Winged Foot With Tilly: No. 18

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230136-363334-thumbnail.jpg
(click on image to enlarge)Several views of the famed finishing hole, which was featured in the Tillinghast "Dream 18" that was compiled in this week's Sports Illustrated with the help of Ben Crenshaw, Frank Hannigan, Gil Hanse, Rand Jerris, Daniel Wexler, Rick Wolffe and Phillip Young.

Not only do we get Tilly's take, but an overview of how Jones and Espinosa played it in their 1929 playoff. 230136-363337-thumbnail.jpg
(click on image to enlarge)

Two things to look for.

A drive of about 315 will get a player within reach of the fairway drop off that could leave someone with a flip wedge. Doubtful it will happen, but possible.

And the recently restored front left and back left hole locations are really great additions to this green complex, but likely not going to be used this week because they'd be too severe under U.S. Open conditions. You can see them in the photo to the right. 230136-363341-thumbnail.jpg
(click to see No. 18 green expansion)

Tiger's U.S. Open Press Conference

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Tiger Woods received several spellbinding questions from the packed room of germinalists, including, that' right, a Ben Roethlisberger question.

Thankfully, Brad Klein did get in one golf question:
Q. In terms of course preparation, which holes do you think are likely not to be hitting driver, and what's going to dictate whether hit driver on 6?

TIGER WOODS: Obviously today was dead into the wind, so I can't even come close to getting there dead into the wind. If it's downwind and we get the right pin location, yeah, I'd probably go for it. But there are a lot of holes where I'm hitting 3 wood because of the doglegs. I run out of room hitting a driver and I have to shape it around the corner, which really makes no sense because the fairways get so narrow. So I'll probably hit about four or five 3 woods out there. 6 could be a 4 iron, 3 iron or driver.

U.S. Open Reads: Late Tuesday Edition

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us open icon.jpgA few more Tuesday stories worth your time, starting with Tod Leonard's feature on Billy Casper.

“Here we are in 2006, talking about something that happened in 1959. If it had never happened,” Casper said with a chuckle, “we wouldn't be talking about it. It's pretty neat.”

Take that Yogi! Leonard also talks to Casper at length about how he laid up on No. 3 en route to his 1959 win.

Vartan Kupelian says Phil Mickelson will be employing the same strategy for No. 3 when it plays from the 243 yardage.

Ed Sherman feels that everyone needs to remember that the US Open and that a Woods-Mickelson showdown is just as like as a Stewart Cink-Ian Poulter slugfest. He, like Alan Shipnuck in the most recent SI, review the history between Woods and Mickelson in entertaing fashion.

James Corrigan in the Independent features 15-year-old, 5 ft. 1 in. amateur qualifier Tadd Fujikawa.

Hopkins On Whitten's "Astonishing Attack" On Hoylake

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John Hopkins considers Ron Whitten's Golf Digest criticism of Hoylake as a modern day major venue, and offers a rebuttal from the R&A's own in-house designer, Peter Dawson.

It is safe to predict that a few eyebrows would have been raised at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on The Wirral yesterday when word reached it of an astonishing attack in the present issue of Golf Digest, the world’s biggest and best-selling golf magazine. The course that will stage the Open next month is fiercely criticised by Ron Whitten, the architecture editor of the magazine, who calls it “Royal Out of Bounds” and says it is no place for a major championship in the 21st century.

Hoylake is regarded as one of the sternest of all links, and the club has a wonderful history in golf. It slipped from the rota of Open courses after 1967 because the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, organisers of the Open, felt that there were too many problems meeting the requirements of an Open.
And...
Some of Whitten’s displeasure is based on his belief that the course does not have a par five that cannot be reached in two with an iron and many of its par fours are not as long as they look on paper. He also does not like the rerouting of the course. It was done because the R & A wanted a more gentle start than the old 1st, which had out of bounds on both sides, and a stronger finish than the old 18th. The 17th has now become the 1st, the old 1st is the 3rd and the par-five 16th is the 18th.

