Senior PGA Championship: Thursday notebook

Senior PGA Championship: Thursday notebook












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Paul Trittler is among the eight-player St. Louis contingent this week.(Montana Pritchard/The PGA of America)

PGA.COM May 24, 2013 6:46 PM


ST. LOUIS -- Sonny Skinner drove 12 hours from his home in Sylvester, Ga., to Bellerive Country Club, just outside St. Louis, a journey that he said allowed him time to "clear the mind" while preparing for the 74th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid.

"You listen to a lot of good music, and it allows you to refocus when you drive those 12 hours," said Skinner, who attended his daughter's high school graduation last Sunday and passed on a late search for a flight. "My game wasn't very good coming in here. I didn't play for seven straight days. That was on purpose, because my game felt sour and flat, and I was not confident."

The truth is Skinner's game was mostly sweet in Thursday's opening round of the most historic and prestigious event in senior golf. The 52-year-old PGA head professional at River Pointe Golf Club in Albany, Ga., posted a 4-under-par 67, featuring six birdies and a pair of bogeys.

It was the best first-round score by a PGA club professional in the Championship since 2003, when Mike San Filippo of Hobe Sound, Fla., turned in a 68. Skinner's performance, coming in his third appearance in the Championship, led a delegation of 42 PGA club professionals on a cool, overcast day that featured periodic drizzle in the afternoon.

It also left Skinner one shot out of the lead, shared by two-time Senior PGA Champion Jay Haas and Duffy Waldorf, who is making his Championship debut.

Mark Mielke, PGA head professional at Mill River Club in Oyster Bay, N.Y., had a 69 in his Championship debut. PGA Life Member San Filippo, playing in his 10th Championship; Jeff Coston of Blaine, Wash.; and Bob Gaus of St. Louis, a PGA teaching professional at Tower Tee Golf Center, each were at 71.

"It's a golf course that rewards you for hitting it in the fairway," said Skinner, the reigning Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year, who hit all 14 fairways Thursday. "That's always been part of my game. Round to round, I've relied upon being able to put it in play."

Skinner salvaged his round with a spectacular par-saving pitch on the 195-yard, par-3 sixth hole. Ranked the second-most difficult hole in the opening round, Skinner hit a 4-iron up into a plugged lie in the left greenside bunker and blasted from there across the green and down a bank.

He then chipped in from 40 yards out.

"I was just trying to make bogey and then I rolled it into the hole for a 3," Skinner said.

Beginning his round on the back nine, Skinner birdied 15, 17, 18, 1, 3 and 4, offsetting bogeys on the 11th and 16th holes.

Skinner's Championship trip was enhanced when his longtime caddie, Paul Yates, put him in touch with PGA Professional Craig Bollman of Edwardsville, Ill., who not only caddied but also has allowed Skinner to stay the week at his home some 50 minutes from Bellerive's gates.

"Paul called me a month ago and said Sonny is coming to St. Louis, and needs help, and asked if I would help him out? I said, 'Sure,' " said Bollman, a PGA teaching professional at GolfTEC-Des Peres in St. Louis, who is making his debut caddying in a tournament. "So, my family welcomed him in and he's an awesome guy."

Bollman said that he and Skinner exchanged several text messages before Skinner arrived Monday night.

"Sonny got in around 7:30, and I had to go to my son's baseball game," said Bollman. "I walked him into the kitchen, said, 'There's dinner, and see you tomorrow.' It's very easy to caddie for Sonny and it was a really great day for me today, too."

Bellerive reminded Mielke, 50, of several New York courses within the Metropolitan PGA Section, which added to his comfort level.

"The golf course set-up is almost exactly like what we play," said Mielke. "There are six tough holes here. I said going in, if I could just par those six holes and maybe make some birdies on some of the other ones, it might be all right."

Mielke had only two pars over his first 10 holes, a string that went birdie-bogey-par-birdie-par-bogey-birdie-birdie-bogey-bogey. He finished with birdies on Nos. 14 and 17.

