Woods plays 13 holes at Merion on quiet Sunday

Woods plays 13 holes at Merion on quiet Sunday











PGA.COM June 10, 2013 6:24 PM

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Tiger Woods played 13 holes at Merion Sunday on a sunny, peaceful day of practice.(Getty Images)


By Doug Ferguson, AP Golf Writer

ARDMORE, Pa. -- Merion Golf Club opened the gates Sunday to fans who wanted to buy U.S. Open merchandise. Some of them got a free glimpse of Tiger Woods. But not for long.

Woods played 13 holes under hazy sunshine, far different conditions from what he saw two weeks ago in the wind and rain that made the shortest U.S. Open course in nine years feel much longer. He was among a scattering of players who spent a lazy afternoon getting to know a golf course that last held a major championship 32 years ago.

But while no one in the field played in that 1981 U.S. Open that David Graham won with a flawless final round, Kevin Chappell is among those getting reacquainted.

Chappell played four competitive rounds in 2005 during the U.S. Amateur, the litmus test for the USGA to make sureMerion was still current with the modern game. He lost in the third round that year, and while the surroundings look different with the grandstands and hospitality areas, one thing hasn't changed.

"It's a tour event on steroids," Chappell said.

Merion is 6,996 yards on the scorecard, making it the first major championship under 7,000 yards since Shinnecock Hills (also 6,996 yards) for the 2004 U.S. Open. But the yardage can be deceiving. One of the par 5s is 628 yards, and Geoff Ogilvy figured there would be dozens of players who struggle to reach the green in three shots, much less get home in two. Another par 5 has been shifted to the right, bringing out-of-bounds close to the edge of the fairway.

It has a par 3 of only 115 yards -- the other par 3s all are over 240 yards.

And perhaps the biggest change from most recent U.S. Opens is the rough. It's long and thick.

"The rough is longer than we've seen," said Ogilvy, who had never seen Merion until arriving this weekend. "You can't make grass grow in four days, but you can cut. Although I don't think they will."

USGA Executive Director Mike Davis was making the rounds Sunday afternoon, checking on a course that received about 3 inches of rain Friday, so much that the creek near the par-4 11th green was starting to creep over the rock wall. It was back to normal Sunday, though the forecast is suspect for a big part of the coming week.

Chappell played 18 holes with former Masters champion Zach Johnson and Tim Clark, and he couldn't help but notice how many of the fairways have shifted to move closer to the trouble. Then, he clarified what he meant by "trouble."

"Closer to the boundary stakes," he said.


Some of the fans leaned against the railing by the road on the left side of the 15th hole, so close to the fairway that they could have a personal conversation with Hunter Mahan, and even applaud his short iron to about 12 feet.

Merion has a lot of meat early in the round, particularly the opening six holes. What follows is a seven-hole stretch of par 3s and par 4s, the longest at 403 yards, which is short by today's standards. It's where the birdies are to be made, assuming the ball is placed in the correct part of the fairway. And then comes the strong finish.

Mahan opted for a driver off the 15th hole -- it's about 290 yards to cover the bunkers dotting the right side, so he picked out a tall fir tree just left of them. It was an aggressive play, and that's that Chappell expects to see from several players. But not all of them.

"There will be a big discrepancy in play," Chappell said. "You can challenge some of these holes if you want to."

The winning score at Merion has improved each of the previous four U.S. Opens. Olin Dutra won at 293 in 1934, followed by Ben Hogan at 287 in 1950, Lee Trevino at 280 in 1971 and Graham at 273 in 1981.

Chappell can see something along the lines of 10 under par if the week gets enough rain to make the greens soft. Yes, Merion can hold its own against the best in the world.

"There's too many wedges," he said, referring to the middle stretch of the golf course.

Ogilvy was walking up the 12th fairway when he pointed to the thick grass framing the landing areas and said, "There won't be any scoring records this week."

There was rain early in the week at Olympia Fields in 2003, which softened the course. Vijay Singh shot 63 in the second round. Jim Furyk was at 10-under 200 to set the 54-hole record at the time, and despite bogeys on the last two holes, his 272 tied what was then the U.S. Open record. It was soft at Congressional in 2011 when Rory McIlroy set the new standard, finishing on 16-under 268.

"I think there will be low rounds, but I don't think the total will be low," Ogilvy said.

There's no telling what this week will bring at Merion, though Ogilvy figured it would start from the tee.

"It takes a lot of practice to work out some of these lines," he said. "On 10 of the holes (minus the par 3s), you've got to be comfortable. There's no specific clue where to hit it. You have to know it. Off the tee, it's quite awkward. Someone who drives it the best this week will fare quite well -- not the straightest, but the best."

