When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
The 360 yard 7th doglegs left gently around the newly extended 4th tee and features a fairway pushed toward OB and meant to bring trees into play, hardly much to get excited about.
But boy, after looking at this flyover, the club could have a nice rough sod sale after this U.S Open. The fairway in 1930 aerials appears to be twice as wide as todays. What's changed? Oh right, the guys hit about a hundred yards longer!
Steve Pike with a report and quote from TaylorMade-adidas Executive Vice President Sean Toulon suggesting the company is working on some non-conforming equipment to help grow the game. Considering how much moaning they've done about the governing bodies, I say (A) it's about time and (B) why not? We'll find out if the equipment rules are really holding golfers back from playing the game.
“We’ll go right to USGA jail with all this stuff,” said Toulon, the implication being the new clubs will not conform to the USGA Rules of Golf.
Okay so I'm a little late to post this, but wondering what everyone's impressions were of the Golf Channel re-broadcast? I was watching on an SD tv in a hotel room, so it was hard to see much of the golf course. Or maybe it was all of the shade from trees that have since moved on?
Anyway, what a treat to watch both to see some greats in their prime and to see how much telecasts have evolved.
A few thoughts:
-What color is that for the anchor jackets worn by Byron Nelson and Chris Schenkel?!
-Lord Byron wasn't much on-camera, but he had strong insights once they got to the golf.
-The marshals were dressed like Dr. Beeper
-Several announcers brought the playoff on by mentioning the "P" word way too early and often in the telecast!
-Whoever was feeding Henry Longhurst info and cues could be heard almost as well as Longhurst! Was that a technical screw up or did he have his headset audio too high? Either way it was one of about 200 examples of how far golf on television has come.
-Frank Hannigan did a nice FBI G-man impersonation.
-Frank Gifford was not nearly as bad as I anticipated.
-Was Lee Trevino just standing in the gallery when he was interviewed prior to Nicklaus's 18th hole putt?
-Mr. Nicklaus was painfully slow on the greens.
-Jim Simons appeared to nudge his ball unintentionally on his 18th green chip shot. Who do I call?
Alex Miceli with a report on the PAC members meeting at Muirfield Village and joining in by phone. The takeaway? A variety of emotions on anchoring, bifurcation and rules, though he suggested more players were again in favor of the ban for reasons unknown.
According to one participant, some PAC members who were on the fence now seem to be going back to supporting the ban.
Anchoring on its own has unique issues: the potential for limiting high-profile players from competing as they have for years, potential litigation and how the Tour might be perceived if it goes against the anchoring ban.
“We’ve got a process we follow as a Tour, and we're going to let it play out,” said PAC member Bo Van Pelt. “I think that’s what you get with 144 guys. Everybody has a differing opinion.”
Many thanks to reader Chris for forwarding Kyle Porter's post on trick shot artist Romain Bechu who uses a GoPro to take the viral video shooting of a golf trick shot to another level.
Now about his music choices...
It was a huge success last year with the epic shots of Dennis Miller's putt and Casey Martin's relieved look upon qualifying at the 2012 sectional qualifier. Martin is in again, as are hundreds of hopefuls trying to qualify for golf's most democratic tournament, the U.S. Open.
Golf Channel will be covering the Sectional qualifying in full force again.
For Immediate Release:
GOLF’S LONGEST DAY Follows Pursuit of U.S. Open Dreams
Golf Channel Covers U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying With 17 Consecutive Live Hours From 13 Sites Across the U.S.
News, Scores and Insight Offered Across Multiple Platforms; New Golf Channel Digital Studio Makes Debut
ORLANDO, Fla. (May 28, 2013) – On Monday, June 3, a team of more than 50 reporters and production professionals corresponding live from 13 locations around the United States for 17 consecutive hours – what Golf Channel has coined GOLF’S LONGEST DAY – will chronicle U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying, when nearly 1,000 amateur and professional golfers of all ages attempt to qualify for less than 70 spots available to compete in the U.S. Open Championship.
Starting at 7 a.m. ET and continuing until all the final results are tallied at around Midnight ET, Golf Channel will feature interviews, analysis, highlights and scoring updates from 11 U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying locations in the U.S., as well as insight from experts located at Merion Golf Club – site of next month’s U.S. Open – and Golf Channel studios in Orlando.
GOLF’S LONGEST DAY will be a colossal television and digital undertaking, originating across multiple platforms. Television coverage will be hosted by Rich Lerner and Steve Sands from Golf Channel studios, while content produced from Golf Channel’s new digital studio will be hosted by Whit Watson and Ryan Burr. For fans on the go, streaming content will be available via GolfChannel.com and the Golf Live Extra app, from 7 a.m. to Midnight ET. The 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. coverage originating exclusively from the digital studio will be available to everyone online and on mobile devices. Each platform will showcase stories of grit and determination by golfers trying to realize lifelong dreams, as well as those golfers trying to resurrect a career in order to make it back to golf’s brightest stage.
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. Fans also can join the social media conversation in Golf Channel's social lounge (www.GolfChannel.com/SocialLounge), and follow @GolfChannel on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag, #RoadToMerion.