A FEW TIDBITS ABOUT HAAS'S ROUND: Two-time Senior PGA Champion Jay Haas, who leads after the first round of the 74th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, was one of only two players in the field not to make a bogey today at Bellerive Country Club. He had five birdies and shot 66. (Mark Wiebe also did not make a bogey en route to a 1-under-par 70.)

Other highlights of Haas's opening round: • He hit 10 of 14 Fairways • He hit 14 of 18 Greens in Regulation • Haas's uncle, 1968 Masters Champion Bob Goalby, followed Haas on the back nine today. Goalby, 84, played in the 1965 U.S. Open at Bellerive Country Club.

Haas, who was born in St. Louis and grew up in nearby Belleville, Ill., estimates that he has played Bellerive about 30 times. He tied for 62nd in the 1992 PGA Championship at Bellerive and tied for third here in the 2004 U.S. Senior Open.

AND A FEW NOTES ABOUT WALDORF'S DAY: Duffy Waldorf made a strong first impression, shooting 66 today and tying for the lead in his inaugural appearance in the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. Starting his round on the 10th hole, Waldorf made three birdies on the back nine, and closed with consecutive birdies on Nos. 7 and 8.

Other highlights of Waldorf's opening round: • He hit 10 of 14 Fairways • He hit 16 of 18 Greens in Regulation • He holed out of a greenside bunker for birdie on the par-3 16th hole

SENIOR NO STRANGER: Peter Senior of Australia, who shot 3-under-par 68 today, is certainly familiar with being near the top of the leaderboard at the Senior PGA Championship presented by Kitchen Aid. In his three previous appearances in the Championship, Senior finished tied for 11th (in 2010), tied for fifth (2011) and tied for fourth (2012).

DÉJÀ VU FOR MUROTA?: Kiyoshi Murota of Japan, tied for third after shooting 67 today, also knows what it's like to come close to capturing the Alfred S. Bourne Trophy. In the 2011 Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., Murota led after each of the first two rounds, was tied for the lead after the third round, and finished third alone, one shot behind Tom Watson and David Eger (Watson won the Championship in a playoff).

Murato was at 4-under par today, even though he made double-bogey 5 on the par-3 sixth hole.


SKINNER'S HOT STREAK: Sonny Skinner hit all 14 Fairways today and parlayed that consistency into a string of good scores. Skinner, a PGA Club Professional from Sylvester, Ga., made six birdies over a span of eight holes (from No. 15 through No. 4), then parred in for 67, one stroke back of Jay Haas and Duffy Waldorf.

Skinner was the low PGA Club Professional in the 2011 Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.

ST. LOUIS CONNECTIONS: Eight players in the field this week have ties to the St. Louis area. Jay Haas, born in St. Louis and raised in Belleville, Ill., leads the Championship after a 66. St. Louis natives Jay Delsing and Bob Gaus, each making their Championship debuts, came in with a 70 and 71, respectively.

PGA Club Professional JC Anderson, born in Springfield, Ill., and a resident of O'Fallon, Mo., had 76. Former Senior PGA Champion Tom Wargo of Centralia, Ill., the oldest member of the field at age 70, shot 77.

Paul Trittler, a native of St. Louis and PGA director of instruction at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., had 73. Former Bellerive Country Club PGA Head Professional Jerry Tucker of Stuart, Fla., a native of Carbondale, Ill., had 76, while Bellerive PGA Director of Instruction Brian Fogt, who had the honor of hitting the first tee shot of the Championship, struggled to an 81.

UNDER PAR, AT PAR: There were 29 players who broke par today and 45 who finished at even-par 71 or better.

NO. 6 WAS A BEAST: A total of 15 double-bogeys (and three other worse scores) were recorded today at the par-3 sixth hole. There were just seven birdies on the 195-yard hole.

BUT 10 WAS TOUGHER: The 10th hole at Bellerive, a 459-yard par-4, was the most difficult hole in the opening round of the Championship. The 10th played to a stroke average of 4.555, and yielded just two birdies. There were 68 bogeys and 10 double bogeys on the hole.