Furyk, Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker played Merion in the 1989 U.S. Amateur. Chappell, defending U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson and New Orleans winner Billy Horschel were among those at the 2005 U.S. Amateur, while Morgan Hoffmann and Rickie Fowler played Merion in the 2009 Walker Cup.

The biggest difference? Except for one qualifying round at the U.S. Amateur, that was match play. The worst anyone could do was to lose a hole. Starting Thursday, they have to count every stroke on every hole.

Tight neighborhood getting used to U.S. Open

Tight neighborhood getting used to U.S. Open











PGA.COM June 10, 2013 6:47 PM

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(Getty Images)


By MaryClaire Dale, Associated Press

ARDMORE, Pa. -- As tee time for the 2013 U.S. Open nears, the quaint Philadelphia suburb of Ardmore looks like a swanky tent city.

Huge white hospitality tents cover sprawling front lawns onGolf House Road, College Avenue and other streets that hem in the famously tight Merion Golf Club course.

''I think everyone's excited. As a neighbor it's very inconvenient, but it's a chance to be part of a tradition and to watch it firsthand,'' said Wally Smerconish, a developer renting his tennis court near the 14th tee to the U.S. Golf Association, which plans to put 30 tables there for corporate sponsorships.

Merion, a national Historic Landmark, is hosting the U.S. Open for the first time since 1981. The club has held two U.S. Amateurs and the team-oriented Walker Cup in the years since, but they were far less frenzied events.

''Two thousand people on the course is a nice walk in the park with a cocktail,'' Smerconish said. ''Thirty thousand people on the course is a logistical challenge for these guys, I'm sure.''

Local officials have been planning for several years, with ready cooperation from neighbors, local retailers and nearby Haverford College, which is lending land near its baseball fields for hospitality tents. In return, the USGA sent the college 100 passes for the four-day tournament; they were distributed by lottery to alumni, students, staff and others.

Local road closures are an issue, although neighbors who have to make it home each night have been given passes to get onto their streets. Some have rented out their homes to golfers and their entourages for amounts rumored to reach six figures, according to one local real estate agent, who, like many, didn't want the inconvenience of leaving town.


''Unless it's a number that would make me faint, I'm not doing it,'' said Linda ''Z,'' who had her last legally changed to that abbreviation, the name she uses selling high-end properties on Philadelphia's Main Line.

Beyond the neighborhood, thousands of other fans will be arriving at the local train stop or via shuttles from Villanova University.

''I'm interested to see how far they hit the ball, compared to how far I hit it,'' said Fran Steffler, 57, of Philadelphia, who endured a walk in pouring rain Friday to reach the merchandise tent, where he and a friend bought souvenirs. They have passes for Thursday, which they ordered a year ago.

Steffler marveled at the famous course as he walked down a wet Golf House Road.

''It looks tough,'' he sighed. ''Tight fairways. High rough. Bunkers that I wouldn't want to be in.''

As the heavy rain resumed Monday, the Rev. Ryan Whitley was ushering children into a daycare center at nearby St. George's Episcopal Church, which is adding to its collection plate by renting out its parking lot for security officials.

Given that interruption, the church plans an outdoor service Sunday morning at a local park. No word if any golfers will be there seeking divine help before the last round. But Whitley will be cheering for Bill Haas, a fellow Demon Deacon from Wake Forest University.

Whoever's left on the course will have to battle not just nerves, but sudden bursts of music from the bell tower at St. George's, which rings every 30 minutes.

''It's just going to be part of the ambiance at the U.S. Open,'' Whitley said.

A Lesson Learned: Preparation is key

A Lesson Learned: Preparation is key











Mark Sheftic, PGA June 17, 2013 12:31 PM


My first thoughts at the end of the 113th U.S. Open were pretty much: "Wow, I can't believe how great this was," and "Wow, I can't believe it's over." For years, we have been anticipating, preparing and awaiting this past week - and quite honestly, it could not have gone much better.

Even with the weather we had leading up to the week, and a couple of stops on Thursday, we were able to have the players and the course as ready as it could be as soon as conditions allowed for them to play. Logistically, it could have been quite a challenge but everyone involved with the tournament did everything they could - and needed to - to make sure things worked exactly as they had to in order to give every golfer their best chance to succeed and every fan their best chance to enjoy the championship.

And that leads to this week's "A Lesson Learned." There really is no substitute for proper preparation.

Some players arrived earlier this month to check out the course and I made a concerted note to follow them around on their practice rounds. As an instructor and a competitive player, anything I can learn from the world's top players will only benefit my students and my own game. What I found most striking was the amount of time they spent on the tee boxes and the putting greens. And for these players, it wasn't merely about finding comfortable distances to approach from or the best places to putt from - but also finding the best sightlines of each tee box as they prepared to hit - and learning the nuances of the greens, including the slopes and how the grain would run.

