"In the annals of presidential golf history, the Obama-Boehner round...is an oddity."

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An unbylined AP story on how the White House sees some of the particulars playing out for Saturday's Obama-Boehner buddies trip golf outting.

Presidential spokesman Jay Carney says he anticipates that Obama and Boehner will find time to discuss important issues such as budget negotiations.

But the outing is mostly about giving them a chance to socialize. Carney says that gives it “great value beyond the game.”

Carney isn’t saying whether the White House will disclose what the golfers shot on their round. The Ohio lawmaker is known to be a much better golfer than Obama.
Carney says reporters and photographers will get a chance to see something of the action. The White House hasn’t said what course they’ll play.

In last Sunday's New York Times Opinion section, Don Van Natta filed this worthwhile analysis of the round, where it fits historically and why it's a risk for the President.

A president has never played a round of golf with the leader of the opposing party who was also considered a near-lock to win the match (the closest thing was a round L. B. J. played with Dwight D. Eisenhower in February 1968 at Seven Lakes Country Club in Palm Springs, Calif.; Ike won in a breeze). So, perhaps Mr. Obama deserves to be spotted a few free strokes for sporting courage.

More important, the timing of the “golf summit” is curious (and not just because it coincides with the United States Open at nearby Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.). Two wars (three, if you count health care; four, if you count Libya), a stubborn economic downturn and partisan rancor combine to make the president’s decision to play with Mr. Boehner a surprise and one that appears to offer more downside than upside to the White House.

U.S. Open Lemonade Stand PR Debacle Downgraded To PR Black Eye

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AP's Joseph White on bureacracy gone awry just outside the gates of Congressional.

Children from two families put up the stand on private property—a neighbor’s yard that just happens to be on a corner across from a spectator entrance to Congressional. During Thursday’s first round, they received three visits from county officials, twice with a warning. The third time, a citation was issued for operating the stand without a permit. It carried a fine of up to $500 and required a court appearance.

“Does every kid now that sells lemonade have to register with the county?” Carrie Marriott, whose children were selling the drinks, asked a county official in an exchange caught on video by WUSA-TV.

Someone figured out this was not going to look good...

Since fining kids over a lemonade stand can be a public relations nightmare, a deal was worked out. On Friday, the stand was moved down the street and the citation was rescinded. The county also waived the need for a permit, which would have cost about $38.

A homemade sign at the old location announced: “Grand Reopening: 25 Feet Down.”

“It’s a nice pressure to have knowing that the greatest player ever at the minute thinks that you’re going to do pretty good.”

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Rory McIlroy's opening 6-under 65 stole the show at a Congressional vulnerable to a low round in the morning and less so by the afternoon when greens got bumpy and the wind gusted, meaning his afternoon round was all that much more impressive.

Ron Sirak reminds us that Rory will have plenty of fans hoping for a win after the Masters and his recent Haiti trip.

Maybe it is all of that and the fact that in this age of self-entitled, overpaid underachievers in sports he holds out the promise of being the real deal with the added value of being a nice guy in the process. Here is a young man who may not only live up to the hype, but also not allow his genuine goodness to be altered by his success.

Steve Elling writes that Rees Jones wasn't surprised his patient was vulnerable.

Noted golf architect Rees Jones had been hanging around the 111th U.S. Open premises all day, and like many others, he figured that somebody was sure to light up the scoreboard at Congressional Country Club.

The conditions were right, the world's best players were on the grounds and the greens were running slower than traffic on the traffic-choked Beltline, compared to the Open's baked-out norm. Hours passed.

History has shown that when mega-low scores crop at major championships, it's frequently in the first round, before the pressure builds. Jones assumed somebody would make a wicked run at Congressional, maybe even threaten the Grand Slam scoring record of 63. Then absolutely nothing happened.

Late in the afternoon, Jones, who redesigned Congressional in advance of the Open, looked up as Ulsterman Rory McIlroy was making yet another birdie.

"All day we've been waiting, and now it looks like he might do it," Jones said.

Bob Harig looks at Rory's recent run at the last four majors.

He shot a major championship record-tying 63 at St. Andrews last summer to hold the first-round lead in the British Open, only to be undone by a gale-induced 80 in the second round. He still finished third.

At the PGA Championship, he was tied for the lead on the back nine and had a 15-footer for birdie on the 72nd hole that would have put him in a playoff. He tied for third.

The Masters, of course, became legendary for his Sunday meltdown. Tied for the lead on the 10th tee, he shot 43 on the way to an 80 and finished 10 strokes behind winner Charl Schwartzel.

And here he is again, contending at his fourth straight major.

Robert Lusetich explains how Rory is feeding off supportive comments received from Jack Nicklaus.

“It’s a nice pressure to have knowing that the greatest player ever at the minute thinks that you’re going to do pretty good.”

McIlroy will do well to heed Jack’s advice.

“He emphasized so much to me about not making mistakes. That was his big thing.

“He said people lost a lot more majors and gave them to him than he actually won. It was a good piece of advice to have.”

These Guys Are Good...On Reestorations

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John Paul Newport ran the numbers and the verdict is in: some Americans just love their Rees Jones rees-do work. Thanks reader JB for this.

An American Advantage?
Since 2007, the golfers in this U.S. Open with the lowest averages on courses completely remodeled by golf architect Rees Jones (min. 25 rounds).

GOLFER/COUNTRY   ROUNDS    ROUND AVERAGE
Jim Furyk USA           44                69.12

Camilo Villegas COL   34                69.41

Anthony Kim USA      32                69.66

K.J. Choi KOR            32                69.69

Hunter Mahan USA     44                69.90

Phil Mickelson USA      34               70.00

Steve Stricker USA     40                70.18

Some Final Comments About The Return To Shinnecock

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I file a Golf World Daily item clarifying what needs to be done next time around (not much...and is that realistic?).

Not mentioned is who deserves the credit for smoothing things over with the club and paving the way for a return. The names most prominent in the effort, not surprisingly and in no particular order: Jim Hyler, Jim Vernon, Mike Davis, Tom O'Toole, Mike Butz and yes, Walter Driver, the Championship Commitee chair who oversaw the wacky 2004 U.S. Open setup!

The U.S. Open Is Here, A Few Final Thoughts

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After three very dry, pleasant and perfect weather days, the U.S. Open kicks off at Congressional with an uncertain weather forecast and an even more uncertain future for the putting surfaces. Normally changes in color from Monday to Wednesday would not be of great concern except that these are not even two-year old greens and the most stressed areas appear to be in rapid decline. Exactly how the warmer temperatures and continued stress placed on the greens by traditional course preparation measures impacts play remains to be seen.
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"You should have heard the conversations about that later."

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Mike Davis talked to a few writers after today's press conference where Shinnecock Hills was announced as the 2018 U.S. Open venue and was grilled about the disastrous 2004 U.S. Open. Davis was second in command to Tom Meeks but shared this about the halting of play during Saturday's round.

Dave Shedloski writes:

"I went out to 7 and watched the second group go through, and I immediately suspended play. I didn't even have the authority to suspend play, but I suspended play."

Tom Meeks was in charge of setting up the golf course that year. Walter Driver was chairman of the championship committee. But Davis couldn't reach either of them on the radio. "Time was working against us," Davis said. "You should have heard the conversations about that later."