The top-3 toughest holes today: • No. 10, Par 4, 4.555 stroke average • No. 6, Par 3, 3.513 stroke average • No. 5, Par 4, 4.372 stroke average (only four birdies on this hole)

NO. 4 PLAYED THE EASIEST: The par-5 fourth at Bellerive ranked as the easiest hole today, with 72 birdies and just five bogeys. (There were no double bogeys or worse on the hole.) In fact, there were almost as many birdies as pars (79) on the fourth hole.

BACK WAS MUCH TOUGHER: With a stroke average of 36.57 on the par-35 back nine, it played much harder today than the par-36 front nine, which had a 36.72 stroke average.

HAAS PACES SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONS: Tied for the Championship lead, Jay Haas is also out in front of the other Senior PGA Champions in the field. Here are the first-round scores of the other Senior PGA Champions in the field:

Tom Watson (69) Hale Irwin (70) Mike Reid (72) Roger Chapman (72) Michael Allen (73) John Jacobs (73) Tom Wargo (77)

TOUGH START FOR JAKE: Peter Jacobsen, who captured the 2004 U.S. Senior Open here at Bellerive, struggled today with four bogeys on his second nine and shot 75 (4-over par).

LANGER'S TRAVAILS: Bernhard Langer came into the Championship as the only player with multiple victories (two) on the Champions Tour this year and a 68.86 stroke average on that Tour. But instead of a good start in pursuit of his first Championship title, Langer had consecutive triple-bogeys on Nos. 5 and 6, and had to birdie his final hole just to break 80. Langer's 8-over-par 79 today is three shots worse than his previous high score in this Championship.

MIELKE'S ROLLER COASTER: PGA Club Professional Mark Mielke of East Norwich, N.Y., had only two pars over his first 10 holes. Starting on No. 1, he went birdie-bogey-par-birdie-par-bogey-birdie-birdie-bogey-bogey. Mielke then birdied Nos. 14 and 17 to shoot 2-under-par 69.

SAME FOR FORSMAN: Over his first six holes today, Dan Forsman also found par to be elusive. He bogeyed the first hole, then had three straight birdies, followed by two consecutive bogeys. Forsman ended the round hitting 13 of 14 Fairways and shooting 2-under-par 69.

FAMILIAR FINISH FOR FORSMAN AND COCHRAN: Dan Forsman and Russ Cochran played in the same grouping today and shot the same score (69). They also finished tied for seventh place in the 1992 PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club.

CHAPMAN BEGINS DEFENSE: Defending Senior PGA Champion Roger Chapman of England, made just one birdie in the opening round (at the par-5 eighth hole) and shot 1-over-par 72.

ELKINGTON WITHDRAWS BEFORE ROUND: Steve Elkington, the 1995 PGA Champion, was forced to withdraw before the start of the round today, due to a migraine headache.

HUSTON WITHDRAWS MID-ROUND: John Huston, a seven-time winner on the PGA Tour, withdrew today because of back problems. Huston played the front in 7-over-par 43 before having to stop.

MARATHON MEN: Bobby Wadkins and Bob Gilder are celebrating their own endurance marks this week. Wadkins, a four-time winner on the Champions Tour, is competing in the 1,000th combined start of his career between the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.

Wadkins shot 2-over-par 73 today.

Gilder, a 10-time Champions Tour winner, is competing in his 59th consecutive major championship on the Champions Tour. He shot 77 today.

KITCHENAID KORNER FOR FRIDAY: On Friday at 1 p.m., KitchenAid will welcome Chef Cat Cora to the KitchenAid Fairway Club (adjacent to No. 10 fairway). Cora is a co-host of the Bravo series Around the World in 80 Plates and is also known for her role as an "Iron Chef" on the Food Network series.

At 2:30 p.m., KitchenAid welcomes local St. Louis Chef Kevin Storm of Bellerive Country Club, for a demonstration at the KitchenAid Fairway Club.

