Q&A With Dan Jenkins, Vol. 6: Merion

The U.S. Open's return to Merion marks Tweeter Supreme and mutiple-award winning writer Dan Jenkins' 60th U.S. Open, a milestone he marked in the June Golf Digest with his favorite players, courses, holes and even constructive criticism through the years. And for the sixth straight year, he answers my softballs in anticipation of America's national championship.

Previous U.S. Open Q&A's can be read in order, here, here, here, here and here.

GS: Big return to Merion, judging by your comments in the June Golf Digest, this is a favorite US Open venue of yours? How so?

DJ: I guess I like Merion a lot because of these things. History, "Merion lightning" (the greens). flag baskets, quarry holes. It's one of my three favorite courses to play and look at, the other two being Pine Valley and Cypress Point.

GS: Your man Hogan sealed his comeback at Merion. Was it his greatest performance?

DJ: Merion wasn't Hogan's best golf, just his timeliest and most historic. His best golf came in the last round at Oakland Hills in '51, and all week long at Oakmont in '53. Study his career and you find  his game at its best when his obstacles were the toughest.

GS: Did you ever talk to Hogan about Merion, the 1-iron or the Hy Peskin shot?

DJ: I do wish I'd been at Merion in '50---I didn't start covering the majors until '51---but I talked to him about it many times over the years. It wasn't a 1-iron, by the way. It was a 2-iron. That's what he always told me. Once in later years he even said it was a 3-iron. To get more of this you'll have to read my "journalism memoir" that's coming out from Doubleday sometime around the first of the year. The Mystery of the Stolen One-Iron at Merion is part of two long chapters on Ben.

GS: Does the book contain any words of wisdom about the state of journalism and the media industry in this time of "transition"?

DJ: Of course it does. But nothing to put in a scrapbook.

GS: Sergio, your sometimes Twitter alter ego, will be setting foot on American soil for the first time since his fried chicken remark. Will you be brokering peace settlement talks between he and Tiger and Tiger and Sergio and your ownself?

DJ: Knowing me, Geoff, surely you know I don't much care about Tiger or his feuds, even those with Sergio, except for the comedy involved. I love it that people ask me about Tiger all the time. I really don't know what I'm expected to say. I do say he's the greatest putter I've ever seen, and the greatest reader of greens. But ask me to place him somewhere in golf history, and I still have him behind a lot of players who did more for the game at the time of their peak years, those gentlemen being, not in any particular order, Hogan, Snead, Byron, Jones, Hagen, Arnold, Jack, Gary, and even Demaret, Trevino, and Seve. But of course I'm a geezer.

GS: Is the journalism book it in that mysterious phase where the publisher accepts it and then spends a year sitting on it? What's it called?

DJ: I was dragged kicking and screaming to the title of my book that the publisher has insisted on:  HIS OWNSELF----A Semi-Memoir. I was thinking A Farewell to Arms had a ring to it.

See you at Merion.

Philly Inquirer Lifts Paywall Restrictions For U.S. Open Week

Jim Romenesko reports and explains that the venerable paper's strong U.S. Open web page and multimedia effort convinced the beancounters to lift paywall restrictions while millions turn their attention to Philadelphia golf this week.

As always, I love to take in the local coverage for events like this so give them a look and reward the Inquirer for unlocking their host city coverage.

Merion's Amazing Archives

Jeff Silverman, guest on this week's State of the Game Podcast, filed a fantastic story (complimented by Dom Furore images) on Merion's history archives and current caretaker, John Capers, in this week's Golf World.

But since that's not online, you can check out David Shefter's story about the USGA's intial involvement in making it "arguably the most extensive archives of any golf club in the country." In particular, the work of (now independent) consultant, Andy Mutch, who has since undertaken a similar project for Pine Valley.

The first thing Mutch did was to create a database. He ordered archival storage supplies and began to identify key items. He also asked the club to relocate its boardroom, a self-contained room with minimal sunlight – a near perfect environment for storing historical artifacts. The room’s windows could be blacked out, and it had enough space to store the memorabilia.
“Frankly, they needed a better boardroom,” said Mutch.