“I simply don’t agree [with the criticism],” Peter Dawson, the chief executive of the R & A, said. “Those who have played Hoylake have been very complimentary about it.”

The only thing astonishing about the "attack" is that Whitten didn't even focus on the most egregious change of all: Donald Steel's mangling of the old H.S. Colt designed road-perched green on the par-4 17th (No. 2 in the Open).  

It's also a bit disconcerting to read about a 7,200+ course being outdated and questioned as a venue for failing to "keep up with the times," with no mention why this happened or whether this is a reasonable occurrence. The message seems to be: modernize your design at all costs. 

Book Award Renamed

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A nice move by the USGA...

USGA BOOK AWARD TO BE RENAMED IN HONOR OF HERBERT WARREN WIND

Far Hills, N.J. – The United States Golf Association has announced that its top literary prize, previously known as the USGA International Book Award, will be renamed in honor of famed writer Herbert Warren Wind.

The Award, which will henceforth be known as the Herbert Warren Wind Book Award, was established in 1987 to recognize and honor outstanding contributions to golf literature while attempting to broaden the public’s interest and knowledge of the game of golf. The Award is presented annually by the USGA Museum and Library Committee.

Wind, who passed away in May of 2005, is the only writer to win the USGA’s highest honor, the Bob Jones Award. He received the honor in 1995, during the Association’s centennial celebration. For nearly 30 years he was a volunteer on two USGA committees dedicated to celebrating the best values of the game: the Bob Jones Award Committee and the Museum and Library Committee. His portrait hangs in the UGSA Library, where one can also find his 14 books, countless essays and articles, and numerous introductions to reproductions of the classic literature of the game. He was a long-time essayist for both The New Yorker and Sports Illustrated. Among his many contributions to golf, he is credited with naming “Amen Corner” at Augusta National Golf Club, site of The Masters Tournament.
 
The first winner of the USGA Book Award was Al Barkow’s Gettin’ to the Dance Floor in 1987, and the most recent recipient was John Strege, for When War Played Through: Golf During World War II.

"We see a major as a brand moment"

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Richard Sandomir in the New York Times writes about a new Nike ad remembering Earl Woods that will debut this week:

Nike naturally looks to create interest around Woods, especially around the time of golf's four major tournaments. "We see a major as a brand moment," said Adam Roth, Nike's United States advertising director.

U.S. Open Reads: Tuesday Early Edition

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us open icon.jpgLorne Rubenstein wonders what fairness really means as he weighs the pro and cons of "tiered rough" and asks, "Why try to turn it into a controlled laboratory setting?"

Mike Aitken looks at poor Monty: "In his pomp, Colin Montgomerie would have taken one look at how the United States Golf Association set up Winged Foot for this week's US Open and rubbed his hands with glee."

Jane McManus of the Journal News analyzes the media's relationship with Tiger Woods and includes these surprising remarks from Johnny Miller, who just gave Peter Kostis hope for getting back in Tiger's good graces:

"Every time I've asked him a question, I can honestly say he's never given me a real answer. Never once. And I've been pretty nice to him. I feel like he's never given me the respect I deserve. "I know that's a strong statement. I've never said that to anybody. But I really believe that he should take the time when somebody in our industry is trying to tell the real story, that he is willing to give the real answer."

Speaking of Woods, Doug Ferguson writes about his Monday practice round.

Leonard Shapiro ponders the high rough and offers this from Phil Mickelson: 

"I'm going to make a bold prediction that someone hits the wrong ball in the rough [during the Open]. A lot of members have been playing, and when they hit in the rough, you can't find it. I've had Bones fore-caddie and he sees where the ball goes and he still can't find it. I think there are not just hundreds, but thousands of balls in the rough you just can't see. This is so thick the grass grows over the ball. You could be standing right over it and still not see it."

And Golf Digest has started a U.S. Open blog, highlighted by a post from Bob Carney on the rough and the pace of the greens. 