Lintelman goes from long shot to limelight

Lintelman goes from long shot to limelight












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(Montana Pritchard/The PGA of America)

PGA.COM May 24, 2013 7:11 PM


ST. LOUIS - Meet Bud Lintelman, folks.

As late as last week, the 53-year-old PGA Professional from Purcellville, Va., was the 15th alternate for this week's 74th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid at Bellerive Country Club.

By Sunday, he was the fifth alternate. When he became the fourth alternate on Tuesday morning, Lintelman decided he'd better make the trip to St. Louis just in case a few more guys dropped out and he'd somehow sneak into his first ever Champions Tour event - a major no less.

And it's a good thing he did because now Lintelman has an amazing story to tell for the rest of his life.

If he had decided not to travel to St. Louis, there's a chance he'd be in Oklahoma helping out with the tornado clean-up.

About three months ago, Lintelman left a job as a club professional to work for Interstate Restoration, a privately owned, for-profit, national disaster recovery service company.

"We assist in hurricane situations, fires, water losses, tornadoes and stuff like that," he said. "What happened in Oklahoma was devastating. My prayers go out to them for sure. We did have people on the ground there, but I'm not sure if we're doing any work there. But our heart goes out to those people."

Just to get the particulars out of the way, Lintelman did get a spot in the field and he missed the cut big time with rounds of 80-83 for a 21-over-par 163 total. Sure, the competitor in Lintelman will tell you he sure wishes he'd played better.

"I played like an 18-handicapper," Lintelman said. "It was a little embarrassing, but I'm going to keep my head high because I know I'm a little better than what I was showing out there this week."

He'll be smiling from ear-to-ear for a while too, though, because the fact that he got in the field doesn't even begin to tell his story.

Imagine for a second, if you can, the range of emotions Lintelman experienced this week. He was the 15th alternate at this time a week ago. A few days later, that number trickles down. He makes the trip to St. Louis with the hopes that he'll get his first start on the Champions Tour - in the most historic and prestigious of majors for those 50 and over.

Got all that? Now, imagine arriving at the golf course shortly after 6:00 a.m. on the morning of the first round, like Lintelman did, hanging around on the practice green in between the first and 10th tees with his girlfriend Lynne LaFond DeLuca, who flew in from Los Angeles to offer her support, ready to tee off at a moment's notice if his name was called.

"I was teasing Lynne as I watched Loren Roberts chip," Lintelman said. "I said, 'Lynne, I don't know if Loren knows this, but he just gave me a chipping lesson.' I was kidding around here all morning while I was watching the tour veterans get ready to play. As I was kidding, I said to Lynne, 'I wonder if Tom Watsonknows I'm going to be in his group this afternoon.'"

Good one, jokester.

The entire first wave teed off. Nothing.

So Lintelman did what any sensible person would do. He went back to the parking lot with DeLuca to take a break from waiting around. After a few minutes, DeLuca suggested he should go hit some balls on the driving range.

"I said, 'I don't know if I need to hit any golf balls, I'm not even going to play,'" Lintelman said. "But, she convinced me to do it. I went down to the range and started hitting a few balls."

While he did that, DeLuca snuck over to the tournament office to see if maybe, just maybe, his number had come up.

It did. Steve Elkington, citing a migraine, had just withdrawn. But, there was more and DeLuca couldn't wait to get to the range to deliver the news.


"Well, you're in, but that's not it," DeLuca told Lintelman, "You're playing with Tom Watson."

No way.

Lintelman played the first two rounds of his very first Champions Tour event and very first major championship with Tom Watson, an eight-time major winner, and Peter Jacobsen.

"It was really just a great dream come true," Lintelman said shortly after signing for his second round, 83. "I hope I handled myself professionally out there."

It sure wasn't easy, DeLuca said.

"Bud probably wouldn't admit this, but he thought he might pass out the first six holes," she said. "We found out he was in at around 11:00 a.m. on Thursday. They didn't tee off until 1:05, so he had plenty of time to think about it."