I watched one putting coach work with a player for quite a bit, hitting several putts on nearly every quadrant of every green and discussing practically every putt's movement, speed and flow of the grain. That coach told me after their session, "I think we have these greens down. We are ready." Not every coach and player can feel that confident before a tournament. But wouldn't it be great if you prepared in such a way that would give you that same confidence for a big match?


Incidentally, that putting coach was David Orr and he was working with the new 2013 U.S. Open champion Justin Rose. Ready, indeed!

So I encourage all golfers to not only prepare, but to take that added level of preparation when you are getting ready. You may know where you want your drive to end up, but do you know where you should be looking off the tee in order to have your ball get to that point? Are you aware of not only the best places to approach a particular hole location from - but also the worst place on the green for that same putt?

More than likely, you're not able to hit multiple shots off a tee box or take several practice putts on each green. (Hey, "While We're Young!") But you can still take a yardage book and make notes indicating these type observations so when it's crunch time, you are as prepared as can be.

Speaking of crunch time, I have to give a quick tip of the cap to Merion's PGA Head Professional Scott Nye, Merion's General Manager Christine Pooler and Matt Shaffer, our Director of Golf Course Operations. Their dedication to this event and to Merion was a big reason this U.S. Open will go down as one of the all-time great championships. And as anyone in golf knows, the members and volunteers were critical to hosting thischampionship. No matter what Mother Nature threw at them, everyone stepped and did what needed to be done. As a whole, we were ready for any and every variable. In short, we, like Justin Rose, were prepared.

This coming week, I'm preparing for the 2013 PGA Professional National Championship, the ultimate championship for PGA Professionals. I will be arriving in central Oregon early enough to get plenty of practice rounds - and I know that my notes will include additional preparations that I learned while watching the Tour's top players this week. It will only benefit my game, I'm sure it will benefit yours.

Finally, I have to make a quick note about my experience with champion Justin Rose. When Justin came in two weeks ago for some practice time, as noted, he spent the majority of his time on tee boxes and greens. He also spent significant time with the assistant professionals and staff here. Not to ask questions, not to ask for favors - but simply to say, "Thank You." He even went out of his way, would not leave, until he had a chance to show his gratitude to those who were helping conduct the championship. Every golfer from Tour player, club professional, aspiring collegiate golfer or weekend warrior - could learn from Justin Rose.

Mark Sheftic is a PGA Teaching Professional at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, PA. Sheftic was the 2012 Philadelphia Section Teacher of the Year and is an accomplished player, having earned his way into two PGA Championships. You can learn more about Mark at his website:markshefticgolf.com

Merion proves itself as little course that could

Merion proves itself as little course that could











PGA.COM June 17, 2013 5:44 PM

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Merion crowned a worthy champion in Justin Rose.(Getty Images)


By Jim Litke, Associated Press

ARDMORE, Pa. -- Merion Golf Club did more than just hold its own.

Called too short, too cramped and too much of a pushover when the U.S. Open teed off, it nearly stole the show by the end.

It crowned a worthy champion in Justin Rose, slid a banana peel beneath Phil Mickelson and sent Tiger Woods packing.

It forced every player in the field to pull every club in the bag at one time or another, and left nearly all of them second-guessing throughout. There were more bogeys and bent clubs, hosel rockets and self-inflicted head slaps in the first two hours of the final round than you see some seasons in all four majors combined.

Between the limited space for the galleries and corporate tents, the payoffs to neighbors and Merion members for commandeering their lawns and clubhouse, the U.S. Golf Association may leave with a smaller haul than usual. But if it came here in search of grand theater, the USGA got a steal.

''At the start of the week, everyone thought we were going to rip it up,'' Jason Day recalled ruefully, after tying with Mickelson for runner-up at 3 over, ''but I just knew that somewhere around even par was going to win it.''

Advances in technology and better-conditioned athletes have made the ball fly farther and were supposed to make 7,000-yard courses obsolete.

Mother Nature dumped buckets of rain through most of the four days to further soften up Merion's first line of defense -- its devilishly sloped fairways and undulating greens.

But like every one of the game's great venues -- old and new -- Merion struck back by getting into the players' heads. Its quirky sightlines and blind shots left golfers doubting their aim even as they pulled the club back.

The mix of tough holes and easy ones -- in the last round, one par 3 required a driver, another par 3 a wedge -- toyed with their nerves and lulled the players into relaxing at all the wrong moments.

''I found that was the toughest thing,'' said Rose, whose winning score was 1 over.

