Tiger Plays Merion...
/Michael Bamberger reports on Tiger's Tuesday visit to rainy Merion where the three-time champion had the U.S. Open site to himself. He got a tour from member and one-time U.S. Amateur nemesis Buddy Marucci. 
And there was this:
LaCava walked the course on Monday night and surely discovered what other players and caddies have found out about Merion, a par-70 that measures just under 7,000 yards: Only two or three holes demand driver off the tee. The rough is absolutely punishing, and there is no real graduated rough. If you miss a fairway, you're in deep, wet lush grass from which there are few options. As for the greens, they are as tricky as greens anywhere, much smaller than Augusta's but with wicked movement, even within six feet of the hole. The greens, the rough and the bunkering are the course's defense.
**Jack Nicklaus talked about hitting dirver 2 or 3 times at Merion today at the Memorial. From Rex Hoggard's highlights:
On the idea that players will drastically dial back their games to play Merion: “If they are only going to use (driver) two or three times (per round) they aren’t going to win the golf tournament.”