"This whole thing has been a little overwhelming, to be honest," Lintelman said. "The course is hard enough. If you play this course on a Tuesday and there's no tournament, it's a hard golf course. To go out there and perform well when there's nothing on the line is hard. But then you throw in the fact that this is a major championship, the galleries, my first Champions Tour event and two superstars as my playing partners, then, yeah, I hardly remember a shot from my first nine holes.

"I was actually almost a little light-headed. I four-putted my second hole, which blows your mind a little bit. I felt like I could compose myself a little bit and played some good holes out there."

Throughout the two rounds, Lintelman hit some good shots. In fact, he had two birdies in the second round, including a long-range putt on the 17th hole. He bantered up and down the fairways with Watson and Jacobsen and, when all was said and done, he received heartfelt handshakes and pats on the back from both players.

Lintelman also got a kick out of the folks who wondered out loud in the gallery, "What is that guy doing with his head when he tees off?"

DeLuca said she loves Lintelman's "fierce sense of humor." When asked what the deal was with that thing he does with his head when he tees off, Lintelman, funny man that he is, asked: "What are you talking about?"

Immediately after address, and just before he pulls the club back, Lintelman turns his head almost as if he's looking behind him. It's different, but it serves a purpose.

"I look away so I can find it in the fairway is what my slogan is," he said. "The truth is, I had the driver yips years ago - probably 10 years ago - and my teacher David Newsom at the River Creek Club in Leesburg (Va.) got me to look back to take the anxiety out of the swing. It also helped my physically in regard to how I turn my shoulders. It gives me a little better rotation and took that mental block off, if you will, and allowed me to swing through the shot. I started it as a practice drill, but then stayed with it.

"To be honest, when I got out here I tried to take every opportunity I could to do it in front of people to get comfortable because I've never really done it in front of a lot of people. I've done it in state opens and club professional championships and things of that sort, but never anything of this magnitude. It really didn't bother me. I actually drove the ball pretty darn good."

All in all, though short, it was a week of "pinch me" proportions for Lintelman.

So what was that all about, telling DeLuca, "I wonder if Tom Watson knows I'm going to be in his group this afternoon?"

A premonition?

"I guess I said it because I knew he was in the feature pairing for the afternoon wave and he's one of my favorite players of all time," Lintelman said. "My mother - Watson is her favorite golfer ever. Ever since I was a kid, my mother has loved this guy and I've always loved him. What a story."

It sure is. And it's one Lintelman will be able to tell for as long as he lives.



By: T.J. Auclair, PGA.com

Woods-Garcia meet face-to-face at Merion

Woods-Garcia meet face-to-face at Merion










The Sports Xchange June 10, 2013 5:00 PMThe SportsXchange



Sergio Garcia spoke face-to-face with Tiger Woods Monday for the first time since he made a "fried chicken" comment about Woods on May 21.

Garcia and Woods shook hands while briefly speaking to each other on the driving range at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa.

Garcia made the comments during a European Tour function near London. He previously apologized and Woods said two weeks ago he was moving on from the incident.

When asked about his exchange with Garcia, Woods said, "I'm not going there," according to ESPN.

Woods will be part of a press conference at Merion on Tuesday, site of this weekend's U.S. Open.

A feud between the two players brewed during the third round of the Players Championship in May, when Garcia implied that Woods distracted him during a shot.

Garcia later made racially-sensitive comments about Woods when he was asked if he would have dinner with Woods during the U.S. Open.

"We'll have him 'round every night. We will serve fried chicken," Garcia said.

Woods responded on Twitter that the remarks were "wrong, hurtful and inappropriate."

Garcia tried to reach out to Woods at the BMW Championship three weeks ago, telling reporters he wanted to speak with him about the comments.

"We talked to his manager and asked him if he wanted us to call Tiger, or wait for Merion and do it there face to face," Garcia said. "And they said they would rather do it there. There's nothing we can do, so we'll wait until we get there and we'll talk."

Garcia is also scheduled to speak at Tuesday's press conference.

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.