''Because you could make birdies, you could get ahead of the card, around the middle of the course you could be 1 or 2 under. No round was safe until you played 18 holes. I think we learned that yesterday, the way I finished. I finished bogey, bogey. (Charl) Schwartzel, bogey, bogey. Luke (Donald), bogey, double bogey. Hunter (Mahan), bogey, bogey.''


Because of the treacherous course setup at some places, the USGA has said its goal is to identify the best players, not embarrass them.

If so, despite the high scores and sometimes-amateurish shots, nearly every player in the field walked off looking more respectable for all the struggling -- and none more-so than Rose.

The resolute Englishman was supposed to be golf's next big thing after finishing fourth in the 1998 British Open as a 17-year-old. Instead, soon after launching his pro career, Rose missed 21 straight cuts and lost his father.

When he tapped in for par at No. 18, he looked up at the sky in tribute to his father, kissed the golf ball he pulled from the cup, doffed his cap briefly and then waited to see whether Mickelson, playing in the final group behind him, could birdie a hole that hadn't yielded even one the last two days.

But in a nice bit of serendipity, a few moments earlier as he stood in the 18th fairway, Rose was only five paces behind the bronze plaque embedded there to recall the famous 1-iron that Ben Hogan hit here in 1950 to earn a spot in a playoff he won the next day.

Six decades later, for all the things that have changed in the game, the demands on a champion were the same: one solidly struck iron shot, two putts.

''It's hard not to play Merion and envision yourself hitting the shot that Hogan did,'' Rose recalled. ''And even in the moment today, that was not lost on me. When I walked over the hill and saw my drive sitting perfectly in the middle of the fairway, with the sun coming out, it was kind of almost fitting. ...

''So I felt like I did myself justice,'' he added, ''and probably put enough of a good swing where Ben Hogan might have thought it was a decent shot, too.''

Endorsements flowed in from other quarters, too. Rose, Mickelson, Woods, Day and just about every other contender interviewed Sunday said they would welcome the chance to come back for another major, stand in Hogan's spikes and see if they measured up.

Many in the golf community viewed this visit to Merion as a referendum of sorts on whether some of the game's other grand old venues -- perhaps Chicago Golf Club, Riviera and The Country Club -- would get the chance to face the test of time as well.

Standing alongside the 18th green just ahead of the trophy presentation, Tom O'Toole, chairman of the USGA's championship committee, wasn't prepared to commit to any site beyond those already awarded through 2020.

''The question with Merion was always whether the other things that go into staging an Open -- infrastructure, logistics, those things mostly -- would work out. It took a lot of creativity,'' he said.

''The naysayers dominated the early part of that conversation,'' O'Toole added. ''But they've gone by the wayside now.''

Miserable McIlroy says he needs to play more

Miserable McIlroy says he needs to play more












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When Rory McIlroy was introduced at his news conference as shooting 14 over, he joked, "You didn't have to tell them that part."(Getty Images)

PGA.COM June 17, 2013 5:50 PM


By Dan Gelston, Associated Press

ARDMORE, Pa. -- Rory McIlroy was miserable at Merion and he took out his frustrations on his club on No. 11 on Sunday. His first tee shot plopped in the water. He took a drop, then sent another ball into the same creek.

McIlroy then jammed the club into the ground and completely twisted the head.

"I think that's what this tournament does to you," he said. "At one point or another, it's got the better of you, and it definitely did this weekend."

He briefly lost his cool, just not his sense of humor.

When he was introduced at his news conference as shooting 14 over, he joked, "You didn't have to tell them that part."

He shot a 6-over 76 in the final round.


McIlroy was part of the feature group the opening two rounds, playing alongside Tiger Woods and Adam Scott -- Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in the world rankings. All three failed to fire at Merion Golf Club. Woods finished at 13 over, and Scott at 15 over.

"I thought of the three of us, the first two rounds, Adam played the best, and he was the one with the worst score," McIlroy said. "But that is just what a U.S. Open does to you."

Again, McIlroy never came close to winning. He finished 25th at the Masters this year and was coming off a brutal 78 at the Memorial. He barely made the cut and finished 57th. Most notably, he quit in the middle of a round at the Honda Classic.

The 24-year-old from Northern Ireland believed, though, his game is rounding into form.

"I don't feel like my game is that far away," he said. "That's what I've been taking out of this week. It's a matter of trying to let it all click into place."

With his wedge as bent out of shape as his game, McIlroy finished with 13 clubs. It might not have mattered if he had 19.

The former world No. 1 again refused to blame his equipment switch for his season-long struggles.

"I sort of needed to play a little bit more," he said. "If I was to do it all over again, I would have done things slightly differently. But you learn from that and it's hopefully something I'll never have to do in my career again. So I don't mind taking three months to figure it out and go from there."