Texting Mike Davis...

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In Tim Rosaforte's story about the Winged Foot rough harvest, he noted that USGA President Walter Driver impersonated a green chairman-gone-mad by text messaging new course setup man Mike Davis with concerns about the new tiered rough.

Well, it turns out there were several messages sent to Davis as Driver played Winged Foot in a charity event Monday. Thanks to my Blackberry monitoring friends at the NSA, I have obtained Driver's messages to Davis. 

02:22:12 PM EST   Driver here. Lost a ball already in the third cut on #1.  Bad caddy but still…get this taken down ASAP so XC doesn’t have to play this in advance scouting rounds week before Open.  And the intermediate cut is too low.  Have Greynook raise it ¼ of an inch, because I advanced several balls with spin. Must be the grooves ruining game. But still, get on this right away. That is, the height of the intermediate cut, not the grooves. Rugge is handling that for me.
02:31:45 PM EST   Driver here again. Just four-putted #1. Why didn’t you have Fazio soften this green?

03:11:01 PM EST   Driver here again. Just birdied 4 from rough. But that's not why I'm writing. Lost Blackberry reception on 4 green. Please look into this. Can't have this during Open.

03:55:50  PM EST   Driver here again.  Just played #6. Fairway too wide. Paced it off at 21 yards. And I’m not sure about eliminating intermediate cut on the short holes. That was DBFay’s idea right?  Please advise ASAP. Tom Rostafort is hanging around, wanting quotes. I have to make sure blame is properly attributed.

05:45:23 PM EST   Okay, you must be in a meeting and that’s why you haven’t responded to these messages. Driver here yet again. We are at almost 6 hours through 16 holes, big wait on 17 tee. Call pro shop and tell them I have the Citation prepped and waiting over at KHPN (Westchester County Airport for those of you who still fly coach). I don’t want to keep the plane and my guests from Goldman Sachs waiting. We have to be at Pine Valley for a breakfast meeting and golf to analyze possible 2021 Walker Cup.

The Harvest at (Gulp) The Foot

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In the May 26 Golf World (not yet online), Tim Rosaforte writes about Donald Trump, who he says is a "golf guy with a business sense and now the credibility that comes with a USGA stamp of approval."

He also writes about going to "The Foot" on Monday to test out the rough they are harvesting at yes, Winged Foot. (Branding it The Foot is part of his effort to come up with the cheesiest, least original golf course knicknames possible.)

Anyway, good news from, uh, The Foot. The rough is growing and everyone is so, so happy! 

Rosaforte writes that he'd like to have the ball concession when superintendent Eric "Greypok" cuts the grass after the Open. Well, when Eric Greytok cuts it, we'll let Rosaforte go for that concession too.

Online at GolfDigest.com, he offers a lengthier, more painful version of his rough harvest observations.

Walter Driver, president of the U.S. Golf Association and the man in charge of the upcoming U.S. Open, stood on the 10th tee of the West Course at Winged Foot Golf Club on Tuesday, and instead of doing what Ben Hogan said\ -- aim to hit it through the bedroom window of the house behind the green of the 188-yard par 3 -- Driver, a legitimate 2-handicap, struck a rare poor shot, flaring the ball out to the right, where it disappeared in a nest of grass.

It was fitting that the first shot hit by the man who will take all the heat for the deep rough at this year's Open required a search party and almost all of the allotted five minutes before finding his pellet. From there, the players in his group were given a snapshot of the chain reaction that occurs in an Open when a ball doesn't come to rest in the short grass. This is not like your basic tour stop, where the big boys can play bomb and gouge. This is wet wire-brush, wrist-spraining, ball-gobbling, destroy-your-mind vegetation, and so the clubface of Driver's wedge closed down, and the ball squirted back onto the closely mowed grass. From there he chipped on and two-putted for a double-bogey five.

Oh, joy! All of this rough is going to make the U.S. Open all about us, the USGA!  They're going to talk about us, and notice, and admire us for putting these Tour boys in their rightful place, which most definitely had better not be 350 yards off the tee!