Questions For Driver, Fay and Hyler

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woods-61604-inside.jpgThe USGA's annual Executive Director/President/Championship Committee Chair media session takes place Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. when the scribblers will be fresh from their GWAA meeting convened to argue about the awards contest.

So for those that do stick around, here are a few questions to consider along with (hopefully) reader questions on the comments page of this thread (hopefully, because there were technical issues on Monday...my apologies):

  • The 2002 Joint Statement of Principles warned that any "significant" increase in distance from would result in USGA/R&A action. From 2002 to 2005, the same increase in PGA Tour driving distance average has occurred as from 1999 to 2002. Is this cause for action regardless of any further study?

  • Many of the fairways here are less than 25 yards wide, including on holes with significant fairway tilt. Is there a width that you would say is too narrow for championship play, and why is it that the fairways are so much narrower than when the U.S. Open was last played here?

  • Mr. Driver, what is your stance on the Ohio Golf Association's use of a tournament ball in its Champions event this summer?

  • Mr. Hyler, is it permissible for the OGA to use this ball as part of a "condition of competition," while still playing under USGA rules for the competition?
  • Can you explain what aspects of the job of USGA President require a private jet for travel, and why the records of this travel are kept confidential?

  • As a follow up, why can't the USGA at least provide passenger lists for the trips taken to assure its members that only USGA officers are using this unnecessary privilege?

  • As a follow up to the follow up, how much money has been spent on this jet to date?

  • How has construction of the new Arnold Palmer Center progressed since the groundbreaking ceremony and when do you expect it to open?
  • If the final top 10 of this U.S. Open featured the top 10 players in the world and was won by the world's #1 ranked player, but the winning score was 20-under par, would this still be considered a successful championship?

  • For Mr. Driver: It's been nearly a year since you were announced as President, are there any specific accomplishments you are most proud of to this point, and what accomplishments are you hoping to achieve?
  • For the panel, with the usual apologies to Colbert:  Tom Meeks, great course setup man, or the greatest course setup man?

 

"Korea, Republic of"

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logo_header_LPGA.gifYou have to love the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings, where Michelle Wie lands at No. 2 while Lorena Ochoa (2 wins in 2006, 9 Top 10s in 12 starts) and Karrie Webb (1, T2 in majors along with 2 wins and 6 Top 10s in 10 starts) finish behind third and fourth respectively.

But more importantly, what's with the "Korea, Republic of" stuff. And the quotation marks?

Week  WgwrId      Rank      Change      Name      Country     Events      TotalPoints      AveragePoints
6/12/2006 0:00  1673      1      0      Annika Sorenstam      Sweden      41      672.32      16.4
6/12/2006 0:00  1913      2      0      Michelle Wie      United States      15      173.95      11.6
6/12/2006 0:00  897      3      -1       Lorena Ochoa Mexico      53      488.77      9.22
6/12/2006 0:00  1888      4      0      Karrie Webb      Australia   48      423.83      8.83
6/12/2006 0:00  1380      5      -2      Paula Creamer      United States      46      364.88      7.93
6/12/2006 0:00  400      6      -1       Cristie Kerr      United States      50      376.38      7.53
6/12/2006 0:00  21      7      -1        Yuri Fudoh Japan      54      366.76      6.79
6/12/2006 0:00  261      8      -1      Juli Inkster      United States      43      272.52      6.34
6/12/2006 0:00  774      9      1        Ai Miyazato      Japan      58      350.71      6.05
6/12/2006 0:00  1044      10      -2      Morgan Pressel      United States      17      102.08      6
6/12/2006 0:00  108      11      -2      Hee-Won Han      "Korea, Republic of"   58      342.11      5.9
6/12/2006 0:00  293      12      -1      Jeong Jang      "Korea, Republic of"   59      316.96      5.37
6/12/2006 0:00  450      13      1      Mi Hyun Kim      "Korea, Republic of"   58      272.84      4.7
6/12/2006 0:00  926      14      -2      Shiho Ohyama      Japan      66      305.66      4.63
6/12/2006 0:00  90      15      -2      Natalie Gulbis      United States      57      243.99      4.28
6/12/2006 0:00  616      16      -1      Seon-Hwa Lee      "Korea, Republic of"   52      221.7      4.26
6/12/2006 0:00  562      17      -1      Brittany Lang      United States      19      78.43      4.13
6/12/2006 0:00  592      18      -1      Ji-Hee Lee      "Korea, Republic of"   54      215.11      3.98
6/12/2006 0:00  957      19      91      Se-Ri Pak      "Korea, Republic of"   35      138.4      3.95
6/12/2006 0:00  236      20      -2      Pat Hurst United States      49      190.72      3.89
6/12/2006 0:00  591      21      -1      Jee Young Lee      "Korea, Republic of"   23      83.75      3.64

