
"I commend the PGA for identifying Whistling Straits early, taking the bold step of taking the PGA there last year and buttoning it up," Fay said. "Once they got what seems to be a winner -- clearly, it's a winner in the eyes of the players, press and public -- it was a good move on their part."
To which Ferguson wrote, “The USGA will move on with no shortage of great courses available. Then again, the U.S. Open doesn't need a golf course to establish its identity.”
Not the way they set up courses!
Finally, the Seattle Times reports that the PGA claims to be considering Sahallee for one of the 2012-2014 open dates. We're on the edge of our seats here!