The early scouting report: Better bring your straight ball. The nitrates, as Walter pointed out, have been working on Winged Foot's lawn. Mix the fertilizer with a wet spring, and a tree-removal program that gives the grass plenty of air and sunlight, and 7,264-yard Winged Foot West is in shape for another massacre.

It's been 22 years, but there is not an Open course that looks more like an Open Course than The Foot, and you can't believe how good the West course looks, how beautiful the green complexes are now that the tree huggers have lost their battle, and how terrorizing it's going to be that third week in June, when the contestants can't take a newspaper double and move with a smile to the next tee.

"Hitting the fairway is recommended here," said Driver at the driveable par-4 sixth.

Ha, ha! Bang fist on table! Such wit!

Halfway through the round, Driver got on his Blackberry and sent a text message to Mike Davis, the USGA's new director of competitions. He had driven into a clump of broccoli on the first hole and couldn't get a club on his ball. After moving it two feet, he expressed to Davis that the second cut was a little too lenient and the third cut a bit too penal. That will be tweaked in time for the opening round on June 15. After Shinnecock in 2004, the president doesn't want this one getting out of hand.

Shinnecock? Something went wrong there?

Hale The Tiered Rough

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Hal Hale Irwin, that beacon of wisdom and joviality tells Dan O'Neill that he's all for the USGA's new tiered rough, especially if it means they could narrow fairways even more. 

“Well, I’ve suggested to them that I think it would be great if they narrowed the fairway even more and made the first cut relatively tame and then graduated from there,” Irwin said. “(It would) really put a premium on putting the ball in the fairway. Obviously there's a point up to the ropes where you can do that. Once you get outside the ropes, then it becomes very quickly trampled down.

“That could be what they're doing, trying to say, OK, the farther offline you are, the greater the penalty. There's a point to where that stops -- just happens to be right where the rope line is. Once you get down to where the grass is downtrodden, if you have no trees in your way, it becomes relatively a straightforward shot again.

“They say they're going to extend the ropes out farther than customary to accommodate it. I think that's good. That might try to harness some of these big long bombers that are going to pump it out there regardless of where it goes.”

This would all be so much easier if we just eliminated the short grass. It would cure the groove problem, the flogging problem and the distance problem.

Mulligan at Winged Foot

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Tom Yantz offers a few comments on Winged Foot's setup.

USGA director of media relations Craig Smith smiled when he said David Mulligan was a member at Winged Foot Golf Club, site of U.S. Open next month.
Whoa...Smith smiled? Sorry...
Yes, that Mulligan, the man whose name is synonymous with "that shot didn't count, I'll take another."

When the Open starts next month, some of the players might wish they could have a Mulligan or two.
Banging your fist on the table yet?

 

I didn't think so.

Favoring Caution

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The Hartford Courant's Matt Eagan writes about events that "don't live up to the hype," and includes the U.S. Open as his second choice.

2. The U.S. Open (Golf): Andy North is a nice man and a fine announcer, but he won three tournaments in his professional career.

Two were U.S. Opens.

The tournament doesn't exactly identify the legends.

There is poetry in the democratic foundation of our national championship. The tournament is open to any qualified golfer anywhere in the world.

Alas, the USGA annually manages to ruin things - at least for the viewers.

The shin-high rough and concrete greens favor caution and two-putts.

Heroic shots are penalized. Boldness is discouraged. Power is verboten.

What does this mean to us? ZZZZZs.

 

Arron on Spin

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Arron Oberholser talked about Winged Foot and technology prior to the Wachovia Championship:
Q. I talked to you a little bit at Sawgrass about it, but what are your memories about that one round at Winged Foot? What did you come away with?

ARRON OBERHOLSER: I'll tell you what, I've heard that they've added about 200 yards to the golf course since when I played it. It's like 7,300 yards now. It used to play like 7,100, just over 7,000. I was playing a wound ball back then with a steel headed driver, and I think the golf course is going to play a lot different now.

I remember having to work your golf ball off the tees out there and being able to do that with the old equipment. With the newer equipment it's kind of stand up and aim and bomb it.