MacDuff's Post Westchester FedEx Cup Points

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fedexcuplogo.jpgWell the FedEx Cups Points race is really, well, it's doing something even though we aren't sure what. As always, thanks to reader MacDuff for his compilation, which does not give extra points for majors or WGC's. 

1    Mickelson    20559        13
2    Singh    18509.37        14
3    Furyk    17687.5        12
4    Toms    16196.87        11
5    Gf. Ogilvy    15987.5        11
6    Glover    15879.16        12
7    Pettersson    15758.33        14
8    C.Campbell    15587.5        13
9    Van Pelt    15252.5        16
10    Appleby    14987.5        12
11    Weir    14396.87        12
12    Pernice    14325        11
13    Sabbatini    13754.16        12
14    Donald    13739.37        9
15    Pampling    13697.5        12
16    A.Scott    13375        9
17    B. Quigley    13375        11
18    Oberholser    13312.5        12
19    Z.Johnson    13075        11
20    Goosen    12937.5        10
21    Bohn    12913.33        13
22    Cink    12871.33        11
23    Olazabal    12662.5        9
24    Mayfair    12654.16        13
25    Gay    12525        12
26    T.Clark    12285        12
27    Vn Taylor    12137.5        10
28    Immelman    12087.5        9
29    Verplank    12037.5        10
30    Funk    11912.5        12
31    Senden    11600        10
32    Love III    11412.5        11
33    Purdy    11312.5        11
34    D.Wilson    11112.5        12
35    Lehman    11075        11
36    Herron    11022.5        10
37    Ames    10862.5        8
38    Parnevik    10767.5        12
39    T.Woods    10659.37        6
40    Choi    10537.5        10
41    Hoffman    10375        10
42    Jerry Kelly    10325        9
43    RS Johnson    10305        10
44    Els    10077.5        10
45    Villegas    10062.5        10
46    Imada    10055        11
47    Watney    10025        11
48    Warren    10012.5        10
49    Wetterich    9775        7
50    Leonard    9683.33        11
51    Crane    9660        10
52    Palmer    9466.66        11
53    J.Ogilvie    9345        10
54    JJ Henry    9162.5        9
55    Sluman    9137.5        13
56    Garcia    9112.5        8
57    Waldorf    9087.5        11
58    F.Jacobson    9062.5        8
59    Rose    9041.66        11
60    Chopra    8992        11
61    Jobe    8905        10
62    Estes    8837.5        9
63    Maggert    8812.5        9
64    Harrington    8775        8
65    Bertsch    8750        11
66    Hart    8680        9
67    G. Owen    8662.5        9
68    Poulter    8612.5        9
69    Rollins    8537.5        9
70    N.Green    8415        11
71    Howell III    8362.5        13
72    D. Howell    8262.5        7
73    Baird    8242.5        8
74    Micheel    8162.5        9
75    Azinger    8162.5        10
76    Bryant    8150        8
77    Franco    8112.5        9
78    DiMarco    7959.37        9
79    Couples    7950        9
80    Flesch    7807.5        13
81    Lonard    7787.5        10
82    Lowery    7700        10
83    Austin    7500        12
84    S. Maruyama    7462.5        9
85    Allenby    7450        7
86    JB Holmes    7420.83        7
87    Calcavecchia    7367.5        13
88    Branshaw    7325        8
89    Beem    7293.75        9
90    J.Smith    7225        8
91    Faxon    7125        10
92    Langer    7079.16        9
93    Olin Browne    7075        12
94    Pavin    7062.5        7
95    Sindelar    7037.5        10
96    Sutherland    7012.5        9
97    Bjornstad    7005        9
98    Barlow    7000        9
99    Baddeley    6962.5        8
100    JL Lewis    6937.5        11
101    Bub Watson    6850        7
102    Sean O'Hair    6849.5        9
103    Goggin    6675.25        6
104    Slocum    6475        9
105    Fischer    6425        9
106    M.Wilson    6415        7
107    Gronberg    6350        7
108    Cook    6275        6
109    Triplett    6275        7
110    Pat Perez    6262.5        7
111    Stricker    6225        5
112    Barron    6218.75        8
113    Kenny Perry    6125        7
114    Andrade    6082.5        8
115    B. Haas    6050        8
116    Geiberger    6037.5        8
117    Br.Davis    5992.5        8
118    Durant    5987.5        11
119    Curtis    5775        9
120    Gove    5737.5        6
121    Leaney    5712.5        7
122    Atwal    5650        6
123    Gore    5525        6
124    J.Byrd    5500        4
125    Ws Short Jr    5462.5        11
126    Mahan    5225        10
127    Westwood    5187.5        5
128    Cabrera    5100        5
129    Matteson    5037.5        7
T130    Kaye    4962.5        8
T130    Overton    4962.5        8
132    Lickliter II    4950        7
133    Petrovic    4925        7
134    D.Clarke    4900        4
135    Gamez    4800        8
136    Armour III    4700        6
137    Allen    4562.5        8
138    Dickerson    4450        8
139    Tway    4425        8
140    Nick Price    4300        4

