Golf Monthly UK – August 2019

Did the USGA get the

US Open right?

Anothericoniccoursedevouredbyanewgeneration

of powerplayers,orathrillingtournamentshowcasing

the very best of modern professional golf?

nrecentyears,theUSGA

hasfacedconsiderable

criticismofUSOpen

courses.ChambersBayin 2015 was

“likeputtingonbroccoli,”ErinHills

in 2017 was“wideopen”and

boringandShinnecockHillswas

over-bakedandnearunplayable.

TheUSGAwasunderconsiderable

pressureinthebuild-uptothe

119thUSOpenatPebbleBeach,

particularlywiththeevent

returningtoaniconicvenuethat

haditselfcomeunderscrutinyfor

beingtrickeduplasttimein2010.

AfterGaryWoodlandproduced a

greatdisplayofball-striking,

coursemanagementandmental

strengthtoprevailthisJune,over

animpressivetoptenincluding

defendingchampionandworld’s

bestBrooksKoepkaasrunner-up,

theUSGAcouldbreathea sighof

relief.Orcouldthey?Therewill

alwaysbesomeseekingtofind

faultandthistimethefingerwas

pointedatthefactPebbleBeach

wastooeasyandwasdominated

bythepowerplayers.

Some 31 menfinished under par

in2019,compared

withnonewhenthe

USOpenlastvisited

andjustTigerin

2000.Onthefaceof

it, those numbers

suggesttheUSGApresentedtheir

signatureUSOpenvenuetoo

tamely.Buttherearereasonsfor

the better scoring in 2019.

Erringonthesideofcaution

Theweatherwillalwaysbea factor

inhowa courseis setup.Accounts

fromthoseatPebbleBeachinthe

build-upsuggesttheUSGAwas

trackingforthefirmandfiery

conditionstheytargeted.Buta

coupleofdaysofhotweather

meanttheyhadtowaterthecourse

heavilysoasnottoriskit becoming

unplayableif thewindblew.

Unfortunatelyit thencooled

downagain,thewaterremained

and the wind didn’t pick up. That

leftthecoursemoreforgivingthan

itmighthavebeen.Golfis an

outdoorpursuit,playedin,and

influencedby,theelementsandthe

USGAdidthecorrectthingto sit on

therightsideofcaution.

And,inthemain,theplayers

werehugelycomplimentaryabout

thisyear’sset-up.PhilMickelson

(whohita movingballindisgust

lastyearatShinnecock)described

thecourseas“perfect”andJim

Furyksaidtheconditionwas

“fantastic”.RoryMcIlroywasasked

whathewouldsaytothosewho

claimedit wastooeasy.“Come play

ityourself”washisretort.

Iftherehadbeena strongwind,

scoringwouldcertainlyhavebeen

higheratPebble.Perhapsparmight

havebeenthewinningscore,maybe

not...butwhatdoesit matter?

Theobjectiveofanytournament

organiseris todeliverentertainment

andproducea worthywinner.

Whetherthechampionpostsparor

13-underis surelyirrelevant.When

Tigerwonby 15 atPebblein2000,

hewas12-underandmostheralded

his incredibleperformance.Now

thegeneralstandard

ofplayhas

improved,withmore

menabletogenerate

thelevelsofpower

and distance that

Words Fergus Bisset • PhotographyGetty Images

GM ASKS...

“Asinanyothersportorhuman

endeavour,welearntoget

better as time passes”

GaryWoodlandwas

a deserved champion

I