OT: golf...the U.S. Open is coming to New England!

[Blakeon18]

I read this morning that the USGA has selected The Country Club [Brookline, Ma.] to host
the [men's] U.S. Open in 2022. Can't say I have played it but I have walked it in the gallery and
it is a wonderful New England-y property. It has hosted several Opens plus was the scene of the
bum's rush by Americans on the 17th green in the Ryder Cup in 1999.

Only real question is: Will Tom Brady and Giselle be members by then? Remember that they are building
a mansion right on one of the fairways. They want to be members but the members are having doubts
about the publicity they would bring.

I would recommend to Tom that he issue an invitation to Jordan Spieth to stay with the Bradys for the tournament. Jordan has 2 major wins...by the time Brookline rolls around he will have had 26 more majors to play. Over/under on how many he has when he tees it up on that Thursday? I say 6.

 

[MilfordHusky]

That selection was rather widely expected. Here are the confirmed venues:

• 2016 — Oakmont
• 2017 — Erin Hills
• 2018 — Shinnecock Hills
• 2019 — Pebble Beach
• 2020 — Winged Foot
• 2021 — Torrey Pines
• 2022 — The Country Club
• 2023 — Los Angeles Country Club
• 2024 — Pinehurst No. 2

There is speculation that the 2026 venue will be in either Philly (Merion) or D.C. (Congressional) for the nation's 250th birthday.

I was at Oakmont in 1994 and will probably pass on returning. Erin Hills does not excite me, especially after the fiasco at Chambers Bay. Shinnecock is spectacular, worth the logistical problems of getting there. I hope my son has friends in the Hamptons by then. Pebble is a must-do for the 4th time for me. I hope to take my grandson to Winged Foot, as he will be nearly 7 by then. And I will visit the Calif. family when I'm at Torrey Pines again. Maybe I'll come back to New England for 2022, God willing.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I like the idea of alternating between east coast and west coast. With the time cycle being locked in to the third week of June most of the South, Southeast, Dust Bowl and Southwest aren't in play. Weather is untenable. So, they're left with Mid Atlantic, Northeast, Great Lake States, Pacfic Coast and potentially Rocky Mountain areas.

To each their own, but I'd like to play Shinnecock more than any other course in the country.

 

[Blakeon18]

CD: Cherry Hills has received the men's Open a couple of times [Palmer driving the first green...par 4...an iconic memory]
and the women went there once too.

Another golf note: I see that the Traveler's [GHO] next year is the first week of August...due to golf being in the Rio games.
The last major is the PGA...last week in July....at Baltusrol in Jersey...a short trip to Hartford for the GHO...a good spot for us.
I also saw an article that suggested there are negotiations for comedian George Lopez to have some kind of major relationship with the GHO.
He was in the pro-am this year [he has a nice golf game] and it sounds like they want him on a regular basis. When Sammy Davis Jr.
had that role, the pro-am got huge Hollywood types...Bob Hope, Jackie Gleason etc. That facet of the pro-am has fallen off considerably...maybe Lopez can
entice more A list folks.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I went to the PGA at Baltusrol with my son. That was the year that Phil edged Tiger on Monday. I think the temp was 104 on the weekend. Brutal weather, very nice classic course.

 

[stamfordhusky]

That was the year that Phil edged Tiger on Monday.

Tiger was way behind starting the final round and thus started much earlier than the contenders. He managed to birdie the last two holes to make it fairly close but he would have needed a collapse by Mickelson/Elkington to win it. Iirc, the closest he got was 2-3 strokes off the lead. He ended up tying for 4th. Tiger was done in by a terrible 1st round and could never recover.

 

[Bonpland]

I remember that the week before the '86 Open a columnist wrote that Shinnecock was so simple a course that records would be broken with the low scores that would be carded. But Raymond Floyd was the only golfer to break par (holing a crazy bunker shot - on the 17th I think) by finishing one stroke under and afterwards Jack Nicklaus said that they should stop looking for future venues for the Open and just play it one year at Pebble Beach and the next back at Shinnecock. (and that was after losing a ball in the sedge grass early in the opening round).

 

[MilfordHusky]

In 2004, Goosen won because he was insanely hot with the putter. He made putts that no one else did. In hindsight, I wonder if the pin placements were unusually nasty. In 2013, the relatively short Merion East course was protected by very tough pin placements. The Thursday hole locations looked like Sunday placements, and things got tougher over the 4 days.

The view from the clubhouse at Shinnecock is one of the best views in golf. I looked at the meandering green fairways and 2' high waves of amber and thought I would need a forecaddy ... or maybe four caddies.