I remember the greens being I remember it being a good test of golf, short par 4s, long par 4s, flat lies, uneven lies, short par 3s. 10 is that really good par 3. You don't get to start on a par 3 a lot, and it's kind of cool actually, I think.
And, a few minutes later, this follow up was asked:
Q. You seemed to suggest that maybe new technology can be a detriment because you can't shape the ball around some of those fairways.

ARRON OBERHOLSER: I think on certain holes in certain situations I think new technology can be a detriment. You're always guessing, well, if I make the swing that I want to make, is the ball going to hook enough, is the ball going to fade enough, or is the ball just going to kind of fly straight. So it's not a question of getting the ball to do what you want, it's getting the ball to do what you want enough because the balls all kind of you don't produce as much spin as you used to. Obviously anybody who understands the golf swing in physics, you've got to produce spin to make the ball curve. If you don't produce, you're not going to make it curve.

U.S. Open Exempt Field

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The current U.S. Open field with the exemption explanation below. 

Steven Ames 6
Stuart Appleby 9
Rich Beem 5
Thomas Bjorn 10
Olin Browne 9
Bart Bryant 9
Angel Cabrera 10
Mark Calcavecchia 9
Chad Campbell 9
Michael Campbell 1,8,10
K.J. Choi 8
Stewart Cink 8
Tim Clark 8,9
John Cook 8
Fred Couples 8
Ben Crane 9
Ben Curtis 4
Chris DiMarco 9
Luke Donald 9,10
Dillon Dougherty 2
Nick Dougherty 10
Allen Doyle 7
David Duval 4
Ernie Els 1,4,8
Bob Estes 8
Niclas Fasth 10
Kenneth Ferrie 10
Fred Funk 9
Jim Furyk 1,9
Sergio Garcia 8,9,10
Lucas Glover 9
Retief Goosen 1,8,9,10
Todd Hamilton 4
Padraig Harrington 9
Peter Hedblom 8
Mark Hensby 8
Tim Herron 9
Charles Howell III 9
David Howell 10
Ryuji Imada 8
Peter Jacobsen 8
Lee Janzen 1
Miguel Angel Jimenez 10
Brandt Jobe 9
Steve Jones 1
Shingo Katayama 14
Justin Leonard 9
Davis Love III 8,9
Paul McGinley 10
Billy Mayfair 9
Rocco Mediate 8
Shaun Micheel 5
Phil Mickelson 3,5,9,12
Edorado Molinari 2
Colin Montgomerie 10
Aaron Oberholser 8
Sean O’Hair 9
Nick O’Hern 15
Jose Maria Olazabal 10
Corey Pavin 8
Kenny Perry 9
Nick Price 8
Ted Purdy 9
Adam Scott 9,15
Vijay Singh 5,8,9
Henrik Stenson 10
David Toms 5,8,9
Scott Verplank 9
Mike Weir 3
Tiger Woods 1,3,4,8,9,12

Key to Player Exemptions –

1) Winners of the U.S. Open Championship for the last 10 years.

2) Winner and runner-up of the 2005 U.S. Amateur Championship.

3) Winners of the Masters Tournament the last five years.

4) Winners of the British Open Championship the last five years.

5) Winners of the PGA of America Championship the last five years.

6) Winner of the 2006 Players Championship.

7) Winner of the 2005 U.S. Senior Open Championship.

8) From the 2005 U.S. Open Championship, the 15 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 15th place.

9) From the 2005 final official PGA Tour money list, the top 30 money leaders.

10) From the 2005 final official PGA European Tour, the top 15 money leaders.

11) From the 2006 official PGA Tour money list, the top 10 money leaders through May 29.

12) Any multiple winner of PGA Tour co–sponsored events whose victories are considered official from April 23, 2005 through June 6, 2006

13) From the 2006 PGA European Tour, the top two money leaders through May 30.

14) From the 2005 final Japan Golf Tour money list, the top two leaders provided they are within the top 75 point leaders of the World Rankings at that time.

15) From the 2005 final PGA Tour of Australasia money list, the top two leaders provided they are within the top 75 point leaders of the World Rankings at that time.