Every suggestion was met with positive affirmation from the club.

“My feeling is if you hire a consultant … you are wasting your money if you don’t get out of their way,” said Belsinger.

Video: The Mood For Merion, 18th Hole Flyover

The shame of all the rough on 18 is that we won't get to see some okay drives on a 521 yard hole played from awkward stances, enough of a hazard for most modern players. With the course softer from Andrea, this figures to play extremely long and we might even see hybrids for the approach, evoking a sense of the way Trevino approached this green in '71 or Hogan in '51.

The final flyover:

Punters Primer: Matteo, Rory and Graeme

Heading into the U.S. Open at Merion, punters and pool participants will be looking for any hint about how three very prominent Europeans will play Merion.

For those wondering about 20-year-old BMW PGA winner Matteo Manassero's chances of contending for the first time in a U.S. major, Ewan Murray profiles him for The Observer.

Remember, he's modest, so don't read this as a lack of confidence:

"I will try to stay around the top of the leaderboard. That is the idea but it is a major championship; all the top players are there, it will be tough. It is not easy to be at your best in just four tournaments. It is very difficult, but that is why they are majors.

"I have never been to Merion before but I know there is an opening stretch of five or six holes that you just have to get through before some chances arrive. There will be extreme conditions – the US Open course always plays very difficult."

Matteo may be at a disadvantage when it comes to Merion local knowledge, as these USGA videos show both Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell getting in practice rounds and talking about their impressions.

First, Rory:

And my pick for the week, McDowell who sounds confident and like he's a fan of the course:

Merion: "3 inches of rain and counting"

The GCM blog talked to East Course super Arron McCurdy reported that as of 5:30 ET Friday Merion had received three inches of rain, nearly the normal amount of June rainfall in a typical year.

Earlier in the day, as he paid a visit to the flood-prone 11th green, McCurdy gave it little more than a glimpse. The sight of it was painful.

"I didn't even stay to watch it," McCurdy says. "It was 6 inches from flooding over the top of the green. We've ordered six emergency loads of bunker sand and will get after it in the morning."

Video: The Mood For Merion, 17th Hole Flyover

Merion's par-3 17th isn't particuarly interesting in a strategic way, but the setting and features make it a thrilling looking hole. The early photos have shown some huge grandstands surrounding the green, so it should make for a wild atmosphere as Stricker, Clark, Furyk and Spieth battle down the stretch.

Also note the back tee on No. 18 and how close it is to the bunkers and a wayward shot on a 246-yarder.

Tiger-Rory-Adam Pairing On For Merion

From USA Today via AP...

Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott will tee off at 1:14 p.m. ET on Thursday and at 7:44 a.m. on Friday at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa.

Thursday they will start at No. 1 and then begin on the back 9 Friday.

More groupings to come...

Update on 2013-06-07 18:46 by Geoff

**And the rest...

All Times EDT

Thursday (June 13), hole #1 and Friday (June 14), hole #11

6:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. – Cliff Kresge, Heathrow, Fla.; Roger Tambellini, Scottsdale, Ariz.; TBD
6:56 a.m. – 12:56 p.m. – TBD; Yui Ueda, Japan; John Parry, England
7:07 a.m. – 1:07 p.m. – Nick Watney, Henderson, Nev.; Peter Hanson, Sweden; Hunter Mahan, Dallas, Texas
7:18 a.m. – 1:18 p.m. – Lucas Glover, Sea Island, Ga.; Paul Casey, England; Bill Haas, Greenville, S.C.
7:29 a.m. – 1:29 p.m. – Aaron Baddeley, Australia; Rory Sabbatini, South Africa; David Lingmerth, Sweden
7:40 a.m. – 1:40 p.m.– George Coetzee, South Africa; Martin Laird, Scotland; Marcel Siem, Germany
7:51 a.m. – 1:51 p.m .– Jerry Kelly, Madison, Wis.; Charley Hoffman, San Diego, Calif.; John Huh, Lewisville, Texas
8:02 a.m. – 2:02 p.m. – Henrik Stenson, Sweden; Ryan Moore, Las Vegas, Nev.; Robert Garrigus, Phoenix, Ariz.
8:13 a.m. – 2:13 p.m. – TBD; Simon Khan, England; Ted Potter Jr., Silver Springs, Fla.
8:24 a.m. – 2:24 p.m. – Shawn Stefani, Baytown, Texas; a-Michael Kim, Del Mar, Calif.; Nicholas Thompson, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
8:35 a.m. – 2:35 p.m. – Chris Doak, Scotland; Andrew Svoboda, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; Douglas LaBelle II, Mount Pleasant, Mich.
8:46 a.m. – 2:46 p.m. – Kevin Sutherland, Sacramento, Calif.; Matt Weibring, Dallas, Texas; Randall Hutchison, Traverse City, Mich.
8:57 a.m. – 2:57 p.m. – a-Cory McElyea, Santa Cruz, Calif.; Ryan Nelson, Charleston, S.C.; John Hahn, Hudson, Ohio

Thursday (June 13), hole #11 and Friday (June 14), hole #1

7 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Bubba Watson, Bagdad, Fla.; Dustin Johnson, Jupiter, Fla.; Nicolas Colsaerts, Belgium
7:11 a.m. – 12:41 p.m. – Phil Mickelson, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; Steve Stricker, Madison, Wis.; Keegan Bradley, Woodstock, Vt.
7:22 a.m. – 12:52 p.m. – Matt Kuchar, St. Simons Island, Ga.; Justin Rose, England; Brandt Snedeker, Nashville, Tenn.
7:33 a.m. – 1:03 p.m. – Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa; Charl Schwartzel, South Africa; Tim Clark, Scottsdale, Ariz.
7:44 a.m. – 1:14 p.m. – Sergio Garcia, Spain; Stewart Cink, Duluth, Ga.; Padraig Harrington, Republic of Ireland
7:55 a.m. – 1:25 p.m. – Ian Poulter, England; Jason Dufner, Auburn, Ala.; Boo Weekley, Jay, Fla.
8:06 a.m. – 1:36 p.m. – Rickie Fowler, Jupiter, Fla.; Matteo Manassero, Italy; Jason Day, Australia
8:17 a.m. – 1:47 p.m. – Y.E. Yang, Republic of Korea; Fredrik Jacobson, Sweden; Hiroyuki Fujita, Japan
8:28 a.m. – 1:58 p.m. – Scott Stallings, Knoxville, Tenn.; John Peterson, Baton Rouge, La.; Robert Karlsson, Sweden
8:39 a.m. – 2:09 p.m. – Jay Don Blake, St. George, Utah; Brandt Jobe, Argyle, Texas; Michael Campbell, New Zealand
8:50 a.m. – 2:20 p.m. – David Hearn, Canada; TBD; Jaco Van Zyl, South Africa
9:01 a.m. – 2:31 p.m. – a-Kevin Phelan, Republic of Ireland; Wil Collins, Rapid City, S.D.; TBD
9:12 a.m. – 2:42 p.m .– a-Cheng-Tsung Pan, Chinese Taipei; Mackenzie Hughes, Canada; Geoffrey Sisk, Marshfield, Mass.

Thursday (June 13), hole #1 and Friday (June 14), hole #11

12:30 p.m. – 7 a.m. – David Toms, Shreveport, La.; Darren Clarke, Northern Ireland; Jose Maria Olazabal, Spain
12:41 p.m. – 7:11 a.m. – Geoff Ogilvy, Australia; Angel Cabrera, Argentina; Paul Lawrie, Scotland
12:52 p.m. – 7:22 a.m. – Luke Donald, England; Lee Westwood, England; Martin Kaymer, Germany
1:03 p.m. – 7:33 a.m. – Jim Furyk, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.; Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland; Zach Johnson, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
1:14 p.m. – 7:44 a.m. – Tiger Woods, Hobe Sound, Fla.; Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland; Adam Scott, Australia
1:25 p.m. – 7:55 a.m. – Thongchai Jaidee, Thailand; Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Spain; Thorbjorn Olesen, Denmark
1:36 p.m. – 8:06 a.m. – Webb Simpson, Charlotte, N.C.; a-Steven Fox, Hendersonville, Tenn.; Ernie Els, South Africa
1:47 p.m. – 8:17 a.m. – TBD; Joe Ogilvie, Austin, Texas; Luke Guthrie, Quincy, Ill.

1:58 p.m. – 8:28 a.m. – Josh Teater, Lexington, Ky.; Yoshinobu Tsukada, Japan; Eddie Pepperell, England
2:09 p.m. – 8:39 a.m. – Edward Loar, Dallas, Texas; Morten Orum Madsen, Denmark; Jung-Gon Hwang, Republic of Korea
2:20 p.m. – 8:50 a.m. – a-Max Homa, Valencia, Calif.; Russell Knox, Scotland; Matt Bettencourt, Spartanburg, S.C.
2:31 p.m. – 9:01 a.m. – Adam Hadwin, Canada; John Nieporte, Boca Raton, Fla.; Jim Herman, Palm City, Fla.
2:42 p.m. – 9:12 a.m. – Brandon Brown, Shelbyville, Ky.; a-Grayson Murray, Raleigh, N.C.; Jesse Smith, Barrington, N.H.

Thursday (June 13), hole #11 and Friday (June 14), hole #1

12:45 p.m. – 6:45 a.m. – Justin Hicks, Wyandotte, Mich.; David Howell, England; Brian Stuard, Jackson, Mich.
12:56 p.m. – 6:56 a.m. – Brendan Steele, Irvine, Calif.; Estanislao Goya, Argentina; Peter Hedblom, England
1:07 p.m. – 7:07 a.m. – Marc Leishman, Australia; John Senden, Australia; Marcus Fraser, Australia
1:18 p.m. – 7:18 a.m. – Scott Langley, Manchester, Mo.; a-Chris Williams, Moscow, Idaho; Morgan Hoffmann, Jupiter, Fla.
1:29 p.m. – 7:29 a.m. – Michael Thompson, Birmingham, Ala.; a-Michael Weaver, Fresno, Calif.; Casey Wittenberg, Memphis, Tenn.
1:40 p.m. – 7:40 a.m. – K.J. Choi, Republic of Korea; Francesco Molinari, Italy; Carl Pettersson, Sweden
1:51 p.m. – 7:51 a.m. – Scott Piercy, Las Vegas, Nev.; Kevin Chappell, Fresno, Calif.; Jamie Donaldson, Wales
2:02 p.m. – 8:02 a.m. – Bo Van Pelt, Tulsa, Okla.; Kevin Streelman, Scottsdale, Ariz.; D.A. Points, Windermere, Fla.
2:13 p.m. – 8:13 a.m. – Branden Grace, South Africa; Sang-Moon Bae, Republic of Korea; Russell Henley, Macon, Ga.
2:24 p.m. – 8:24 a.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, Japan; Billy Horschel, Jacksonsville, Fla.; Jordan Spieth, Dallas, Texas
2:35 p.m. – 8:35 a.m. – Mathew Goggin, Australia; Steven Alker, New Zealand; Alistair Presnell, Australia
2:46 p.m. – 8:46 a.m. – Matt Harmon, Grand Rapids, Mich.; a-Gavin Hall, Pittsford, N.Y.; Bio Kim, Republic of Korea
2:57 p.m. – 8:57 a.m. – Zack Fischer, Wake Village, Texas; Ryan Sullivan, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Brandon Crick, McCook, Neb.

Update on 2013-06-08 00:20 by Geoff

**Sean Martin breaks down the pairings.

If You're Going To Merion, Remember You Can't Bring These Things

With the PGA Tour showing a progressive side by slowly but surely figuring out the cell phone issue, a reminder what you can't bring as a spectator to Merion next week...

No Cell Phones (including cell phones with photographic capabilities)
No PDAs, Tablets and/or other Portable Email Devices
No Noise Producing Electronic Devices (including MP3 Players)
No Cameras and/or Camcorders (other than Monday to Wednesday for personal non-commercial photographic use only and without their cases; video recording is not permitted at any time)
No Bags larger than 8”W X 8”H X 8”D in their natural state
No Cases and/or Covers (such as chair or umbrella covers)
No Signs, Posters and/or Banners

There goes my protest sign begging to return the U.S. Open to the west coast.

No Televisions and/or Radios unless provided by the USGA
No Food and/or Beverages except for medical or infant needs
No Containers and/or Coolers except for medical or infant needs
No Pets (other than service animals)
No Lawn and/or Oversized Chairs (only portable compact chairs permitted)
No Bicycles
No Ladders and/or Step-Stools or other similar items
No Metal-spiked Golf Shoes

That means you, Lee Janzen.

No Weapons (regardless of permit, including but not limited to, firearms or knives).
No other items deemed unlawful or dangerous by the USGA and/or Championship Security Personnel in their sole discretion

Punters: Tiger Still 4-1 Heading Into Merion

If I were a betting man there are some far more enticing prices heading into the 2013 U.S. Open.

From the AP, courtesy of Golfweek.com, so I don't know who actually came up with these...

    •    Adam Scott 22-1
    •    Matt Kuchar 25-1
    •    Graeme McDowell 28-1
    •    Jim Furyk 40-1
    •    Matteo Manassero 65-1
    •    Field (All Others) 5-1

Trevino! On Merion, Watching The '71 U.S. Open Replay And A Reminder About The Upcoming NBC Documentary

Jaime Diaz has a super Golf World column on the attention Lee Trevino is getting with the U.S. Open's return to Merion. It seems the Merry Mex watched the 1971 rebroadcast and figured out a putting problem that had him using a belly putter.

"Oh man, I didn't remember putting with that style," the familiar voice effused into the phone. "Getting all close to the ball and upright, with my eyes right over it and with my elbows in and my feet pigeon-toed? I guess that was one Wilson 8802 I didn't bend flat."

Trevino made a series of big putts on the back nine of the playoff and recently told Golf Digest that for the rest of his career he searched to regain the feel he had on the greens at Merion. So he could only laugh at how he could have strayed from a method so distinct and successful. "The day after watching it I went right out and copied myself," he said. "My yips went away! Forty years too late, but at least I got rid of the belly putter!"

In the June Golf Digest, Trevino filed a My Shot with Guy Yocom full of all sorts of great anecdotes. Trevino's comments about '71 sound especially prescient as the course gets hit by a tropical storm.

MERION IN 1971 was so penal. The setup was so hard. The rough was Merion bluegrass, a strain I hear was discovered by a superintendent there. It was thick, and because it rained early in the week, wet. It held the moisture and never did dry out completely. Then there were the bunkers, known as "the white faces of Merion." I didn't think the sand itself was that difficult to play from, but the bunkers were surrounded by long, unmanicured grass that was wild and scary looking. They triple-cut the greens twice a day, and the looks on players' faces when they hit their first few putts was something to see. The course was very intimidating. Even though it was a big field, most players had no chance. Between the visual end and the fact it played as hard as it looked, I knew I didn't have to beat as many players as usual.

Finally, big DVR Alert: Lee Trevino "An American Champion" is set to make a NETWORK debut on NBC Sunday at 5 p.m. ET, with a re-broadcast on Golf Channel Monday, June 17 at 10 p.m. ET.

Actor Andy Garcia narrates the Israel Herrara-produced and Aaron Cohen-written documentary.

Here's a preview:

Video: The Mood For Merion, 16th Hole Flyover

At 430 yards with a blind landing area, the narrowing of the 16th seems pretty surprising as the uphill second to a tough green still keeps the hole relevant even in the modern game.

The aerial does not do justice to this wonderful green and the grandeur of the quarry.

Oh, and needless to say the landing area was a lot more generous in the old days.

The flyover.