Golf Channel's "Golf's Longest Day" Covers Qualifying For "Golf's Toughest Test" AKA The U.S. Open

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Who knew the PGA of America's Glory's Last Shot would encourage a slew of slogan's for tournaments seemingly not in need of any introduction?

So for the U.S. Open (Golf's Toughest Test), Golf Channel unveils Monday coverage of U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying (Golf's Longest Day). For Immediate Release:

GOLF CHANNEL PREPARES FOR MAJOR TV FEAT AND 'GOLF'S LONGEST DAY'
 
June 4 to be Golf’s Version of ‘Super Tuesday’

Reporters at 14 U.S. Sites Will Follow More Than 1,000 Hopefuls Attempting to Qualify for the U.S. Open Championship
 
ORLANDO, Fla. (June 1, 2012) - Dreams of playing on one of golf’s brightest stages either will be realized or dashed on June 4 for nearly 1,000 golfers who will attempt to qualify for a mere 79 slots available in the final field of 156 players for the 2012 U.S. Open Championship. Through a first-of-its-kind golf television undertaking, Golf Channel will devote an entire day of programming and updates in order to follow these compelling stories during what the network is calling Golf’s Longest Day, or more commonly known as U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying.

Starting at 7 a.m. ET and lasting until Midnight (or when final results are in), Golf Channel will feature interviews, analysis and scoring updates delivered by a team of more than 50 reporters and production professionals embedded at 14 locations throughout the United States. In addition to the 11 USGA Sectional Qualifying sites, the network also will have reporters located at The Olympic Club in San Francisco – site of next month’s U.S. Open – and at USGA headquarters in Far Hills, N.J. All of the content throughout the day will be hosted by Steve Sands and Kelly Tilghman from Golf Channel’s Orlando studios.

Golf’s Longest Day will begin with an expanded, four-hour version of Morning Drive, hosted by Gary Williams. The telecast will include live and taped reports from the 11 sectional qualifiers, as well as interviews with USGA members past and present. Mark Hill, former executive director of the Kentucky Golf Association who ran USGA qualifiers for many years, will serve as a special in-studio expert and will be featured on Golf Channel throughout the day. Hill now serves as USGA senior director of competitions, overseeing the Association’s 12 national amateur events.

Three Golf Central special presentations (1-2 p.m. ET; 6-8 p.m. ET; and 10 p.m.-12 a.m. ET) will cover emerging stories, interviews with medalists and other qualifiers, and studio analysis from Tripp Isenhour (who has qualified for the U.S. Open three out of seven attempts in the past) and Hill. In between, frequent news updates throughout the day will keep viewers up to date on all the news and scores.

GolfChannel.com also will serve as a source for U.S. Open qualifying news and information, with feature stories written by correspondents in the field, scoring updates and posting social media content from Golf Channel reporters covering the Sectional events.

Johnny On Olympic, Dufner and Phil's Chances

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Ron Kroichick had the best roundup of highlights from Johnny Miller's entertaining conference call to plug Golf Channel/NBC's upcoming U.S. Open coverage, which starts with an all day presence at June 4's Sectionals and kicks into gear a week later at Olympic Club.

On Rory's chances at Olympic:

"Congressional was a good course, but it was almost like a tour course," Miller said. "This is a whole different ballgame and more like being back at a traditional U.S. Open. Rory won his Open sort of in a nontraditional setup.

"Now it's not going to be so much fun and games out there. It's going to be hard work and a sterner test. I think probably 3, 4 or 5-under-par will win."

Johnny likes Jason Dufner's demeanor for Olympic, and Dufner certainly has the name to fit in snuggly with the previous Olympic Club winners!

Dufner brings one all-important U.S. Open skill - he hits the ball straight (sixth on tour in driving accuracy). His stoic demeanor might also come in handy.

"The great Open players are guys who barely have a pulse," Miller said. "Dufner, who's playing so great right now, fits that mold - a guy who has learned to temper his emotions so well, like Hogan and Nicklaus did. Those are the guys who seem to flourish in a U.S. Open, not the flamboyant types who are always smiling."

And on Phil's chances...

"This is not an all-out, off-the-tee course - you can't hit the driver hard at Olympic, because it just doesn't pay off. So he's going to have to change his aggressive style and make it fit, or he won't have a chance of contending."

I think Amy's got something to put on the kitchen refrigerator!

Holy Monty: Fails In His U.S. Open Bid, But Not Before Getting Some Quality Driving Time...By Himself!

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For a man who lost his license over his proclivity to drive too fast, especially when Coldplay comes on the radio, and who cheated death in a car accident, I think it's fair to say the former Ryder Cup captain made a strange call to drive 900-miles home after the BMW at Wentworth and then return immediately after some tea and upon fetching a new putter.

But that's what this wire story claims:

"Who in their right mind would do that? But yes, I did," Montgomerie said. "I left Wentworth at 2pm, was home at 8pm, had tea with the family, left at 11pm and got here just after 6am."

A four‑under‑par 68 put the 48-year-old Scot on course to play in San Francisco next month, but he followed it up with a 72.

And the round featured the usual Monty dramatics:

Montgomerie missed out on a play-off by two strokes, so could look back on his pitch to the 17th hitting the flagstick and rebounding 15ft away, then lipping out from the same distance on the last.

You can view the Walton Heath Sectional results here and also count up the number of WD's, a qualifying tradition in England.

Golf Channel To Give U.S. Open Sectional's Proper Coverage

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Mentioned in today's Johnny Miller conference call and surely to be hyped some more is Golf Channel's planned coverage of U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying Monday. Considering the disaster that has been trying to get news on Sectional Qualifying day--easily the most democratic day of golf in the U.S.--the channel is rolling out all day coverage from each site.

John Eggerton explains:

On the Monday (June 4) of qualifying for the U.S. Open Championship, the channel will provide coverage from 7 a.m. to midnight as golfers try to qualify in sectional play at 11 locations. The coverage will be anchored from Golf Channel's Orlando studios, but will include dedicated shows and updates throughout the day from reporters and cameras at all those locations.

I know, I know. Not as fun as coming to GeoffShackelford.com all day and hoping that the live links to various regional golf associations are working and updated, but it's a start.

And something tells me the USGA will be stepping up their coverage as well.

Johnny: In California Phil's Won More Than "Even Me"

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Previewing the U.S. Open at Olympic where he played as an amateur and will manage to work himself into the conversation at least 4391 times during the telecasts this year, Johnny Miller tells Golf Magazine he likes Phil Mickelson's chances this year.

Of course, it's because of a tip Johnny gave Phil.

PHIL MICKELSON: This might be Phil's last chance to win a U.S. Open. He's won more in California than maybe anyone, even me. He wants that first U.S. Open so much, and you know he'll be prepared. And who knows -- after I gave him my tip about the "reverse-bank" theory, maybe that'll put him over the top!