16) From the World Rankings list, the top 50 point leaders as of May 30, 2006.

17) Special exemptions selected by the USGA Executive Committee International players not otherwise exempt as selected by the USGA Executive Committee.

Testing Their Sense of Humor

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Nothing like some good ole blue blazer, what-we-do-to-protect-par humor (from Leonard Shapiro's Washington Post story):

But beyond about seven yards from the first cut, all the way to the spectator ropes, the USGA wants the grass to be between five and six inches, maybe longer. In that sort of spinach, players likely will only be able to hack the ball out into the fairway with a wedge.

"The idea of adjusting the rough is to make it appropriate for the shot they hit," said Walter Driver, the new president of the USGA. "A player who hits it 15 yards out of the fairway, well, let's just say their sense of humor is going to be tested."

 

Winged Foot and Alternate Tees

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2006usopenlogo.jpegThe story to coming out of Monday's U.S. Open media day: the use of some different tees to mix things up. Yet another sign that the Meeks era is over, the USGA's Mike Davis has plans to entice players to attack the par-5 12th at least two days, while playing one round from No. 3's 243-yard tee, possibly bring a lay-up option into play that served Billy Casper well in 1959.

Sam Weinman has the story. 

Manned By Some 1,200 Volunteers...

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Sam Weinman writes about the USGA merchandising tent at Winged Foot.

Measuring 36,000 square feet, Lopuszynski's tent this June will sell more than 400,000 items, of which there are more than 1,000 varieties. It will be manned by some 1,200 volunteers. And while only open for 11 days, the tent's interior will feature all the fixtures — from carpeting to lighting to signage — of a high-end retailer.

I'm hoping we get an Open to L.A. again so I can volunteer to work in the merchandise tent. What fun!
 

Tall Rough Holes at Winged Foot

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In analyzing Steve Elling's story on the plans for longer anti-birdie rough at Winged Foot, I promised photos.

230136-278526-thumbnail.jpg
No. 6 at Winged Foot (click image to enlarge)I'm not sure what exactly to say when looking at these shots of the wonderful par-4 6th and the equally neat par-4 11th. Both have already been stripped of their original strategic charm due to the super-narrow setup leftover from the U.S. Amateur. And this is before the extra tall rough is harvested this spring.

But here's what I'd ask you to consider when looking at these wonderful Tillinghast holes, two of which will not see the new "tiered" rough, but instead, tall stuff designed to reduce red scoring.

Looking at the photos, think of yourself being able to carry the ball 310-340 off the tee in warm weather. Would you try to lay up within these narrow fairways or simply try to drive it as close as possible to the green? 

Drives of that distance will bring you within flip wedge range of the green, if not on the green or in surrounding bunkers.230136-278531-thumbnail.jpg
No. 11 at Winged Foot (click on image to enlarge)

In the photo of No. 6, note all of the rough leading up to the leftside fairway bunker. I'm not positive, but I suspect this was meant as a handy little lay-up area to access hole locations tucked behind the front right bunker. I know, that strategy stuff...back when people were allowed to use their brains in the game.

And the narrow fairway on No. 11 is ironic since some width would expose the wonderful rolls and tilt that would take misfires away from the centerline, and toward areas where approach shots would be blocked out by trees. (Hint USGA, that means likely leading to bogies!)

First U.S. Open Preview

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They're here...a U.S. Open preview, even beating the Masters. Sam Weinman previews preparations at Winged Foot.

"To get an event of this scope ready is hard to convey," said Danny Sink, the manager of the 2006 Open who has been on site at the club for some 18 months. "It's a massive undertaking with a lot of moving parts."

So prevalent are these tents, a common criticism lodged at the USGA is that the Open has become more a vehicle for profits than anything else. As a defense, the USGA says those profits are essential to the organization's overall mission. While the Winged Foot Open likely won't rival the record $13 million netted at the 2002 Open at Bethpage Black, it will be profitable enough to underwrite other parts of the USGA budget.

"Obviously, the U.S. Open makes a profit, but that's money we use to help grow the game," Sink said.

Oh it's growing.