Tour Looking At New York Course Rotation That Will Include Bethpage Black, Maybe Liberty National?

Doug Ferguson reports on the rumored move of the Barclay's playoff event to Bethpage at some point, which will have it joining a rotation that also includes Ridgewood, Plainfield, and not mentioned in the story but desperately trying to return: Liberty National. (It's undergoing a facelift from architects Cupp and Kite in a bid to return to the rotation.)

But more interesting than that was this from the USGA's Mike Davis, who essentially confirms that the USGA will not be returning to Bethpage anytime in the near future.

"I've only heard rumors about it," Davis said about a deal with Barclays and the Black. "I do know the Bethpage people have been looking at other events they could do. It's fair to say that at least what we have named to date (for the U.S. Open), and what we will name in the very near future, won't be Bethpage."

Davis said that typical of any taxpayer-owned course, Bethpage would need "appropriate funding" for the golf course to keep its condition at a reasonable level.

"There's probably too much of a time gap between the last one (U.S. Open) and the next one," he said.