Confidential Guide: Cult Classic

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The Wall Street Journal's Carrick Mollenkamp considers the cult status that Tom Doak's Confidential Guide to Golf Courses has attained:

In the book, Mr. Doak reviewed the design features of more than 800 courses, from little-known links to some of the world's most famous and exclusive courses. He gave each a ranking of zero to 10 on what he called the Doak Scale. A zero, Mr. Doak wrote, is "a course so contrived and unnatural that it may poison your mind." But a 10 is "nearly perfect.... If you haven't seen all the courses in this category, you don't know how good golf architecture can get."

Mr. Doak never imagined it back then, but the book has become a cult classic -- a haven of bluntness in a sport that is often so clubby that it rarely criticizes itself. Its fame stems in part from the fact that only about 13,000 copies were printed back in the '90s and the book has been out of print for years. Due to the scarcity, available copies of the most recent edition are going for as much as $350.

But while Mr. Doak's strong opinions resonate with golfers, they also have put him in somewhat of an awkward spot: Mr. Doak is now a high-profile part of the establishment he once unabashedly critiqued. And it's that reality that keeps him from reprinting or updating the sought-after book.

"I pulled no punches at all," Mr. Doak says in an interview. "I'm not sure I want to put myself in that position now."

Key Forest Course Vote

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Gary Polakovic of the LA Times looks at the Coastal Commission's plans to review the proposed new course at Pebble Beach and the political maneuvering for tonight's vote.

"This is one of the biggest disputes, one of the most significant issues since I've been on the Coastal Commission for 10-plus years," said Sara Wan, whose panel is charged with protecting the coast. "It ranks up there with the biggest controversies."

The more than $100-million Pebble Beach plan is also a potential environmental albatross for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Senate Rules Committee and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez (D-Los Angeles), whose appointees each control four votes on the 12-member commission.