GOLF’S LONGEST DAY U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying Locations and Correspondents:
Rockville, Md. Woodmont Country Club Kay Cockerill
Cle Elum, Wash. Tumble Creek Golf Club Win McMurry
Springfield, Ohio Springfield Country Club Scott Rude
Bradenton, Fla. Ritz-Carlton Members Golf Club Matt Ginella
St. Louis, Mo. Old Warson Country Club David Marr III
Dallas, Texas Lakewood Country Club George Savaricas
Ball Ground, Ga. Hawks Ridge Golf Club Steve Burkowski
Memphis, Tenn. Colonial Country Club Scott Walker
Purchase, N.Y. Century Country Club Jerry Foltz
Old Oaks Country Club
Columbus, Ohio Brookside Golf & Country Club Todd Lewis
The Lakes Golf & Country Club
Newport Beach, Calif. Big Canyon Country Club Rex Hoggard
Newport Beach Country Club
Ardmore, Penn. Merion Golf Club Kelly Tilghman & Tim Rosaforte
Orlando, Fla. Golf Channel Studios Rich Lerner & Steve Sands
Making his Golf Channel debut is new anchor/reporter George Savaricas, who comes to the network from KVOA-TV in Tucson, Ariz.
GOLF’S LONGEST DAY Programming Schedule (all times ET):
7 – 11 a.m. Morning Drive
10 a.m. – 1 p.m. GOLF’S LONGEST DAY streaming from Digital Studio on GolfChannel.com and Golf Live Extra
11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Golf Central Updates on Golf Channel
1 p.m. – Midnight GOLF’S LONGEST DAY coverage on Golf Channel
7 a.m. – Midnight GOLF’S LONGEST DAY streaming on GolfChannel.com and Golf Live Extra
For all of the attention paid to 8th graders these days, Golf World's Tim Rosaforte looks at the quietly impressive year of 19-year-old Jordan Spieth.
With no status and questions about why he turned pro, has won over $900,000 after another top 10 at Colonial.
Spieth's ball-striking stats explain his success. After his latest top-10 at Colonial -- which helped him get into this week's Memorial -- the teenager sat 10th in total driving and ninth in the all-around ranking. Sectional qualifying for the U.S. Open comes June 3 in Dallas, which could mean 288 holes of competitive golf over a three-week period, including last week's British Open qualifier in Big D, in which a T-22 finish failed to earn him a spot in the field at Muirfield.
If Spieth were eligible for FedEx Cup points, he would be ranked in the top 60. His World Ranking is 141st, up from No. 809 at the start of 2013. "My expectations have changed," he said. "Down the stretch [at tournaments] I'm not worried about seventh-place finishes, like I was in Tampa. I can be more aggressive, which may have hurt me this week, but that's part of learning how to win."
We cover a broad spectrum on the latest issue, including the ramifications of the anchoring ban, the recent racial insensitivity and my visit to Rio to see the Olympic course under construction.
Rod Morri hosts Mike Clayton and myself this week. As always, you can subscribe or listen on itunes, or below:
The 6th hole aerial flattens out some of the nice ground features on a hole that'll play 487 yards for the 2013 U.S. Open. With the reduced widths, the tee shot is a forced carry over rough and maybe not even a driver.
Looking back on an old magazine feature covering Bobby Jones' medal rounds here in the 1930 U.S. Amateur, the great Jones hit 2-iron in when the hole played at 442 yards.
Janie McCauley doesn't break any new ground on the amazing story that is Cal golf but she does review all of the essential elements that make them an underdog program heading into the NCAA finals Tuesday in Georgia.
Cal has won 11 of 13 in 2012-13. And as Ryan Lavner notes, they head into the finals with a season record of 173-3-1 and up over 6000 shots on fields this year.
The top-ranked California men's golf team has no home course to call its own, typically shuttling among seven or eight local spots. Most of the Golden Bears were passed on by the elite college golf programs.
Still, Cal is favored to win the NCAA championships beginning Tuesday in Georgia — quite an accomplishment for the record-setting program that operates without any financial help from the university. The golf team has an annual budget of about $600,000.
Golfweek has all of the coverage, including this Twitter feed of players and coaches. And Lance Ringler reminds us that with the match play format, the dynamics of the NCAA are different than what teams see most of the year.
You can follow scores here.
I giggled watching this U.S. Open flyover as it does not do justice to one of the greatest greens in golf. But the ground before the putting surface is pretty sensational too, making this one of the very best par-4s on the planet and likely a spot I'll try to set up shop during U.S. Open week.
To try and describe the green would be unfair other than to say it's a masterpiece of lay-of-the-land architecture with numerous "pockets" for hole locations. Anywhere on this green in two means you've hit two outstanding shots and a par-4 will have come after two fine putts.
A reader of David Owen's blog suggests that the golfing great and founder of Augusta National--Bobby Jones his ownself--anchored his putter and lofted irons around when pitching around the greens.
Personally, I'm not seeing definitive evidence of anything other than unfortunately-baggy plus-fours, but you may disagree...
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
