September's U.S. Open (Golf) vs. September's U.S. Open (Tennis)
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With news of New York approving a U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows, this now joins a rescheduled U.S. Open at Winged Foot in the same state. One is tennis, one is golf and some contrasts are emerging.
Christopher Clarey’s New York Times exclusive item confirms the U.S. Open (tennis) will remain on schedule for Aug. 31 to Sept. 13 without fans.
The USGA’s rescheduled U.S. Open (golf) has not ruled out on-site spectators, though with a stated limit of 2000, it’s hard to see more than a handful of non-essential folks on site.
Back to tennis. As Clarey notes in his item, a lot still has to be figured out regarding travel restrictions for the mostly non-American field to get to New York. Top male player sound unenthusiastic for a number of reasons.
One of the women, world doubles No. 7 Gaby Dobrowski, wrote of her concerns on social media today. Note the final portion and a belief that a U.S. Open is not a proper tournament without qualifying and other divisions beyond singles.
The USGA is forging ahead without local and sectional qualifyings, and according to Dave Shedloski in this GolfDigest.com piece, “strictly due to safety concerns for players, caddies, administrators, rules officials, personnel at the clubs that host them, and anyone else who might have engaged in those nationwide events.”
USGA officials are now in the process of designing a 144-player field (from 156) to get a round in on a 12 hour day versus June’s 15-hour days. But, without the local and sectional qualifyings. The USGA’s John Bodenhamer in Shedloski’s piece:
“We are looking at data, we are looking at those who play year in and year out in the championship and qualifiers. We want to kind of turn over every stone to build a field.”
Top players, for the most part, have not voiced similar concerns as the top players in tennis.
And finally, there will be this matter for both U.S. Opens to face: can you safely host international fields for this event. Or worse, will this situation make it an easy decision to stay home:
