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
Regular readers know I wasn't a fan at the time of the USGA's corporate partnership deals but I have been swooning since 2008 about American Express and the various U.S. Open activities they've added to the fan experience. So naturally, I'm thrilled to see their Course Cast TV's and radios are going to be available again, the best free deal anywhere.
Larry Aylward and I chat about next week's Open at Pebble.
Golf Digest writers and editors recall Tiger's epic 2000 U.S. Open performance.
Here's Golfweek's page with summaries of the qualifiers and the notables to miss. And here's the USGA page with links to scores.
Golfweek also posts this story on the details of Tony Romo's round and WD.
Tuesday marks the paperback release of Jenkins At The Majors, a compilation of Dan's favorite write-ups from golf's majors. As he did the last two years (here and here), Jenkins answered the questions via email on the eve of 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
GS: I know you've been distracted by the looming World Cup, but we are returning to Pebble Beach for the U.S. Open. What do you like most about the place?
DJ: Club 19 in the Lodge is what I used to like best. After that, it's 7, 8, 9, and 10. Great stretch of holes. Right up there with Amen Corner. 8 and 9 are particularly immortal. Did I once name that stretch Abalone Corner?
GS: Pebble has produced a Hall of Fame winner every time it's hosted a major, does this mean we're due for a drone?
DJ: Pebble is probably due for a drone. Every great course gets one; sometimes more. Oakmont has it's Sam Parks Jr., Oakland Hills has its Steve Jones, Olympic has its Jack Fleck, and Baltusrol has its, well, Baltusrol.
GS: Who do you think will end up with more post-car accident major wins, Hogan or Woods?
DJ: Hogan won six majors after his accident. If Tiger Woods tops that, the good news is, I'll be dead and won't see it.
GS: You wrote that Tiger could "come back and even win again, if he man's up, but if he does he will only be a hero to the 'you-da-man' and 'get-in-the-hole' crowd. And I can't imagine him coming back as a 'humbled man.'" How do you view his comeback thus far?
DJ: So far, his comeback is a total failure. And compared to Hogan's, it's laughable. Ben tied for the LA Open 11 months after he almost got killed, won the Greenbriar in May and the Open in June. All Tiger has done is hold a staged press conference in front of employees and hired weepers.
GS: Phil Mickelson now has more green jackets than your man Hogan. What say you Ancient Twitterer?
DJ: Phil may have three Augustas to Hogan's two, but Ben geared his game toward U. S. Opens, of which he has five, counting the one in wartime, while Phil has a record 5 runnersup, cornering the market on silver. But I like Phil and root for him. He's good with us print guys. And he likes me. I like people who like me.
GS: So in the era of layoffs, downsizing, shrinking expense accounts and the overall demise of print, how's Jim Tom Pinch getting by?
DJ: Jim Tom is glad he lived and worked in a better world. And he has little sympathy for dying newspapers. They started digging their own graves by being spineless and politically correct.
Final word. Sorry Jenkins at the Majors is coming out in paperback before I had a chance to include Tiger's press conference for the hired weepers.
The USGA's Justin Hancher compiles a list of some of the more intriguing individuals who didn't go knocking on the USGA's door looking for an easy way into the U.S. Open.
You should be able to track results here, though Golfweek traditionally beats the USGA to the punch. When there's a link to their results page I'll try to post it.
I just don't get this one at all.
VIJAY SINGH ACCEPTS SPECIAL EXEMPTION INTO 2010 U.S. OPEN
Far Hills, N.J. (June 2) – Vijay Singh, who has recorded three victories in golf’s Major Championships, has accepted a special exemption from qualifying for the 2010 U.S. Open Championship, which will be played June 17-20 at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links.
“I’m finally back to good health and really looking forward to competing at Pebble Beach,” said Singh. “It’s a fantastic event at a legendary venue. I appreciate the invitation from the USGA and can’t wait to tee it up.”
“There were many compelling reasons for us to invite Vijay Singh into the field of this year’s U.S. Open, particularly his three wins in Majors in the last 12 years,” said Thomas J. O’Toole Jr., chairman of the USGA’s championship committee. “He has played through injuries, which caused him to drop, quite quickly this year, in the World Rankings. He’s always been competitive at the U.S. Open and he is healthy and playing well again.”
Singh, a native of Fiji who won the 1998 and 2004 PGA Championships as well as the 2000 Masters Tournament, has competed in 16 U.S. Open Championships, including the last 15 consecutively. His best finish was a tie for third in 1999 and he has finished in the top 10 on seven occasions. In 2003 at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club, he tied a pair of U.S. Open scoring records with a second-round 63 that included a 29 on the second nine. He has won 34 PGA Tour events in his career and has played on eight Presidents Cup teams.
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
